All posts tagged: Navneet Kaur

Hardik Singh, Navneet Kaur named Players of the Year

Hardik Singh, Navneet Kaur named Players of the Year

Published by Webster

Navneet Kaur and Hardik Singh were named the women’s and men’s Player of the Year respectively in the 8th Hockey India annual award ceremony in Delhi on Friday. Both Navneet and Hardik Singh were honoured with the coveted Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. trophy along with INR 20 lakh each. The Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2025 was given to Bichu Devi Kharibam, while Sanjay received the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2025. Sumit won the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2025, while the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2025 was awarded to Sukhjeet Singh. Each took home a cash award of INR 5 lakh. Zafar Iqbal, who played an integral part in India’s gold medal win at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and also won two silver medals at the Asian Games in 1978 and 1982, along with a Bronze medal at the Champions Trophy in 1982 received the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime …

Sjoerd Marijne’s India Blueprint: Inside the training, tactics and mindset shift driving women’s hockey team | Hockey News

Sjoerd Marijne’s India Blueprint: Inside the training, tactics and mindset shift driving women’s hockey team | Hockey News

Published by Webster

The stories travelled ahead of him. Long before Sjoerd Marijne gathered the current core of the Indian women’s hockey team, the younger players had already heard whispers. About the grind, the discipline, and most famously, the eight-hour training sessions in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics. So when Marijne now casually asks, “Do you have heavy legs?”, the response is almost rehearsed. “No, no, no, coach.” The sessions may not (yet) be as brutal, but the message has landed. Loud and clear. The old-timers in the team — the Lalremsiamis, Navneet Kaurs and Sushila Chanus — experienced this after they qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in late 2019. When the players reassembled for the national camp in Bengaluru, Marijne — unhappy with the lethargy shown in the qualifying match — scheduled a one-off eight-hour training session. It started at 8 in the morning and ended at 4 pm, with a short lunch break being the only downtime. For Marijne, the significance of that marathon session was never about punishment. It was about imprinting a mindset …

Hockey World Cup qualification sealed, finishing flaws continue to haunt India

Hockey World Cup qualification sealed, finishing flaws continue to haunt India

Published by Webster

5 min readMar 15, 2026 12:08 AM IST Now that qualification has been taken care of – at the last possible chance – the Indian women’s hockey team head coach Sjoerd Marijne would know there is one clear area of improvement urgently needed: scoring goals. With just over 150 days to go until the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, India need to figure out how to become clinical in the final third, as their profligacy cost them on Saturday in Hyderabad. Up against world No 6 England in the final of the World Cup Qualifiers, India paid the price for missed chances. At the same time, England struck from their Penalty Corner on the night through Grace Balsdon in the 13th minute and doubled their advantage, albeit controversially, in the 43rd minute through Elizabeth Neal to win 2-0. They took the top spot on the podium at the end of a perfect week for him with five wins in five matches. The full-time stats paint a picture of a fairly even match: India …

Why Indian women’s hockey team have qualified for the World Cup even before semifinals at WC Qualifiers in Hyderabad

Why Indian women’s hockey team have qualified for the World Cup even before semifinals at WC Qualifiers in Hyderabad

Published by Parlour News

3 min readUpdated: Mar 11, 2026 11:37 PM IST India secured a dominant 4-1 victory against Wales in a Pool B clash at the women’s hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad on Wednesday with Navneet Kaur scoring a hat-trick and Sakshi Rana impressing again, netting the opening goal. Navneet (29′, 34′, 55′) led the attack while Sakshi (7′)’s scored a superb early strike at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Ground. While India had secured a semi-final berth ahead of the fixture, the result ensured they finished as table-toppers. But, even further, India’s win against Wales ensured India have qualified for the Hockey World Cup. Here’s a quick explainer. What is the format for the Hockey World Cup Qualifiers? The teams in Hyderabad are divided into two pools, with England, Korea, Italy, and Austria in Pool A, while hosts India, Scotland, Uruguay, and Wales form Pool B. The winners of both semifinals — and the Bronze medal match — will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup. Additionally, the highest world-ranked team finishing fourth between the qualifiers …

SG Pipers clinch Women’s HIL 2025–26 title

SG Pipers clinch Women’s HIL 2025–26 title

Published by Webster

SG Pipers were crowned champions of the Women’s Hero Hockey India League 2025–26 after defeating Shrachi Bengal Tigers 3-2 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at Ranchi on Friday. The closely fought final saw both teams trade goals before SG Pipers held their nerve in the decisive shootout to lift the title. Shrachi Bengal Tigers struck first in the 16th minute when Lalremsiami finished clinically after being picked out inside the circle by Sushila Chanu. The Tigers carried a slender advantage into halftime, having created further chances through penalty corners without adding to the scoreline. SG Pipers responded with sustained pressure after the break, forcing the Tigers’ defence into repeated interventions. Their persistence paid off in the 53rd minute when Preeti Dubey’s backhand effort deflected off the goalkeeper’s stick and rolled into the net to restore parity. With neither side able to find a winner in regulation time, the championship was decided in a shootout. Solanki shines as SG Pipers seal title In the shootout, SG Pipers captain Navneet Kaur, Juana …

