Page 2 - Indian Hockey

FIH Hockey Rankings: Indian men slip to 4th, women's team ranked 9th

India on Tuesday slipped a spot to the fourth position in the latest FIH men's world rankings with Germany taking the third place following their impressive run at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers. India (2761) had directly qualified for the Paris Olympics through an Asian Games gold last year and didn't need to play in the recently-concluded Olympic Qualifiers. Germany (2786), on the other hand, went unbeaten at the Olympic Qualifiers in Oman and followed that up with two wins and two draws against Argentina and a young Belgian side during the Santiago del Estero mini tournament in the FIH Pro League to surpass India. Netherlands (3060) continue to sit at the top of the rankings, coming away from the India leg of the FIH Pro League, relatively unscathed, with two draws against India and a loss to Australia accounting for their only dropped points in 8 matches. Belgium (2848) continue to hold on to the second place in the rankings after a strong showing at the Olympic Qualifiers i

FIH Pro League: India end home leg on winning note, beat Ireland 4-0

The Indian men's hockey team blanked lower-ranked Ireland 4-0 to end their home leg of the FIH Pro League campaign on a winning note here on Sunday. Nilakanta Sharma (14th minute), Akashdeep Singh (15th), Gurjant Singh (38th) and Jugraj Singh (60th) were the goal scorers. Nilakanta and Jugraj got their goals from penalty corners while Akashdeep and Gurjant struck through field efforts. India dominated the match and led 2-0 half time. The Indian team is currently placed at the third spot with 15 points from eight matches, with five wins (three outright and two shootout) and three losses (one outright and two shootout). The Netherlands and Australia are above India with 26 and 20 points respectively. The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will continue their FIH Pro League campaign in the European leg in May-June.

Janneke Schopman resigns as chief coach of Indian women's hockey team

Indian women's hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman resigned on Friday, days after creating a furore by claiming that she was not valued and respected enough by the national federation. The Dutch coach had taken over the reins of the women's team in 2021 from Sjoerd Marine, who had led the side to a historic fourth position at the Tokyo Olympics. Schopman's contract was to end in August this year after the Paris Olympics but following her recent critical comments, it was expected that she won't continue. Hockey India (HI) informed that the 46-year-old coach tendered her resignation to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey after the conclusion of team's outing in the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League in Odisha. "At the back of the disappointment at the recent Olympic Qualifiers, her resignation has paved the way for Hockey India to look for a suitable Chief Coach for the Women's Hockey Team who could prepare the Indian Team for the next Women's World Cup in 2026 and Los Angele

FIH Pro League: India look to continue recent domination over Netherlands

The Indian men's hockey team would look to continue its recent domination over the Netherlands with an outright win when the two sides meet in the return leg match of the FIH Pro League here on Wednesday. India have had a good run in the Pro League so far with the team led by drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh winning two out of their five games in regulation time. India's resilience saw them defeat the Dutch and Spain in shootouts, earning valuable bonus points. Their solitary defeat came at the hands of Australia but that too from a winning position. India are currently placed fourth in the Pro League standings with 10 points from five matches. The Netherlands are leading the chart with 18 points from nine games ahead of Argentina (13 points from 8 matches) and Australia (12 points from 4 games). But having said that the Indians, ranked third in the world, have had to face a tough time in their last two matches against world No.12 Ireland and world No.8 Spain. India were made to t

Indian men's hockey team beats Spain via penalty shootout in FIH Pro League

Experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh produced the decisive save as the Indian men's hockey team beat Spain via penalty shootout in an FIH Pro League match here on Monday. The two teams were locked 2-2 in the regulation time. Jarmanpreet Singh (1st minute) and Abhishek (35th) sounded the board for India while Jose Basterra (3rd) and Borja Lacalle (15th) got the goals for Spain in the normal time. The penalty shootout too turned out to be a thrilling contest as the two teams were locked 7-7 before Lalit Kumar Upadhyay put India ahead. Indian custodian Sreejesh then produced a decisive save, denying Spain captain Marc Miralles, to earn the win for the hosts. India will next face the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Pro League matches vital for Paris 2024 preparations: India coach Fulton

