The Indian Panorama

Tag: Hockey

  • Hockey hero Sreejesh claims he kept his emotions in check against Pakistan

    Hockey hero Sreejesh claims he kept his emotions in check against Pakistan

    NEW DELHI (TIP) Still revelling in India’s triumph against Pakistan in the Asian Games hockey final, “The Wall of Indian Hockey” goalkeeper PR Sreejesh said that he had entered the field with an intuition to win but keeping his emotions under check was the key to a great performance.

    “When I entered the ground the only thought came in my mind was that we have to win this and we can win this. I had the intuition that it will be our day and we will create history,” Sreejesh told PTI Bhasha from Incheon, South Korea. A spirited India edged past defending champions Pakistan 4-2 in a nerve-wracking shoot-out to regain the Asiad men’s hockey gold after a gap of 16 years and also sealed a direct entry into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

    Hero of the match Sreejesh, who excelled in regulation time and shoot out as well, said that handling pressure is always key. ”There was pressure as it was a match against Pakistan but I took it as any other normal match. Everyone including me did not let emotions dominate us and we played with passion . That was our key to success,” he said.

    It was not an easy task to cope up with additional pressure while playing the final against a side which had also beaten them in the league phase, but Sreejesh opined that the first loss was an eye opener.

    “The loss against Pakistan in pool phase was an eye opener . After that we worked harder and were more focused that resulted in semifinal win against strong team like Korea,” he said. Asked about the heart-breaking 1-7 Asiad final loss against Pakistan in 1982, Sreejesh said that the present win will wipe out all the bad memories.

  • Hockey India lays out grand welcome to Bronze medal winning women’s team

    Hockey India lays out grand welcome to Bronze medal winning women’s team

    NEW DELHI(TIP): Hockey India (HI) congratulated its bronze medal winning women’s team and extended a grand welcome to them on their return here from the Incheon Asian Games.

    The team defeated Japan 2-1 to claim third spot. South Korea won gold while China clinched silver. ”It’s a proud moment for the country that our women’s team have won the bronze medal at the 17th Asian Games. Each player of the team contributed towards this glory and I am proud of this team and wish them continued success in the future,” HI secretary general Narinder Batra said.

    India captain Ritu Rani said her team will aim to better themselves in the future. ”The entire team is ecstatic by this win. When we lost our semi-final, we were adamant to take the bronze by beating Japan. I am happy that we played with elan and won the match. We will aim to continue this form and better ourselves in our performances in the future,” Ritu said.

  • Hockey India announces Indian team for Sultan of Johor Cup

    Hockey India announces Indian team for Sultan of Johor Cup

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Midfielder Harjeet Singh will lead the 18-member Indian Junior men’s hockey team in the 4th Sultan of Johor Cup, to be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from October 12-19, Hockey India announced on Monday. Defending champions India, who would be looking to retain their title, boost of names like Imran Khan, Gurinder Singh and Jarmanpreet Singh, besides Harjeet — all four of whom have represented the Indian senior men’s team at international level. Forward Imran Khan will be the vice-captain of the side in the tournament.

    The team was chosen by HI selectors BP Govinda, Harbinder Singh and RP Singh alongwith the coach of junior men hockey team Harendra Singh, coach B J Kariappa and physiotherapist Vinod Kumar on the basis of the performance of 33 junior men core probables during the selection trials conducted at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on September 19-20. “The boys made us proud last year by winning the third edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup and looking at their current form during the training sessions, I am confident that the team picked by selectors is ready to repeat their successful feat,” HI secretary general Narinder Batra said. Sultan of Johor Cup will see a total of six teams — Australia, Great Britain, Pakistan, New Zealand, Malaysia and India. India will be facing New Zealand in the opening match on October 12, followed by Great Britain (Oct 13), Pakistan (Oct 15), Malaysia (Oct 16) and Australia (Oct 18). The preparatory camp for the Sultan of Johor Cup is underway at the National Stadium since September 13 and will continue till the team’s departure on October 9.

     

    The list of players:
    Goalkeepers: Abhinav Kumar Pandey, Subodh Tirkey. Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Anand Lakra, Varun Kumar, Gurinder Singh. Midfielders: Santa Singh, Sumit, Harjeet Singh (Captain), SH Nilkantha Sharma, Simranjeet Singh. Forwards: Imran Khan (Vice-Captain), Parvinder Singh, Pawan Kumar, Aarman Qureshi, Sumit Kumar.

    Out-of-box thinking is needed at Asiad: Dhanraj Pillay MUMBAI (TIP): For all the Olympic gold medals that India have won, the nation has only two gold medals at the Asian Games. Both have come in Bangkok (1966, 1998). India have the unfortunate distinction of finishing runner’s up on nine occasions and have a bronze, which they won four years ago in Guangzhao, China. A lot, though, is expected from the men’s hockey team from the Incheon Games in South Korea that begin on Friday. Dhanraj Pillay, under whom India last won the continental championships, feels meticulous planning from the coaching and support staff will play a critical role if India are to bag the yellow metal.

    “Strategy will be extremely important if India are to do well,” Pillay, coach of the Air India team that is playing in the Mumbai Hockey Association League, stressed. “The backroom staff will have to think out of the box and will have to be absolutely perfect in their gameplan,” Dhanraj, who scored the match-winner to help India win the final in Bangkok 16 years ago, said. Incheon will witness the implementation of the 15- minute-a-quarter rule for the first time. But Pillay felt the rule will suit the coaches more. “It is a good rule for coaches. They can put the best playing XI in the first quarter while give them some rest too. Basically, the coach will have the luxury of rotating his players. But, I am not sure if the Indian players will be comfortable with the rule.