SG Pipers edge past JSW Soorma 1-0 to maintain perfect start in Women’s HIL

SG Pipers edge past JSW Soorma 1-0 to maintain perfect start in Women’s HIL

Published by Webster

SG Pipers continued their winning momentum in the Women’s Hero Hockey India League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over JSW Soorma Hockey Club in Ranchi on Wednesday, extending their unbeaten run to two matches in the 2025–26 season. The contest was settled early, with Pipers captain Navneet Kaur striking in the fourth minute. Showing composure and skill, Navneet intercepted a loose pass in her own half, carried the ball forward at pace, beat two defenders near the circle and finished clinically to give her side the lead. The goal proved decisive in a match dominated by tactical discipline and defensive organisation. JSW Soorma responded with increased attacking intent, pushing numbers forward and testing the Pipers’ defensive structure. However, SG Pipers defended in numbers and closed down space effectively, ensuring they carried their slender advantage through the opening quarter. Soorma earned the first penalty corner of the match in the second quarter but were unable to make the opportunity count. As the pressure mounted, SG Pipers focused on retaining possession and slowing the tempo, forcing their …

Hockey India League: Navneet Kaur scores again as SG Pipers make it two wins in two | Hockey News

Hockey India League: Navneet Kaur scores again as SG Pipers make it two wins in two | Hockey News

Published by Webster

SG Pipers just managed one outright win in the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League but have started the second edition in fine fashion, making it two wins in two matches. And it was captain Navneet Kaur who led the charge again, scoring her second in two matches, in a tight 1-0 win against Soorma Hockey Club in Ranchi on Wednesday. When Soorma defender Shihori Oikawa miscontrolled the ball high up the pitch, Navneet Kaur stole possession and began sprinting. The India vice captain, who hoped to contribute more goals in the HIL this year and sought to play with freedom, now had the length of the field in front of her to run into. She dribbled all the way into the circle, shifted the ball to her right to beat the last defender and struck a powerful shot across goal to beat Savita Punia. It’d be the only goal of the game. It was an early dagger for Soorma, who must have felt a sense of deja vu. In their opening match against Bengal Tigers, …

Women’s HIL: Navneet Kaur checks off one item pre-season to-do list as SG Pipers start season with win over Ranchi Royals | Hockey News

Women’s HIL: Navneet Kaur checks off one item pre-season to-do list as SG Pipers start season with win over Ranchi Royals | Hockey News

Published by Webster

Heading into the second edition of Women’s Hockey India League, Navneet Kaur’s pre-season hope was to play more attacking hockey, combine better with her teammates, and contribute more from set pieces. “I don’t have a number in mind for the number of goals,” she had said to The Indian Express. “But I do want to contribute more. I want to focus on our Penalty Corner attack because it is something I did well in the recent Asia Cup.” And that is exactly what the SG Pipers captain did, breaking the deadlock against Ranchi Royals and eventually leading her side to a 2-0 win on the opening night in Ranchi. Despite Royals having the better of the early exchanges, it was the Pipers who got close to opening the scoring. A high ball, caused by Ranchi losing possession deep in their territory, bounced in front of Navneet. The captain smartly batted it down almost like a tennis forehand, into the circle. Bichu Devi initially let the ball through because the shot came from outside the circle …

SG Pipers open Women’s Hero Hockey India League with 2–0 win over Ranchi Royals

SG Pipers open Women’s Hero Hockey India League with 2–0 win over Ranchi Royals

Published by Webster

SG Pipers made a confident start to their Women’s Hero Hockey India League 2025–26 campaign with a 2–0 victory over Ranchi Royals at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday. Led by captain Navneet Kaur, the Pipers showed composure and discipline to control key moments of the contest. Navneet opened the scoring in the 27th minute before Teresa Viana added a second early in the final quarter to seal the result. The opening quarter saw a tight contest, with both sides pressing aggressively but defences firmly on top. Neither team conceded a penalty corner early on, as play moved end to end. Ranchi Royals threatened down the left through Hannah Cotter, while Navneet Kaur and Deepika led SG Pipers’ attacking forays into the circle. Ranchi Royals earned the first penalty corner of the match through Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, but Maria Ortiz’s drag-flick was well handled by the Pipers’ goalkeeper. SG Pipers responded with a series of penalty corners of their own, though early attempts from Lola Riera were kept …

For Navneet Kaur, Women’s HIL presents an opportunity to explore her game and attack with freedom

For Navneet Kaur, Women’s HIL presents an opportunity to explore her game and attack with freedom

Published by Webster

The life of a national team hockey player in India can often get pretty lonely. It is a privilege of course, but it entails weeks and months spent in a camp in Bengaluru, the other times travelling as a unit to leagues and tournaments around the world. The return of the Hockey India League, however, has opened up new avenues – training with otherwise unfamiliar overseas stars, new coaching methods and tactics. For India women’s vice captain Navneet Kaur, though, another interesting opportunity fell on her lap. Ahead of the auction for the second women’s HIL, SG Pipers asked her to be a part of the team selection process. And not just by lifting the paddle on the auction table but being involved in the planning process. “Initially, I didn’t know why I had to sit at the table. But our new coach Sofie Gierts said, ‘Let’s make a team together’. She needed some help from me regarding the Indian players,” Navneet tells The Indian Express. “So when we started planning for it, I really …