Page 5 - Hockey

My family sacrificed for me to chase my dreams: Hockey player Karthi Selvam

Fast-rising Karthi Selvam, one of the star performers for Indian men's hockey team in the Asian Champions Trophy, feels that he has been able to live up to expectations of his parents, who sacrificed a lot to nourish his dream of weaving magic with the stick. Karthi was the first from Tamil Nadu to be selected in the senior national men's hockey team in 13 years when he made his debut in last year's Asia Cup in Jakarta. In the ACT this year, he scored two goals and had a hand in plenty of assists. Karthi scored on his debut in the opening match against Pakistan but for the 21-year-old forward, the goal against Malaysia in the group stages of ACT was something he would cherish for his entire life as it came in front of his home and crowd and more importantly his parents. "One memory that I will always cherish is scoring my first goal of the tournament (ACT) against Malaysia. This was the very first goal that I scored in front of my family who were watching me play for the first time,

Women's Hockey ACT: Ranchi to host the event from October 27 to November 5

Following the successful conduct of the men's event in Chennai, India will next host the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for women for the first time, in Ranchi from October 27 to November 5 this year. The seventh edition of the tournament will be a joint venture between Hockey India and the Government of Jharkhand. Besides India, defending champions Japan, runners-up Korea, China, Malaysia and Thailand are expected to participate in the tournament. The Indian women's team won the title in 2016 and in the following edition in 2018, it finished runners-up. Ranchi has previously hosted numerous Hockey India League matches from 2012 to 2015 and was home to the city-based franchise, Ranchi Rays. In recent years, the stadium has witnessed several top domestic events and boasts of a big fan base for the sport. Jharkhand has a rich hockey history, having produced seven Olympians who have represented India, including Jaipal Singh Munda, Silbanus Dungdung, Manohar Topno, Ajit Lak

India Men's hockey coach Fulton calls ACT triumph big boost for Asian Games

The Asian Champions Trophy title triumph will "really count" as India set sights on Asian Games gold in order to secure automatic qualification to 2024 Paris Olympics, said head coach Craig Fulton. The India hockey team fought back from two goals down to eke out a 4-3 win over Malaysia in the final to claim their fourth ACT title here on Saturday. With the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled to commence on September 23, Fulton was asked whether a thrilling final like this will help the side in the continental showpiece event. "Finals are cagier; they never go smooth. It comes down to a moment or shootouts. So, it's important to have a game like this because it really counts. "At the same time, it's (ACT) not the Asian Games. So, our feet are firmly on the ground. But, if you said to me to win the Asian Games and lose this final, I would obviously vouch for winning the Games," added Fulton. Fulton said the comeback story of the team had begun two months back. "Two months ago," Fulton t

Hockey: India jump to number three in FIH rankings after ACT triumph

Giving them a big boost ahead of the Asian Games, India on Sunday rose to third in FIH rankings following their Asian Champions Trophy triumph. India (2771.35 points) jumped one place to third and went past England (2763.50 points) behind top-ranked Netherlands (3095.90 points) and Belgium (2917.87 points). This was the second time India rose to No 3 in FIH rankings. India had achieved a similar ranking in 2021 after securing a bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, which was their first medal at the Games in 41 years. On Saturday, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side defeated Malaysia 4-3 to lift the ACT title. They made an incredible comeback from 1-3 down. In the last edition of the event in 2021, India had finished third. The Indian hockey team's next assignment will be the Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 23. The ACT runners-up Malaysia remained on ninth in the FIH rankings. Apart from India and Malaysia, South Korea too find themselves at 11th while Pakistan is placed 16th.

CM Stalin announces prize of Rs 1.1 cr for ACT-winning Indian hockey team

The Indian men's hockey team on Saturday produced a resilient performance and staged an incredible comeback to defeat Malaysia 4-3

Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2023 winner, match results and history

A spirited India eked out a fighting 4-3 win over Malaysia in the final to clinch the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for the fourth time on (August 12)

Hockey: FIH takes U-turn, abandons trial of new penalty corner rule

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday said it has decided to "abandon" the trial of the new penalty corner rule as it doesn't want to tinker much with the existing set piece regulation, a glamour aspect of the sport. "FIH has decided to put on hold and abandon the new penalty corner rule trial. The format that was being considered during the trial will not be taken into consideration anymore," FIH president Tayyab Ikram said on the sidelines of the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy here. "But, I have already instructed to have a re-evaluation of further options, and we are in big favour to keep the existing PC rule. If it will be a different change, it would be around the same format, but in more dynamic ways." According to the proposed rule, all attackers except the pusher at the backline must start at least five metres outside the striking circle called the 'D' which is 12 metres from the goal post. The ball must travel outside the dotted line, which is five metres bey

