All posts tagged: hockey news

Asia Cup hockey under cloud after Pahalgam terror attack

Asia Cup hockey under cloud after Pahalgam terror attack

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The men’s hockey Asia Cup, a 2026 FIH World Cup qualifier, is under cloud as Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, to be held in Bihar, is uncertain following the Pahalgam terror attacks. Earlier this month, Hockey India had confirmed that Pakistan would travel across the border for the continental championship along with South Korea, Malaysia, China and Japan. However, in the aftermath of the terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and injured many more, the Indian government on Thursday ordered Pakistani nationals to leave the country and revoked visas. The move puts a question mark on Pakistan’s presence at the Asia Cup, which is set to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29 to September 7. Asked if the matches involving Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue or whether they will be permitted to compete, a Hockey India source said they will ‘wait and see how the situation evolves over the next few months’. “It is too early for us to take any call. But one thing is clear, we will follow …

Village to India team: Pooja Yadav’s hockey dream sparked by shoes with stars | Hockey News

Village to India team: Pooja Yadav’s hockey dream sparked by shoes with stars | Hockey News

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Villagers of Gangapur in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district never quite questioned Mahendra Yadav when he encouraged the youngest of his five daughters, Pooja, to pursue hockey. But neighbours and relatives would often toss a throwaway line: “Hockey mein kuchh nahi hoga iska (She won’t get anywhere in hockey).” Mahendra would nod and say nothing. As Pooja, 20, made it to the Indian hockey team last week, she recalls how her father — a milkman who also tended to the fields — bought her first pair of playing shoes, from the local shoe shop. “The shop owner had a young family. So my father told him he would deliver milk until the shopkeeper had recovered the cost of the shoes. It took a month and half, but I had my first shoes. They had two golden stars,” recalls Pooja of her journey towards being the “only woman from Benaras to ever play for India”. Playing cricket with the boys helped her in the early days. “One day I spotted hockey at school and was trained by …

Indian women’s hockey legend Vandana Katariya announces international retirement | Hockey News

Indian women’s hockey legend Vandana Katariya announces international retirement | Hockey News

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India’s women hockey stalwart Vandana Katariya has brought an end to her international career which spanned over 15 years. With 320 international caps and 158 goals to her name, Vandana leaves as the most capped Indian women’s player. And beyond the numbers, she leaves behind an inspiring legacy, a story of resilience, determination and relentless hunger to push Indian team to greater heights. The 32-year-old forward, who made her senior team debut in 2009, was an integral part of some of the most defining moments in the sport, including India’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she became the first and only Indian woman to score a hat-trick at the Games. Announcing her retirement, Vandana, who played her last match for India during the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25 in February, shared the mix of emotions. “This decision wasn’t easy, but I know it’s the right time. Hockey has been my life for as long as I can remember, and wearing the Indian jersey was the greatest honour. But …

Hockey: Bihar’s Rajgir to host 2025 Asia Cup | Hockey News

Hockey: Bihar’s Rajgir to host 2025 Asia Cup | Hockey News

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Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar will host it’s second international tournament as Hockey India awarded the Bihar State Sports Authority the hosting rights for the Men’s Asia Cup 2025. The tournament comprising of eight teams will be played from 29th August to 7th September at the newly developed Sports Complex in Rajgir. Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, China along with hosts India will make the six teams in the 12th edition of the continental tournament. The remaining two teams will secure their berth in the tournament via qualifying tournament, the AHF Cup. Story continues below this ad The tournament will serve as the qualifiers for the 2026 Hockey World Cup set to be hosted in the Netherlands and Belgium. The winner of the tournament will directly qualify for Hockey WC. South Korea stands as the most successful team in the history of the Men’s Asia Cup with five titles (1994, 1999, 2009, 2013, and 2022), followed closely by India (2003, 2007, and 2017) and Pakistan (1982, 1985, and 1989), who have each won the tournament …

Hockey: Indian national team stars Mandeep Singh and Udita Duhan tie the knot | Hockey News

Hockey: Indian national team stars Mandeep Singh and Udita Duhan tie the knot | Hockey News

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Indian hockey team stars Mandeep Singh and Udita Duhan tied the knot on Saturday, Hockey Indian confirmed in a statement wishing the couple. Mandeep was an integral player in India’s back-to-back bronze medal-winning squads at the Olympic Games, while Udita was part of the famous fourth-placed women’s team in Tokyo. “Hockey India extends its heartfelt congratulations to its star players, Mandeep Singh and Udita Duhan, who are celebrating their wedding today,” the governing body said in a statement. “The couple, both of whom have showcased exemplary dedication and talent in their respective fields, have been role models for aspiring athletes across the country. Hockey India wishes the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness and success in their personal and professional journeys.” Story continues below this ad Mandeep, the forward, made his breakthrough in the previous iteration of the Hockey India League in 2013. Hockey World League Round 2 in New Delhi back in 2013. According to FIH’s database, he has played 260 times for the senior men’s team, scoring 120 goals. In the recently relaunched HIL, …

How war veteran Ian Cardozo inspired goalkeeper Suraj Karkera’s return to India’s hockey team | Hockey News