Indian men's hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton on Sunday said the ongoing FIH Pro League matches are vital to his team's preparation for the Paris Olympics scheduled for July-August. The Indians have so far played four matches in the Pro League out, winning three and losing one against the mighty Australia. "It (Pro League) gives us 18 games that you are looking in the build up to Paris. So it is important. Whether some teams are putting their strongest teams or not is out of our control," Fulton said during a virtual press conference. "Everything we are looking forward to is to have more perspective about our game, develop our game with the squad we have. "We know we can compete in all the games, in different phases we have to different things and do them better. So the Pro League is really important for now because this is the only competition we have". India captain Harmanpreet Singh too agreed with his coach. "These are the major matches we are getting before the Olympics

Indian women's hockey team stun better placed Australia 1-0 in Pro League

Forward Vandana Katariya scored from a penalty corner to help the Indian women's hockey team stun world number 3 Australia 1-0 in the FIH Pro League here on Saturday. Katariya scored in the 34th minute as world number nine India registered their second win of the tournament and also avenged last week's 0-3 loss to Australia in Bhubaneswar. India found themselves under pressure early in the first quarter as Australia was awarded a penalty corner in the third minute. However, the Indian captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia did well to keep the ball out. A few minutes later Jane Claxton took a shot at goal but it went on to hit the goalpost. The first quarter was plenty of action but ended without any goals being scored. The second quarter started with India being awarded a penalty corner early on but it wasn't converted. The Aussies won their second penalty corner in the 20th minute but failed to convert it. Both the teams made plenty of circle entries but the first-half ended ...

FIH Pro League: Indian women's hockey team looks to end home leg on a high

Bruised and battered, the Indian women's hockey team will look to end the campaign at home on a high note when it takes on Australia and the USA in the Pro League here over the weekend. Having failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the Savita Punia-led team's performance has gone from bad to worse against the top sides in the ongoing FIH Pro League, losing five of their six matches. After suffering a 1-2 defeat in their first match against China, India went on to lose 1-3 to the Netherlands and 0-3 to Australia before beating the United States 3-1 in their final match of the Bhubaneswar leg. In their first match of the Rourkela leg, India took the lead early but China came back strongly to win the game 2-1. India then went on to lose 0-1 to the Netherlands. Although they produced a much-improved defensive show against Netherlands in the previous game, they lacked sharpness and innovative moves upfront and their penalty corner conversion rate remains abysmal. "We lost the last .

It's a distraction: Coach Fulton on rape allegations against defender Varun

The rape allegation against defender Varun Kumar is a distraction for the men's hockey team and his absence from the FIH Pro League will be treated as an injury setback, India chief coach Craig Fulton said on Friday. Varun, an Arjuna award recipient, withdrew himself from the tournament after being accused of rape. He is exploring legal options to tackle the allegation, which he described as a "calculated attempt to extort money" from him. India are scheduled to take on Spain in the tournament-opener on Saturday. "If you take it from outside and, of course, it's a challenging situation but at the same time, you've got a level of professionalism and then from a start point of view we have to have our plans in place," said Fulton during a pre-event press conference. "So, if you took it as an injury, someone now is injured. What would you do? What are the plans in place in the event of an injury? So, Varun is not here. What is the plan? There always is a plan for anyone that gets inju

Accused of rape, Varun withdraws from FIH Pro League to fight legal battle

Accused of rape under the stringent POCSO act, Arjuna award-winning Indian hockey player Varun Kumar has withdrawn from the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar to explore his legal options against the allegation, which he described as a "calculated attempt to extort money" from him. The 28-year-old has been granted "urgent leave" from national duty by Hockey India after he stated that the incident has taken a toll on his "physical and mental health". Varun has been booked by the Bengaluru Police after a woman accused the defender of sexually abusing her multiple times when she was a minor. The 22-year-old, in her complaint filed on Monday, said that she came in contact with Varun in 2018 through Instagram, and the player raped her on multiple occasions promising her of marriage when she was 17. In a letter to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, which is in possession of PTI, Varun claimed that the complaint against him is false and a misuse of the "state machinery". "Through media repo