Asian Champions Trophy: India storm into final after 5-0 thrashing of Japan

Star Sports Select 2 HD/SD and Star Sports First will live broadcast IND vs JPN hockey match in India

Hockey: ACT 2023, IND vs JPN preview - India start as favourites vs Japan

Maintaining intensity throughout the 60 minutes of the game and consistency in finishing would be India's targets when the hosts take on Japan in the semifinal of the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Friday. No doubt, India will start as favourites after their unbeaten run in the round-robin stage, winning four matches and drawing one to top the points table. However, India would be wary of Japan, the only side the hosts have not beaten. The league match between the two sides had ended in a 1-1 draw. There is a wide gap in the world rankings between the two teams as India are at fourth spot as against 19 of Japan. But the home side should not forget that they had lost to Japan 3-5 in the semifinals of the 2021 edition in Dhaka after thrashing their opponents 6-0 in the league stage. India have scored the most number of goals -- 20 -- so far in this tournament but they missed chances galore against Japan in their league match, and the hosts will have to make amends o

IND vs PAK hockey highlights: India thrash Pakistan 4-0, knock out of ACT

Star Sports Select 2 HD/SD and Star Sports First will live broadcast IND vs PAK hockey match in India

Hockey ACT 2023: Abu Kamal Azrai's goal helps Malaysia beat South Korea 1-0

Malaysia came up with a spirited performance to edge past defending champions South Korea 1-0 during their round-robin match of the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy Hockey here on Wednesday. Abu Kamal Azrai scored the winner in a contest that was academic in nature with both countries having already sealed semi-final berth. The first quarter was a slow start from both sides, while Malaysia won the tie's opening penalty corner, which was saved by the Korean goalkeeper. After a chance each, there was nothing to separate the two teams at the end of the first quarter in which Malaysian skipper Marhan Jalil and Amirul Azahar were warned with green-cards. In the 22nd minute, an unmarked Abu Kamal Azrai slapped the ball home to give the Malaysians the lead. Malaysia kept its slender lead going into half-time. After the change of ends, Malaysia continued to be the better side in terms of number of raids into the opposition's defensive third. However, the Korean defence managed to hold out ti

Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2023: India, Malaysia into the semi-finals

Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2023: India and Malaysia are into the semi-finals, and China has been knocked out. Check where the other team stands after the opening round of fixtures

ACT 2023, IND vs PAK Hockey: India aim to avoid complacency vs arch-rivals

Their semifinal berth already sealed, three-time champions India would look to guard against complacency when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage last round-robin league match of the Asian Champions Trophy here on Wednesday. There has been complete contrast in the overall performance of both the sides in the tournament so far. While the hosts are unbeaten in the four games they played so far, Pakistan have managed only a win along with a couple of draws and a loss and their semifinal hopes depend on the result of this vital clash. A win for Pakistan will guarantee them a spot in the last four stage, but a defeat would leave their fate on the result of the match between China and Japan. If Pakistan lose on Wednesday, they will hope for China to upset Japan. In case Japan wins, the victory of margin should be lesser. Besides Pakistan would also hope for Malaysia to beat South Korea by a big margin, which would benefit the Men in Green. With three wins and a draw, Indi

Hockey ACT 2023: Harmapreet don't want to concede silly PCs vs Pakistan

Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh is happy with his team's improved strike-rate of short corners but wants a curb on conceding silly penalty corners in its important match against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday. "It would definitely be a high-intensity tie. We need to be smart and focus on our actual gameplan and our responsibilities. We will stick to our original structure and try to finish better," he told PTI after his team's 3-2 victory over South Korea. "It's going to be a full-house. It was a near full-house yesterday (Sunday), which is a good sign for Indian hockey." While he is happy that his team is finding ways to score both through penalty corners as well as field strikes, there is still some work on the defensive front --- mainly in terms of conceding penalty corners at crucial junctures. "We have been scoring goals both through field and PCs. Also, ball possession was quite good, especially during the closing stages of the .