  • G-20 LEADERS SET TO CHECK TAX EVASION

    G-20 LEADERS SET TO CHECK TAX EVASION

    CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA (TIP): The world’s 20 largest economies are expected to signal a fresh push to check tax evasion by agreeing on deadlines for new measures and call for boosting global growth, through a quicker pace of reforms, when finance ministers and central bank governors from these countries meet here this weekend. “The base erosion (and profit sharing, or BEPS) work done by OECD will have a timetable out of Cairns.

    If not, then certainly by the leaders’ summit in November. As for the reporting standards, I hope it’s addressed this weekend. In fact, we will address it this weekend… we do want tax authorities to be able to exchange information more readily,” Australian treasurer Joe Hockey told reporters ahead of the meeting of the ministers from countries that account for 85% of the global economy.

    He, however, said India’s demand for sharing of tax- and bank-related information on a retrospective basis may not be feasible. “It is a big systemic change for banks. If Australia went hard and early, it would cost a quarter of a billion dollars ($250 million) to the banks, which ends up being passed on to customers. But, if we do it in a sensible and timely fashion, it will cost barely 20% of that. It’s very hard to have that information prepared in a format on a retrospective basis.

    It’s also hard to go back in time,” he said when asked specifically about India’s demand. Exchange of information and BEPS, which seeks to tax multinationals that avoid paying taxes anywhere, are of key importance to India as it seeks to widen its tax base. At the last meeting of the FMs and central bank governors in February, G20 members had agreed to work towards achieving both the goals. While adding 2% growth to the economies over the next five years was identified as a priority by Hockey, it is not clear how the G20 will push for it, given that every country is taking steps that suit its interests more.

    In fact, the US Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates and further tapering of the stimulus induced to boost growth are being keenly watched. Asked about action by individual countries and its impact, Hockey acknowledged that G20 could do little.

  • PRIME MINISTER MODI’S SPEECH AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK

    PRIME MINISTER MODI’S SPEECH AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK

    “I have written this article imaging and imagining what PM Modi may say or could say at the MSG address to NRI’s on September 28th,” says the author.

    When we were students in India, we were occasionally asked to write an essay on “What would I tell the people if I was the Prime Minster of the country”. This was as much an exercise in essay writing as it was letting us young people wonder what indeed would we do and say if we were to be the PM of a country as large and diverse as India! Today I am tempted to write once again with the impending visit of India’s new Prime Minister to address the NRI’s and other dignitaries at the world famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York city, where NRIs from all over the US will have the opportunity to listen and hear what Mr. Modi has to say to all of us.

    To begin with , I will resist the temptation to give an election speech and focus on establishing India’s leadership role in the new world , the opportunity India’s new economy will offer to the world and the importance of the NRI community not only in the US but all over the world. In the process, I will ensure that I tell the truth the way it is because this is the moment to face reality and the truth as no one can hide from it anymore. So here I go with an outline of Mr. Modi’s address at MSG on 28th Sep, 2014: My dear NRI brothers and sisters of America.

    I am truly honored and humbled that you have accorded me this wonderful opportunity to directly talk to you and see you in person. This is the world’s most famous arena where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier showed their amazing talents. This is the home ground of New York basketball and ice hockey teams, the Knicks and the Rangers. This is the place where so many brilliant musicians and show masters have given their outstanding performances. By honoring me here, you have given the Pradhan Sevak from India his moment of glory. Please do not judge my performance against the brilliance of those who have performed here in the past, after all I am only a “chaiwala” having a new “chai per charcha” with you today.

    Thank you for coming in such large numbers and giving me the honor of addressing you in this arena and allowing me to set a record with your massive team work. I sincerely thank the organizers and every single person, volunteers and guests today. Please accept my sincere gratitude. Thank you again. It is said we are living in interesting times! Actually, for India it is perhaps the most crucial of all times because we have to collectively respond to the challenges we are facing as a country both from within and outside.We need to revive the economy to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of millions of young people that somehow got affected adversely in the past ten years.

    I cannot roll back those years but I have promised to establish a performance based culture in India which will lead to good governance and economic growth for all its people. That is the mandate our party has received from the people of India and I am holding myself, my government and my party responsible and accountable for. No excuses, no alibis and no nonsense. Yes, we will make mistakes and sometimes circumstances will overwhelm us, but we will recover, correct our path and march forward again. In that effort and journey we will need your support, understanding and patience.

    Let me begin by saying that in the first 100 days, we have taken some very bold steps to inspire confidence in the people of India – that we can do and achieve more than we have become accustomed to accepting and living with. I have already promised the Japanese Government that we will offer the red carpet and not the red tape for the investments coming from that country. Let me assure you, we will do the same for American investors and businesses who are keen to invest in India.

    To that end we have begun the work of establishing practices that will enable us roll out the red carpet to you. The India you will see, now onwards, will not be the India you have known in the past. The people of India are up to that challenge and ready to embrace the change that the mool mantra of “Growth and governance” will do for them. This is also the moment to eliminate the evil of corruption that puts us in really bad light in the world business community. I want to promise that India will move up in two specific rankings, the corruption index and doing business index.We are better than where we are today and to that end I will personally do my best to make us feel proud of who we are and what we are capable of being and doing.

    India will be the new engine of economic growth for the world we live in and our goal is to make sure that happens in all seriousness. Secondly, I am here for the UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders. It is a great experience to meet, greet and share friendship with so many leaders of the world at this annual event in New York. As we all know the world is going through very difficult and dangerous times with some groups of people hell bent on destabilizing the much needed peace that is essential for men, women and children of the world. The death of so many innocent people including the helpless children cannot be an acceptable way of life anywhere in the world. To abuse religion in that way is abusing the Will of God himself.