India hockey player Varun Kumar accused of rape, booked under POCSO act

Arjuna award-winning Indian hockey player Varun Kumar was on Tuesday booked under the stringent POCSO act by the Bengaluru Police after a woman accused the defender of sexually abusing her multiple times when she was a minor. The 22-year-old, in her complaint, said that she came in contact with Varun in 2018 through Instagram, and the player raped her on multiple occasions promising her of marriage when she was 17. She said Varun was training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru when she met him. Varun, who was awarded the Arjuna in 2021, was recently promoted as a DSP in Punjab Police. "Based on the complaint received from the woman, we have registered a case on Monday against the Hockey player under appropriate section of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code," the Bengaluru Police said in a statement. Varun, who was in the Indian stand

FIH Women's Pro League: Indian hockey team matches, timing, live streaming

India will face the USA, the Netherlands, China, and Australia in the matches played at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar and Birsa Munda Stadium, Rourkela

India beat South Africa 6-3 to enter FIH Hockey5s Women's World Cup final

India registered a thrilling 6-3 win over South Africa to advance to the final of the FIH Hockey5s Women's World Cup here. Akshata Abaso Dhekale (7th minute), Mariana Kujur (11th), Mumtaz Khan (21st), Rutuja Dadaso Pisal (23rd), Jyoti Chhatri (25th) and Ajima Kujur (26th) scored for India in the semifinal on Friday night. Teshawn De La Rey (5th), captain Toni Marks (8th) and Dirkie Chamberlain (29th) were on target for South Africa. South Africa began the first half on a defensive note, waiting for counters to threaten the Indian goal. The game's first chance fell to South Africa but India goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu was vigilant in front of the goal. It was a close-range reverse shot from South Africa's Teshawn De La Rey that gave them the early lead, which was short-lived as Akshata equalised for India with a powerful shot that beat South African goalie Grace Cochrane all ends up. But a minute later skipper Toni picked up a pass, dodged the keeper and found the back of the net t

Indian men's hockey team beats South Africa 3-0 at their home turf

The Indian men's hockey team continued its unbeaten run on the tour to South Africa, registering an easy 3-0 win over the hosts here. Captain Harmanpreet Singh (2nd minute), Abhishek (13th), and Sumit (30th) scored for the winners on Friday night. The Indians started on an attacking note and secured an early penalty corner, which Harmanpreet converted with a powerful dragflick to take the lead. With just a couple of minutes left in the first quarter, Abhishek managed to make the most of an attacking move and struck one past South Africa goalkeeper to double India's lead. Despite plenty of attacks from South Africa in the second quarter, India's defence maintained their composure and remained resolute in their determination to keep a clean sheet. Just at the stroke of half-time, Sumit managed to score another field goal as India took a comfortable 3-0 lead. South Africa started showcasing urgency after the change of ends, but failed to break the Indian defence. The cagey third q

Vandana returns to squad as Indian women eye fresh start in FIH Pro League

Smarting from the failure to make the Paris Olympics, a Savita Punia-led 24-member Indian women's hockey team will look to make a fresh start in the upcoming FIH Pro League matches. Savita will be assisted by Vandana Katariya, who returned to the side as vice-captain after recovering from a cheekbone fracture, which forced the senior striker to miss the Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi earlier this month. The Indian team endured a disappointing outing in Ranchi and failed to qualify for the Olympics after having made the cut in the last two editions. In fact, in the last edition at Tokyo, the Indians finished a creditable fourth. The Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League will begin on February 3 and end on February 9, while the Rourkela leg will commence on February 12 and last till February 18. India will take on the United States, the Netherlands, China, and Australia twice each across both legs. The Indian women will begin their campaign against reigning Asian Games champions China on