How war veteran Ian Cardozo inspired goalkeeper Suraj Karkera’s return to India’s hockey team | Hockey News

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TWO YEARS ago, national hockey goalkeeper Suraj Karkera, an avid reader, chanced upon the memoir of India’s 1971 war hero, (Retd) Major General Ian Cardozo. Even before Karkera had turned the final page of the book, he had tracked down the war veteran. The series of conversations since then between the 29-year-old and the 87-year-old kept Karkera, who was then going through one of the most challenging phases of his career, motivated to fight for a permanent spot in India’s hockey team, which he finally earned last year after spending almost eight years on the fringes. For Cardozo, whose leg had to be amputated on the battlefield during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, meeting Karkera was a chance to reconnect with a sport he had grown up playing. Story continues below this ad “Until two years ago, we didn’t know each other at all,” Cardozo tells The Indian Express. “Now, we have adopted him as our protege.” Says Karkera, “When I reached out to him, my mental space was like, ‘I would like to have that …

Dutch drag-flick legend to work with Indian women’s team

Dutch drag-flick legend to work with Indian women’s team

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Hockey India has roped in Dutch legend Taeke Taekema to work with the national women’s hockey team’s dragflickers on as-needed basis till the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India head coach Harendra Singh had identified drag-flicking to be a key area of improvement in the upcoming months. Taekema had conducted a seven-day camp from February 10 to 16 ahead of India’s FIH Pro League campaign in Bhubaneswar last month. The seven-day camp was attended by the likes of Deepika, Manisha Chauhan, Sonam, and Annu, along with a few junior players. “Taeke is one of the greatest legends in dragflicking, and I requested Hockey India to bring him in to help us improve in this area,” Harendra said. “He has been working with the team on refining technique and ensuring a smoother dragflicking process. Dragflicking is a highly specialised skill, and Taeke will continue to work with us in future camps as well.” Story continues below this ad Also read: Meet Deepika, India’s drag-flicking hope, who left wrestling to make a niche place for herself in hockeyHarendra …

India’s hockey team turns to Australian great to become ruthless in striking circle

India’s hockey team turns to Australian great to become ruthless in striking circle

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Mandeep Singh entered the Pro League on the back of one of his longest goal-scoring droughts. The twice Olympic medallist hadn’t found the back of the net in 10 games, a run stretching a little more than six months. He ended the dry spell with a simple tap-in in the 2-0 win over Spain in the FIH Pro League last week. It wasn’t a coincidence that Mandeep’s first goal since opening India’s account at the Paris Olympics, against New Zealand on July 27, 2024, was a deflection from roughly five yards out. In the week leading up to the year’s first assignment, India flew down an Australian specialist, Michael McCann, just to sharpen exactly these skills of the attackers. Story continues below this ad McCann isn’t any other name in world hockey. A prolific scorer with an average of a goal every other game, he was one of the heroes in Australia’s 2004 Athens Olympics gold medal-winning campaign. McCann made a career out of operating in the nine-yard zone between the penalty spot and the …

Savita Punia stars as India Women draw with Netherlands | Hockey News

Savita Punia stars as India Women draw with Netherlands | Hockey News

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Playing short, crisp passes and going around the Dutch players — rather than trying to dodge past them — the Indian women’s team scripted a remarkable comeback to hold the Olympic champions to a 2-2 draw in their final home match of the Pro League on Tuesday. Later, Savita Punia — who on Monday played her 300th international — stood like a rock in the goal as she helped India win the shoot-outs 2-1 and claim a bonus point. The Netherlands started the match on the front foot and took the lead in the 17th minute through captain Pien Sanders. Eleven minutes later, Fay van der Elst doubled the visitors’ lead and it looked like the Netherlands would run away with the match. शानदार-जबरदस्त जीत! 🏑 Congratulations to the #WomenInBlue 🇮🇳 for a stunning shootout victory against the Netherlands 🇳🇱 at the #FIHWomenProLeague. A proud moment for Indian hockey! pic.twitter.com/2QFUwG0ad4 — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 25, 2025 However, coach Harendra Singh tweaked the playing style at half-time, urging his players to play short passes. …

How India women are borrowing a football principle to hassle rivals

How India women are borrowing a football principle to hassle rivals

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The calm waters of Kannur was an unlikely place to launch the road to Los Angeles. But last July, when the Indian men’s hockey team were preparing to open their Paris Olympics campaign — which ended with a second-successive bronze medal — the women found themselves in Kerala’s coastal town. Still reeling from the Olympic qualifier debacle, the players did not know what they were doing there. And as coach Harendra Singh admits, ‘they perhaps did not even want to be there’. ”There was a lot of resilience and scepticism. They wondered, ‘what are we even doing here?’” Harendra says. Within a few hours of landing there, they discovered it wasn’t a pleasure tour. The country’s best players spent almost a week at the Indian Naval Academy doing things they never imagined. “They had to run while carrying giant barrels on their backs, spend sleepless nights in the jungle, live in a tent while it was raining hard, mosquitoes all over… The idea was in minimum facilities, they had to show the determination to do …