    Leaders of every single country in the world must stand united in fighting the evil of murder and forcible conversions of helpless or face death scenarios causing untold sufferings to the helpless and innocent lives. The coalition of the willing needs to be established and there is no way any country can justify partnering with the perpetrators of terrorism for reasons of political expediency. It is this very fact that destabilizes the trust factor in the world leadership and bilateral relationships.

    I do believe India has earned the right to become a permanent member of the Security Council but we are not going to bend our principles to get a seat on the Council . I believe India will continue to make its impact on the world economy , politics and social lives and the world will learn the power and virtue of diversity that India is home to.While the United States is the most authentic melting pot, India has always believed in the philosophy and practice of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam”- the world is home for all! Our country is home to every single religion who practice their faith without fear. Yes there may be incidents that affect people adversely but those are isolated in practice.

    Thirdly, America is not a great country because it is a beautiful country – it is a great country because it has given outstanding leadership to the world, created opportunities for its people and strongly believes in “Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” as the main source of life and living. It would be unfair to single out a few leaders but who can forget the inspiring words of President Kennedy , who said ” Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country” . And on another occasion when he said, “we are not going to the moon because it is easy to do so. We are going to the moon because it is difficult to do so”.

    Leaders such as JFK inspired the people to rise above their normal being who began to see things differently. It is this spirit of enterprise, self-pride and adventure that I want to take back from here and I invite you to bring these values to India with you whenever you happened to visit India. I have accepted the challenge to rebuild India and reposition India on the world map not because it is easy to do so but because it is difficult and I seek your support , cooperation and patience in making it happen.

    I am proud of you NRIs as you stand united as Indians under the banner of NRI. Whatever language you may speak, you are NRIs first! You are, from my point of view, the New Responsible Indians and every Indian in India must become the new NRI – the New Responsible Indian! You have prospered here because you got an opportunity to be what and who you are , working hard , retaining family values and culture , taking care of children , contributing to the communities you live in and being good citizens of America! We are proud of you as you are the true representatives and ambassadors of your original homeland. Come join me and those back home to create a new India.

    Finally, there are great expectations from the strategic relationship and partnership between the US and India. I am here to offer the United States my country’s commitment to fight against the evil of terrorism. I am here to offer unprecedented economic cooperation. I am here to do what it takes to help India and Indians achieve economic freedom and prosperity.

    I am here to bring prosperity to Americans living here. I promise that the US and President Obama will receive my full cooperation in the fight against terrorism and boosting economic relationships between our two great countries upholding our essential beliefs, values and causes we believe in. I am sure you will support all of us in this task and endeavor. Jai Hind!

    (The author is a prolific writer. He can be
    reached at vibhutijha@aol.com)

  • India edge out Bangladesh 2-1 in hockey series opener

    India edge out Bangladesh 2-1 in hockey series opener

    NEW DELHI: Riding its fine form after bagging a silver in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Indian men’s hockey team edged out Bangladesh 2-1 in the opening Test of the three-match series that started today in Dhaka as part of the Asian Games tune-up.

    Bangladesh drew first blood with a Farhad Ahmed Fhitul strike in the 30th minute, but India, who have picked a young squad for the series including some Asian Games probables, soon bounced back in the game and stole the thunder from the home team within a matter of five minutes. Trailing 0-1, Indian defender Gurjinder Singh replied through a field goal in the 32nd minute of the match and helped the visitors draw level.Mid-fielder Harjeet Singh quickly took the visitors ahead before half time when he made no mistake in converting a penalty corner in the 34th minute.

    India then held on the 2-1 advantage till time as Gurjinder received the Man of the Match award. Speaking on the win, coach Tushar Khandker said, “Many players in the team are playing their first international match. This series will prepare them for the upcoming Asian Games. The players are getting exposed to various techniques and training on tackling the ball in different situations during the game. The team has much more potential than what they have shown today and we expect even better results in the remaining matches.” India will now play their second Test match against Bangladesh on Friday.

  • Australia thrash Netherlands 6-1 to retain hockey World Cup

    Australia thrash Netherlands 6-1 to retain hockey World Cup

    India beat South Korea 3-0, finish ninth

    THE HAGUE (THE NETHERLANDS) (TIP): Australia retained the men’s hockey World Cup title by outplaying Olympic silver medallists The Netherlands 6-1 in the final at the Kyocera Stadium on June 15 . Chris Cirielo’s three penalty corner conversions was the feature of the contest that saw Australia retain the trophy they had won in New Delhi in 2010. The successive men’s World Cup title wins was a present the Australian team had promised to their coach Ric Charlesworth, who had won it as a player in 1986 and as a coach four years ago.

    Playing their fourth successive World Cup final, Australia made up for the disappointment of losing two successive summit showdown to Germany. Before Australia clinched their second successive World Cup, Germany were the only nation to have won two consecutive times. The Netherlands opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Jeroen Hartzberger, but the Australians came back strongly to slam six goals to make it the most onesided World Cup final ever. Australia equalised in the 19th minute through Cirello’s first penalty corner conversion.

    Australia gained ascendancy with a 24th minute field goal through Kieran Govers’s reverse hit from top of the circle to go into halftime with a 2-1 lead. Glenn Turner beat goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann with a flick from close three minutes into the second half before Cirielo scored with successive penalty corners in the 46th and 53rd minutes. Jamie Dwyer rounded off the scoring in the 64th minute when he picked up a through ball on the left flank and darted into the circle to shoot home.