Hockey ACT 2023: We are aware of India's weak areas - Pakistan head coach

Pakistan are aware of India's weak areas and they have to play smart hockey against the home side, head coach Muhammad Saqlain said on Monday ahead of a potentially high-voltage clash between the arch-rivals in the Asian Champions Trophy here. India and Pakistan face each other in their last round-robin league match on Wednesday. "Harmanpreet Singh and other centre forwards are some of the best players in the world. We are aware of their weakness as well, but we have to be smart against them," Saqlain told PTI on Monday. Pakistan managed a narrow 2-1 win over China on Monday to stay in contention for a semifinal berth. Saqlain said he's confident of his side making it to the final four. "Finally, we have got the three crucial points. We created quite some chances, especially towards the initial stages of the meeting. If we keep going like this, we can surely make it to the semifinals with this young team," he said of the win against China. Asked about handling pressure against th

Asian Hockey Champions Trophy: India seal SF berth after 3-2 win over Korea

Their semifinals spot guaranteed, India prevailed over defending champions South Korea 3-2 in their fourth round-robin fixture of the Asian Champions Trophy here on Monday, maintaining their unbeaten run in the continental hockey tournament. Even before the action got underway at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, India had sealed their place in the semi-finals, following Japan's loss to Malaysia earlier in the day. Both teams began the match on a fast-paced note, playing mainly possession-based hockey. In the sixth minute, the deadlock was broken by the hosts, as Nilakanta Sharma tapped the ball in after Sukhjeet Singh dribbled the ball past a couple of defenders. Unfazed by the goal, Korea came up with a couple of chances of their own but the Indian defence was up to the task. However, the Koreans did not take much time to equalise as Sunghyun Kim hammered it in after Manjae Jung's low pass, in the 12th minute. In the second quarter, it was all about India as they came up

Hockey ACT: Resilient Malaysia keep-off Japan 3-1 to book semifinal spot

Malaysia fought off a late surge from Japan to secure a 3-1 win and advance to the semifinal of the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Monday. Najmi Jazlan (13th minute, penalty corner), Ashran Hamsani (37th) and Shello Silverius (59th) struck for Malaysia. After a flurry of missed chances, Japan finally managed to strike through Niwa Takuma (59th). The win took Malaysia to nine points after three wins and one loss and sealed their last-four berth after Pakistan defeated China 2-1 in another match. The top four teams out of six after the round-robin league qualify for the semifinals. Coming off from a 0-5 thrashing at the hands of India, Malaysia took the lead in the first quarter through when Jazlan's drag-flick. Jazlan's shot struck the shin of the first rusher before hitting the net and the goal was awarded after a referral. Japan, who had held Pakistan to a 3-3 draw, came close to scoring the equaliser on a few occasions but failed to give the finishing touches

Hockey ACT: Pakistan remain in semifinal race with 2-1 win over China

Goals from Muhammad Khan and Afraz helped Pakistan eke out a 2-1 victory over China to stay in the race for the semifinals in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Monday. However, the defeat meant that China were knocked out of contention for the last-four stage. The opening quarter happened to be a quiet one in terms of goal-scoring activities. Pakistan earned a couple of penalty corners but failed to convert them. It was followed by a field goal chance from both sides, but to no avail, as it was goalless at the end of the first quarter. Five minutes into the second quarter, Pakistan earned a penalty corner and Muhammad Khan successfully converted it to give his side the lead. While China challenged the goal through video referral for dangerous height, the TV umpire ruled it in favour of Pakistan. After a couple of more chances for Pakistan, including a penalty corner, it led 1-0 at the half-time break. Two minutes following the restart, China showed some urgenc

Hockey ACT: Pakistan captain Umar Bhutta rues team's finishing problem

Skipper Umar Bhutta on Sunday admitted that Pakistan need to analyse why they are unable to cross the line despite coming close to winning. Pakistan's latest contest was against Japan in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy where they settled for a 3-3 draw despite gaining the lead a couple of times. "Firstly, we need to analyse why we are not able to finish the game despite coming so close to winning. It's understandable against bigger sides like Germany, who scored one goal, and it's a win-win situation for them unless the opponent scores," he told PTI after the draw. "Secondly, we struggled initially in the short corners. However, we are able to score in short corners as well as field goals now. Had these come beforehand, we would have been in a better position right now (in the competition)." "But overall, if I analyse my team and my players, I am impressed by their performance," he added. On Pakistan's upcoming encounter against China on Monday, a side that has not been at its

India will win gold in 2028 LA Olympics if not Paris 2024: Bhola Nath Singh

Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh on Saturday claimed that India will definitely win gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they miss out on the yellow metal in Paris next year. He said the current HI brass under former India captain Dilip Tirkey is leaving no stone unturned to take Indian hockey to the top again. "I have big plans for hockey and you will see some new things being introduced. We will try our best to change HI during this time," Bhola Nath told PTI. "I want to assure you that if not the Paris Olympics, India will surely win a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympics. If they don't, you can come back to me." To help Indian hockey recapture its past glory, Bhola Nath said HI is working on creating a bigger talent pool. He said plans are in place to give the junior teams the best facilities as the senior side, coupled with enough international exposure, which would again make India a major hockey powerhouse. "As far as the junior teams are concerne