India beat New Zealand 11-1 to enter FIH Women's Hockey5s World Cup semis

Rutaja Pisal scored four goals while Deepika Soreng struck thrice as India hammered New Zealand 11-1 to enter the semifinals of the FIH Women's Hockey5s World Cup here. New Zealand took the lead courtesy a goal from Oriwa Hepi (2nd minute) but India equalized within fifteen seconds as Deepika Soreng (2nd) found the back of the net with an astonishing finish. Rutaja (9th) put India in the lead before Mumtaz Khan (10th, 11th) quickly fired back-to-back goals. The goalfest continued with India again scoring two more quick goals, this time from Mariana Kujur (13th, 14th) as the first half ended with India leading 6-1. India's control of proceedings continued and Rutaja (22nf) scored her second goal of the match. Deepika (25th) also brought up her second goal before Rutaja (26th, 28th) added two more goals to her tally. Deepika (29th) then scored another goal to complete her hat-trick as India won the game 11-1. India face South Africa in the semifinal.

IND-JAP highlights: Japan beat India 1-0, book a spot in Paris Olympics

Paris Olympics 2024: Indian women's team won't be part of Olympics, which will take place in July-August. India had a chance if they finished at third place but Japan stood there

Schopman wants her players to show up against Japan after Germany loss

Indian women's hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman wants her players to show up against Japan in the third-fourth place classification match after their loss against Germany in the semifinals of the FIH Olympic Qualifier here on Thursday. India fumbled in the shootout to lose 3-4 after the match ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time. But India still have a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics if they beat Japan on Friday as the top three teams from this tournament will qualify for this year's quadrennial extravaganza. "We will discuss it again. We need to give time to the disappointment. We have to rest tomorrow morning and I know they will be ready. Some of them are already ready but we need some time," Schopman said. "They get a little bit impatient and when they get impatient...but I can't always blame them for it. It was great that we could manage a large part of the game today. "I know we can play but we have to show up and have to keep fighting. We don't have a ..

Contrary to final scoreline, it was a tough match against Italy: Schopman

The Indian women's hockey team on Tuesday routed Italy 5-1 to enter the semifinals of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers here, but chief coach Janneke Schopman feels that the scoreline might not depict how tough it was out there in the middle. India finished second in Pool B behind USA and will now take on Pool A toppers Germany in the semifinals on Thursday. The top three sides from the tournament will qualify for Paris Olympics. "We have learnt from every match. In the first match, we didn't really play well. Our second game was really good and we were in control. This game against was a bit difficult, we struggled a little bit," Schopman said after the match. "The learning from here is that we actually fought ourselves back into this game and started dominating. "Italy is difficult team to play against, they are very skillfull, play hard. So lot's of learnings," the Dutch added. Schopman had words of praise for Udita Duhan, who scored a brace on her 100th international match on ...

Olympics Hockey Qualifiers: India women maul Italy 5-1 to enter semis

Udita Duhan capped her milestone 100th international appearance with a double strike that took India closer to a Paris ticket after hosts thrashed Italy 5-1 to enter the semi-final of the FIH Olympic Qualifier here on Tuesday. Udita (1st minute, 55th), Deepika (41st), Salima Tete (45th) and Navneet Kaur (53rd) were the goal scorers for Indian team as it finished second in Pool B with two wins from three games behind United States, who remained unbeaten. India will take on Pool A toppers Germany in the semifinals on Thursday, while USA will be up against Japan. The top three teams will qualify for the Paris Olympics. It was yet another good show by the Indians after the 0-1 loss to USA in their opener as they controlled the flow of the match from start to finish. Udita was rock solid at the back, while diminutive Neha Goyal and Salima controlled the proceedings in the mid-field. It was a perfect start for India as just like their previous match, the hosts took the lead in the firs