    The result denied the Dutch a double title in front of their fans after their women’s team defeated Australia 2-0 in the final yesterday. The Netherlands were seeking to improve on their performance in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where they won the women’s gold medal, but the men lost the final to Germany. Even in 1998, the only previous time that the International Hockey Federation sanctioned joint hosting of the men and women’s World Cups – in the Dutch city of Utrecht – hosts Netherlands came close to achieving the dream double. The Dutch men won the 1998 World Cup defeating Spain in the final, but the women lost the title clash to Australia.

  • Hockey World Cup: India draw with Spain, earn 1st point

    Hockey World Cup: India draw with Spain, earn 1st point

    THE HAGUE: India earned their first point of the hockey World Cup when they drew their third Group A match against World No.10 Spain 1-1 at the GreenFields Stadium on June 5. After losing their opening two matches in the last couple of minutes against Belgium and England, World No.8 India could only manage a draw in their third game.

    India broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Rupinder Pal Singh scored off a penalty stroke to put the 1975 champions on the board. When it looked like India would head into the break with the lead, Spaniard Roc Oliva equalised through a field goal in the 34th minute.

    Both teams had many attempts of scoring in the second half but failed to convert the chances to keep the same score till the hooter. While India are in fifth position in the sixteam group with one point from three games, Spain have two points from three matches and are fourth. India next take on Malaysia Saturday and play their final group match against defending champions Australia Monday.

  • Dallas wants to host 2016 RNC

    Dallas wants to host 2016 RNC

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Republican leaders want to bring the 2016 Republican National Convention to Dallas. The city would need to raise at least $50 million to host the event.

    At least five other cities are vying for the chance to host. The four-day event would be held at the American Airlines Center. American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.

    The venue serves as the home to the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association, and the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. The arena is also used for concerts and other live entertainment. It opened in 2001 at a cost of $420 million.Dallas last hosted the convention in 1984, nominating President Ronald Reagan for a second term.

  • Dallas wants to host 2016 RNC

    Dallas wants to host 2016 RNC

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Republican leaders want to bring the 2016 Republican National Convention to Dallas. The city would need to raise at least $50 million to host the event. At least five other cities are vying for the chance to host.

    The four-day event would be held at the American Airlines Center. American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.

    The venue serves as the home to the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association, and the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. The arena is also used for concerts and other live entertainment. It opened in 2001 at a cost of $420 million.Dallas last hosted the convention in 1984, nominating President Ronald Reagan for a second term.

  • US HAMMERS SLOVAKIA USING SIX-GOAL BARRAGE

    US HAMMERS SLOVAKIA USING SIX-GOAL BARRAGE

    SOCHI, Russia (TIP):
    With just one game to prepare for its Olympic showdown with Russia, the United States men’s hockey team decided to cram an entire tournament’s worth of hard work and highlights into one spectacular opener. Paul Stastny scored twice during a six-goal barrage in the second period, and the Americans got off to a roaring start in Sochi with a 7-1 victory over Slovakia in preliminaryround play. Ryan Kesler, David Backes, Phil Kessel and Dustin Brown also scored as the U.S. battered Slovakia for six consecutive goals in a 13:51 span, turning what was expected to be a tough matchup into a laugher with their relentless offense.

    “I guess you never really expect to beat a team like that 7-1, and you never do it in a tournament like this,” captain Zach Parise said. “We just capitalized on the chances we had, moved the puck well and used our speed.” Although their goal celebrations declined from elation to excitement to sheepishness while the score skyrocketed, the Americans answered any lingering questions about their offensive abilities and their aptitude on the big Olympic ice by decimating a Slovak roster studded with NHL players.

    “You have to do a lot of skating out there on the big ice, but I think we handled it all right,” said Kessel, who led the U.S. with two goals and an assist. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his Olympic debut for the U.S., which hopes to improve on its silver-medal finish in Vancouver despite a roster that isn’t thought to have the offensive power of Canada, Russia or Sweden. In their only warmup for Saturday’s game against Alex Ovechkin and the host Russians, the Americans had more than enough potency to leave Slovakia’s two goalies battered. “For the first time on the big ice for most of us, I thought we did pretty well,” Stastny said.

    “Our strengths are our puck possession and our speed, and we were really able to use both of them. All four lines just kind of clicked, and so did our D-men.” Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots before getting pulled when Stastny tipped home Kevin Shattenkirk’s pass to put the Americans up 5-1 with their fourth goal in 12:04. Peter Budaj replaced Halak, but Kessel and Brown piled on goals in the next 1:47. Tomas Tatar scored for Slovakia, which traveled to Sochi without high-scoring Marian Gaborik and veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky due to injury.

    Nobody anticipated such a defensive collapse by a talented roster anchored by Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Zdeno Chara. Slovakia’s last two Olympic appearances have been humiliations: The Slovaks blew a third-period lead and lost to Finland in the bronze medal game in Vancouver, depriving them of their nation’s first Olympic hockey medals. “We’re going to be better,” said Tatar, the Detroit Red Wings’ young forward. “We had a solid first period and then tied it.We’ve just got to play way better in our defensive zone. I think we’re going to be ready to play the next game.

    We have a lot of talent in our locker room, and we’re going to sort it out.” John Carlson opened the scoring for the U.S. in the first period, and Tatar tied it with a nasty wrist shot in the opening minute of the second. Kesler put the Americans back ahead 1:02 later with a one-timer through Brown’s screen, and Stastny scored 1:06 later on a fat rebound of Max Pacioretty’s shot. The hits just kept coming, and the U.S. didn’t let up until Brown redirected Carlson’s pass to make it 7-1, sending the once-boisterous Slovak crowd into frustrated silence at Shayba Arena.

    Patrick Kane, T.J. Oshie and James van Riemsdyk added two assists apiece, with the speedy Kane looking particularly comfortable on the wide Olympic ice. The U.S. had lost to Slovakia in each of the teams’ two previous Olympic meetings, giving the game special meaning to Stastny. The twotime U.S. Olympian has a famous Slovak father: Hall of Famer Peter Stastny played extensively for the Czechoslovakian and Slovak national teams alongside his lengthy NHL career.

    “It was good to finally get it on the third try,” Stastny said. The Americans’ scoring outburst made their goaltending situation seem secondary for a day, but Quick still handled the Slovaks’ chances well. U.S. coach Dan Bylsma waited until Wednesday to choose Quick for the first start over Ryan Miller, who backstopped the Americans to silver medals in Vancouver while winning the tournament MVP award.

  • Formula none in Indian Hockey

    Formula none in Indian Hockey

    Adecade ago former Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president KPS Gill triggered a trend, which interestingly, is followed even today by the men in power, Hockey India. Just before the 2004 Athens Olympics, Gill surprised everyone by appointing the little known German Gerhard Rach as coach of the Indian team. There was hope that India’s first foreign coach would rescue the sinking fortunes of the game in the country. Rach had no magic wand to take India back to the top of the rankings and expectedly, after a few uneventful months, he was sacked. A decade later, after experimenting with three more foreigners, including the refulgent Ric Charlesworth, who was the technical director of the team for a brief period, India remains exactly where they were a decade ago.

    There are two foreigners at the helm of the national team today — Terry Walsh as chief coach and Roelant Oltmans as the man in charge of the national team. Ever since Rach’s sacking, India’s ranking has plummeted from No. 5 to 10 before improving to eight after the Hockey World League in Delhi earlier this month. Can Australian Walsh and Dutchman Oltmans, renowned the world over for their success in handling different teams, change India’s fortunes? The answer is no. While their appointment may be a step in the right direction, there are several other details that Hockey India needs to take care of.

    Former hockey star Jagbir Singh hit the nail on the head when he said there was no harm in using foreign expertise to improve the performance of the team, but at the same time we need to take a close look at the grassroots level. “Remember, water always flows from the top. So if the national team does well it has a positive effect on all levels of the game. I’m in favour of using foreign expertise,” Jagbir said. “But this is a temporary arrangement. We need to train our coaches who are working at the grassroots level. That’s an area which needs restructuring.”

    What Spaniard Jose Brasa did during his one-and-half year stint with the hockey team was a grim pointer to the fact that a foreign coach, even one of exceptional calibre, alone cannot bring about a major change. For most part of his tenure, he was teaching players in the national camps how to hold the stick and hit the slap shot — the basics. The rest of the time, he was busy learning Hindi to communicate effectively with the players, most of whom could not understand English. “( Coach) Harender Singh used to interpret Brasa’s instructions and relayed it to the players in the camps.

    But during Michael Nobbs’ tenure, the interpretation done by one of the support staff was poor. There was clearly a communication problem as the players at times struggled to pick up what Nobbs was saying,” an official attached to the hockey team told Times Sportal. By the time Brasa picked up enough Hindi for effective communication with the team and made the players good enough in their basic skills he was shown the door. “If a coach changes every year, it affects a young player’ style since no two coaches give similar training. But if you have a uniform system in place, where you also train your coaches, then things may be different,” he said.

    Terry Walsh Australia
    The three-time Olympian was named chief coach in October last year. In his first tournament as India coach, the team finished sixth in the eight-nation Hockey World League

    Roelant Oltmans The Netherlands
    The legendary Dutch coach was appointed as high performance manager of the team in January last year after India finished last in the London Olympics

  • Former hockey players hold rally for Dhyan Chand

    Former hockey players hold rally for Dhyan Chand

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A group of hockey players as well as fans held a protest rally in the Capital on February 5 to demand the coveted Bharat Ratna for hockey legend Dhyan Chand. A memo was also presented to the Prime Minister’s office requesting it to expedite the process of giving Dhyan Chand his due, former hockey player Rajesh Chauhan, who led the rally, said in a press release.

    Those who took part in the rally included former Indian women’s team captain Pritamrani Thakran and former international players Sandeep Shaukeen, Ajay Saroha and Vivek Gupta, the release added. The demonstration was organized by a Delhi based volunteer organization ‘Rashta Samman Abhiyaan’ which is planning to hold a series of demonstrations and rallies throughout the country over the issue. “The next rally is planned from Amristar to Delhi,” Chauhan added.

  • India to host 2018 men’s hockey World Cup

    India to host 2018 men’s hockey World Cup

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India has been awarded the 2018 men’s hockey World Cup, the second time in a span of eight years the country will be hosting the mega event having successfully organised the previous edition three years ago. The 2018 edition will see an expanded field with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s events. The 2018 women’s World Cup will be held in England. The women’s tournament is scheduled to take place from 7-21 July, with the men’s event planned for 1- 16 December. India last hosted the World Cup in New Delhi in 2010 while the next edition will be held next year in The Hague, Netherlands in the first two weeks of June. “The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that England and India will host the Hockey World Cups in 2018. England Hockey were successful in their bid to host the women’s showpiece, with Hockey India winning the race to host the men’s equivalent,” world body FIH said in a statement late Thursday night. The announcements were made by FIH president Leandro Negre at a special ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland.

    “I wish to offer my sincere congratulations to England Hockey and Hockey India on their successful bids to host the Hockey World Cups 2018,” said Negre. “The quality of both bids was truly extraordinary, and the FIH is looking forward to bringing its top properties to England and India. The standard was exceptionally high, making the decision extremely hard for the FIH Executive Board.” Held every four years, the World Cup brings together the world’s greatest teams and most skilful players for the toughest, most competitive international hockey event. Both the Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups 2018 will feature an increased 16-nation field of participants, confirming the growing interest and development of the sport. Next year’s hugely anticipated Rabobank Hockey World Cup, which takes place in The Hague, Netherlands during the first two weeks of June, will see twelve men’s and twelve women’s teams competing. “The decision certainly was not an easy one to make,” said FIH Chief Executive Officer Kelly Fairweather, reflecting on the bidding process. “All of the bids that we received were exceptional, being completely in line with our strategy to deliver the most entertaining, exciting and inspiring hockey events in the world.

    “The FIH Executive Board were hugely impressed by the bids from England Hockey and Hockey India, and are convinced that both National Associations will deliver absolutely magnificent tournaments.” As part of the bidding process, the FIH requested that bid questionnaires were submitted before a deadline of 31 August. The second phase of the process saw each bid evaluated in detail, as well as further discussions, clarifications, site visits and negotiations taking place with the respective National Associations. The World Cup hosts’ announcement is part of FIH’s new event assignment process, which was launched and presented to the National Associations at the FIH Congress in November 2012. The re-structured bidding process was designed to ensure that the majority of the unallocated events for the 2015-2018 period would be assigned before the end of this year. The FIH will make an announcement about the host nations of these events in due course.

  • INDIA IN FRAY TO HOST 2018 HOCKEY WORLD CUP

    INDIA IN FRAY TO HOST 2018 HOCKEY WORLD CUP

    LAUSANNE (TIP): India are among the five nations, who have placed their bids before the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to host the 2018 Hockey World Cup. The FIH said that it had received seven high quality bids from five nations who are all vying for the chance to host men’s and women’s showpiece events to be held simultaneously. According to a FIH statement, four official proposals to host the men’s World Cup have been made, with a further three submissions being made for the women’s tournament. The National Associations of Australia, England, India, Malaysia, and New Zealand have all put extremely strong cases forward in an attempt to lure the sport’s top properties to their territory, the statement added. As part of the bidding process, the FIH requested that official bid questionnaires were submitted before the August 31 deadline. The FIH received official submissions from five of the original six nations that initially expressed interest earlier in the year. The next phase of the process will feature the detailed evaluation of each bid which will be followed by further discussions and clarifications with NAs as well as site visits to each country. The final decision will rest with the FIH Executive Board in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the winning bids being announced on November 7. “The FIH is thrilled to have received such an excellent response from National Associations regarding the great opportunity to host Hockey World Cup events in 2018,” said FIH chief executive officer, Kelly Fairweather.

    “The quality and competitiveness of every single bid is impressive, demonstrating that the decision to allocate events earlier and across the entire four-year cycle was absolutely the right move for hockey. All of the bids show a determination and desire to deliver the most entertaining, exciting and inspiring hockey events in the world, which is in line with our strategy to take hockey to the next level. With such strong competition between the bidding nations, it is clear that the choice will not be an easy one to make.” India had last hosted the World Cup in 2010 before the New Delhi Commonwealth Games. The official bids received for the World Cups are part of the new event assignment process which was launched and presented to the National Associations at the FIH Congress in November last year. The re-structured bidding process will ensure that all unallocated events for the 2015-2018 period will be assigned before the end of this year. A total of 20 events between 2015 and 2018, as well as the men’s and women’s Indoor World Cups 2019, will be assigned from 54 bids submitted to the FIH for assessment.

  • New foreign coach in 2 weeks, Oltmans to continue in his role

    New foreign coach in 2 weeks, Oltmans to continue in his role

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Indian men’s hockey team is set to get a new foreign coach within two weeks time as the national federation has shortlisted four candidates for the top job. Hockey India (HI) secretary general Narinder Batra has confirmed that they have received six applications from across the globe to fill the foreign coach’s post, which is lying vacant after Australian Michael Nobbs’s sudden ouster in July this year. “We have received six applications for the foreign coach’s post. After going through all the applicants’ CVs we have shortlisted four individuals,” Batra said, completely rubbishing reports that HI has recommended its High Performance Director, Roelant Oltmans’s name for the national team coach’s position on permanent basis. “In a day or two we will send the names to Sports Authority of India for their approval. The SAI will take a final decision on this issue after consulting us. We expect the new coach to be named within two weeks time,” he said.

    A newspaper report today claimed that HI had proposed Oltmans to be appointed as the national team coach till 2016 Rio Olympics and the SAI, who are responsible for hiring coaches, is believed to have approved the national body’s proposal. The report said Oltmans’s name came in the running after he guided India to the silver medal finish in last month’s Asia Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia. The Dutchman was the team’s interim coach during Asia Cup after Nobbs’s ouster. But the HI secretary general termed the report as “false and completely baseless”. “The report is false and completely baseless. We haven’t discussed anything with SAI on this matter. The question of proposing Oltmans’ name for national team coach doesn’t arise at all as he is our High Performance Director. He is responsible for the development of all teams be it junior, senior, women’s,” Batra said. “Oltmans himself played a key role in shortlising the candidates. His views were also taken into consideration in pruning down the list,” he added.

  • About Mr. Ed Mangano,

    About Mr. Ed Mangano,

    On January 1, 2010, Edward P. Mangano was sworn into office as Nassau County Executive. That same day, the County Executive kept his pledge to taxpayers by repealing Nassau County’s Home Energy Tax – the equivalent of a 5% property tax reduction for homeowners. Mr. Mangano is the first County Executive to place tax dollars back in the pockets of our residents. Ed Mangano believes that high taxes kill jobs. That is why County Executive Mangano has held the line on County property taxes every year since taking office, eliminated a 16.5% property tax increase planned by the prior administration and even stopped a County Food Tax dead in its tracks. Nassau County was the highest-taxed county in the nation before Ed Mangano took office – that is no longer the case due to his cost-saving policies.

    In fact, Nassau County won the New York State Local Government Efficiency Award. Throughout his term as County Executive, Mr. Mangano has focused on rebuilding Nassau County without asking taxpayers to foot the bill for the $378 million deficit he inherited from the prior administration. To accomplish this, County Executive Mangano cut over $330 million in wasteful spending and launched nationally recognized public-private partnerships – savings taxpayers millions of dollars and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Some of the notable publicprivate partnerships are: ” Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – a successful public-privatepartnership with Forest City Ratner Companies was formed to transform the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum into a world-class sports-entertainment destination at no cost to taxpayers.

    When completed, the facility will host the New York Islanders, Brooklyn Nets, New York Yankee Coaching Clinics, Children Shows, Heavyweight Boxing championship tournaments, minor league hockey and college basketball games as well as an exciting array of star-studded performers and family-fun entertainment. Plaza development will include a performing arts theatre, ice rink, movie theatre, bowling alley and theme restaurants.

  • India-Pakistan Hockey Series Called Off After Govt’s Objection

    India-Pakistan Hockey Series Called Off After Govt’s Objection

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan has yet spilled over to the sporting arena as the Indian government has refused permission for a home-and-away bilateral hockey series between the two countries on security grounds. A top source in Hockey India said that they have received a communication from the Ministry of External Affairs asking it call off the bilateral series. “The bilateral series between India and Pakistan has been cancelled as the Ministry of Exeternal Affairs did not give us permission. The MEA had sent a fax to us yesterday, asking us not to host Pakistan or travel to the country for the series,” said a source.

    The Pakistan’s hockey team was scheduled to tour India next month for five Test matches, which would have revived the bilateral hockey ties between the two traditional rivals in nearly seven years. Pakistan was expected to play matches in the cities of Ranchi, Lucknow, Delhi, Mohali and Jalandhar between April 5-15. After Pakistan’s visit, the Indian team was scheduled to pay a return visit and play five matches in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and Sialkot from April 23. Pakistan and India last played a bilateral hockey series in 2006 — three matches in each country. Pakistan won three and lost one while the remaining two were drawn. The cancellation of the hockey rubber came close on the heels of an abandoned bilateral snooker series between India and Pakistan earlier this month following Government’s objection.

  • India’s Olympic Dreams Quashed

    India’s Olympic Dreams Quashed

    Indian sports received a huge setback and a major embarrassment when the International Olympic Association decided to suspend the Indian Olympic Association due to Government interference. This decision was on the cards after IOA decided to go ahead with the elections under the government`s Sports Code, defying the IOC`s order to hold the polls under the Olympic Charter. The suspension means that the IOA will not receive IOC funding and its officials will be banned from attending Olympic meetings and events. India`s athletes will also be barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, but they can participate under the IOC banner. Sports Minister Jitendra Singh said that The Indian Olympic Association is to blame for the current crisis as the ministry had told the IOA many times to amend its constitution and be compliant with the international rules.

    INDIA AT LONDON OLYMPICS:
    LOWS Despite the fact that India put up a much improved performance in the London Olympics there were also a few major disappointments.
    HOCKEY DEBACLE
    The biggest disappointment came in hockey, a sport that has brought glories to the country in the quadrennial extravaganza like no other event. Led by Bharat Chettri and under the guidance of coach Michael Nobbs, India succumbed to one defeat after another, losing all of their matches at the Olympics. They finished 12th – last among the participating teams, which also happened to be their worst ever performance at the event.

    ARCHERS MISS THE MARK
    On the hallowed turf of Lord’s, Indian archers were expected to script history. The presence of world No. 1 archer Deepika Kumari among the contingent was reason enough to harbour hopes of a rich medal haul. Despite the hype, in stark contrast, both the men and women’s team disappointed us. The story was repeated in the individual events too as they returned empty handed with the biggest casualty being 18-year-old Deepika. She was stunned by Amy Oliver 2-6 in the opening round. She was the last of the six archers to bow out, and with her ended India’s unsuccessful campaign in archery.

    BINDRA FAILS TO DEFEND HIS TITLE
    To say a medal was expected from Abhinav Bindra would be an understatement. In fact, he was the favourite to don the yellow metal again in the 10m Air Rifle event after his historic gold medal in Beijing. As luck would have it, Bindra failed to even qualify for the finals. His score of 594 out of 600 wasn’t enough to merit him a final SAINA NEHWAL Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal added another feather to her cap by winning a bronze medal in the women’s singles category to create history. Nehwal didn’t face any stiff competition on her way to the semi-final. It was there where she met the No. 1 seed Yihan Wang of China. She lost the match 13-21, 13-21. However, she still had a chance to fight for the bronze with Xin Wang of China. Luck was on her side as her opponent withdrew from the contest owing to a knee injury. Saina was trailing by a game and 0-1 in the contest but the injury meant that she would bring home the first medal for India in Olympic badminton.

    MARY KOM
    Women boxing made its debut in the 2012 London Olympics and Indian hopes were resting on MC Mary Kom to bring home a medal. The 23-year-old was a favourite to win gold on the back of her five world championship titles. The Manipuri began her quest in style defeating Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 14-19 and then outclassed Maroua Rahali of Tunisia 15-6 to seal a medal. She made it to the semifinal where she lost to the eventual gold medallist Nicola Adams. However, her semi-final appearance meant that she had already clinched a historic bronze medal. SUSHIL KUMAR AND YOGESHWAR DUTT Within 45 minutes, Yogeshwar Dutt fought three bouts that won him a bronze medal in the Men`s wrestling 60kg freestyle category. The 30-year-old wrestler from Haryana was making his third Olympic appearance and had lost his second round bout to Besik Kudukhov of Russia. He then defeated Franklin, Masoud and Jong Myong Ri to clinch the bronze. On the final day of the Games, Sushil Kumar created history by becoming the first ever Indian to win two individual Olympic medals. He had won a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and he bettered it by clinching a silver after losing the final to Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu of Japan. berth and he finished a dismal 16th out of the 47 competitors in the qualifying round.

    BOXERS KNOCKED OUT
    The Indian boxing team failed to win any medal save for Mary Kom who secured a historic bronze in the women’s category. Several decisions were marred by controversy with the highlight being Vikas Krishan’s bout. Krishan had won his match against Errol Spence of USA; the referee later overturned the decision to announce the latter as the winner. The poster boy of Indian boxing, Vijender Kumar’s run came to an end in the quarterfinal as he too returned home without a medal.

    INDIA AT OLYMPICS: HIGHS
    The Indian Olympic contingent returned home with its best ever performance at the quadrennial event with six medals. GAGAN NARANG Gagan Narang opened the medal account for India with a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event on the second day. The ace marksman was one of the contenders for the medal and he did not disappoint his fans. He shot 103.1 in the final to take his tally to 701.1 ahead of Chinese rival Wang Tao finishing third.

    VIJAY KUMAR
    Army man Vijay Kumar made his country proud after clinching a silver medal in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the London Olympics. The unknown shooter from Himachal Pradesh shot 32/40 finishing ahead of Chinese rival Feng Ding while Leuris Pupo from Cuba took the gold with 34/40. His was the second medal for India at the event.

  • CHAMPIONS TROPHY HOCKEY India prevail 1-0 over Belgium, enter semi finals

    CHAMPIONS TROPHY HOCKEY India prevail 1-0 over Belgium, enter semi finals

    MELBOURNE (TIP): India grimly hung on to an early lead to prevail 1-0 over Belgium to advance to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy at the State Hockey Centre on Thursday. The goal that settled the fate of the quarterfinal contest came in the 13th minute of the first shot India had at the rival goal. Nitin Thimmaiah capitalised on a rebound to send a firm shot into the right corner of the goal.

    The rebound had come to Thimmaiah on top of the circle following Gurmail Singh’s try off a cross from Birendra Lakra. India had very few chances thereafter and were forced to fall back to defend stoutly as Belgians asserted strength in the midfield. Belgium forced six penalty corners against India’s one. It was because of a fine display by defenders V R Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh, beside goalkeeper T R Potnuri, that India managed to maintain their lead. Belgium had beaten India in their last two encounters – in the final of the Champions Challenge last year and in the preliminary league of the Olympic Games in London.

    India are now in the hunt for their first medal since their lone Champions Trophy bronze in 1982. This will also be India’s highest finish since 2004 when they had lost the bronze medal match to end fourth. In the semifinals, India will take on the winner of the other quarterfinal match between four-time defending champions Australia and England. In the last three minutes of the first half, Belgian strikers had chance but they committed fouls just before putting the ball in the net. India, hence, retained the lead at the interval. Just before the hooter, Felix Denayer deflected a set-piece attempt into the goal, but the umpire had blown for a foul in the process of switching the ball toward him.

    That was the last time the ball went past Indian goalkeeper Potnuri, whose composed defence allowed India to stand their ground later for two minutes in the match when they were reduced to nine players. Gurwinder Singh Chandi was off with a yellow card for raising his stick in a reactionary manner, while captain Sardar Singh was penalised for the defenders surrounding an umpire during a video referral in the 64th minute. The Indian defence managed to keep the lead intact, although they came under intense pressure when all the rival players were in the Indian territory.

  • U.N. chief duped by prank call from fake Canadian PM

    U.N. chief duped by prank call from fake Canadian PM

    UNITED NATIONS (TIP) – A pair of Canadian radio comedians said on September 28 it took them less then an hour to get U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the phone during international diplomacy’s busiest week – by pretending to be Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

    Ban was between meetings at the U.N. General Assembly of world leaders on Wednesday when he took a phone call from Quebec comedy duo “The Masked Avengers,” famous for tricking celebrities and politicians.

    The pair said in a statement that the impersonator of the prime minister, who is known for his helmet-like coiffure, apologized to Ban for not being able to attend the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York because he was too busy combing his hair with super glue.

    During the five-minute discussion, the pair also said they asked him to speak with National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman to press for a Quebec City hockey team. It was at this point in the conversation – which switched between English and French – they said Ban realized he was being pranked.

    Ban has more than 120 meetings with world leaders during the U.N. General Assembly this week and his spokesman described the prank call as not “the best use of his time.”

    “The Secretary-General quickly understood that it was a prank, and he took it in the way that it was intended, as a joke,” Ban’s spokesman said. “It’s a busy time of year, and the Secretary-General has a considerable amount to do, so it wasn’t the best use of his time, but these things happen.”

    The same radio duo, Sébastien Trudel and Marc-Antoine Audette of Montreal radio station CKOI-FM, also duped U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin just days before the 2008 election by pretending to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy and convincing her to accept an invitation to hunt baby seals.