rio 2016 - The History Book of Indian Hockey

India Men’s Hockey Team made its 2nd win in Rio 2016 Olympics, India vs Argentina

Indian Hockey Admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:10:43 +0000

India men’s hockey team defeated Argentina 2-1 in their third Pool B encounter at the Olympic Hockey Centre on Tuesday to climb third in the standings with two wins to their name.
Manipur’s Chinglensana Kangujam scored the opening goal for India in the eighth minute and the lead was doubled in the third quarter by another Manipuri player – Kothajit Khadangbam.
Similar to their second game against Germany on Monday, in which India faltered and conceded a last-gasp goal to concede the game, the VR Raghunath-led team played a jittery final quarter with Argentina reducing the deficit via penalty corner goal by Gonzalo Peillet early in Q4. With less than eight minutes to go, Argentina earned a barrage of penalty corners but India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made three crucial saves to deny drag-flick specialist Peillet. India just about managed to stave off Argentina to register a close win. This is the first time India have beaten Argentina since 2009.
India started the match aggressively and earned their first penalty corner of the match in the 7th minute when defender Ramandeep Singh hit the leg of an Argentinean defender inside the circle. Rupinder Pal Singh’s flick was blocked, but in the next minute India got their second PC and this time Chinglensana found the net to hand India 1-0 lead in the first quarter.

India got lucky in the dying minutes of the first quarter, when Argentina were denied by the post.
In the next quarter, Argentina looked in better rhythm and were on the charge. While India dominated the play in Q1, the lion’s share of possession in Q2 was enjoyed by their opponent. Argentina got close to a goal in Q2 but a fantastic block by Sreejesh helped India maintain their one goal advantage going in to the long break. In the third, India got the better of Argentina and Kothajit Khadangbam doubled the lead scoring a field goal five minutes in to the third quarter.
In the final quarter Argentina clawed their way back into the game and dominated the proceedings. Their sustained pressure inside the D led to as many as four penalty corners, but Sreejesh put aside his disappointment of conceding a goal against Germany with three seconds left on the clock, with three brilliant saves to keep India ahead.

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India lost 1-2 against Germany with a 59th minute goal – Rio Olympics 2016

Indian Hockey Admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 06:21:24 +0000

Hockey coach Roelant Oltmans’ assertion that there were no grey areas in his team fell flat on Monday as Indian hockey team once again lost nerves in the closing moments of the game and conceded a goal just three seconds from the hooter to lose 1-2 to Germany in their second Pool B game.
Christopher Ruhr made full use of the chaos that prevailed in the Indian defence as he deflected the ball home to give the defending champions their second straight win at the Rio Olympic Games.
It was Niklas Wellen who put Germany ahead in the 18th minute but the lead lasted barely five minutes as Rupinder Pal Singh drew parity, scoring off a penalty corner.
Germany counter followed and they broke the deadlock when Linus Butt set up Wellen near the goal. Wellen made no mistake and dribbled past defender Surender Kumar to slam the ball in India’s net beating goalkeeper PR Sreejesh in the 18th minute.
India rallied back strongly with SV Sunil’s cross found the body of Martin Haner, resulting in a penalty corner. Rupinder provided the equaliser by firing low to German goalkeeper Jacobi’s right.
India had equal share of ball and attack till the end of the second quarter in which they muffed a few chances. Raghunath’s brilliant through ball was well intercepted by Nikkin but he could not beat Jacobi.
In the third quarter, Indians dictated the terms with Danish Mujtaba and Akashdeep Singh proving threatening from the left. They created many chances but their finishing was not up to mark.
Raghunath’s diagonal ball was defended poorly, earning India a penalty corner. This time, Rupinder’s flick was cleared by Jacobi, who then saved the rebound in the 38th minute.

Christopher Ruhr of Germany celebrates the winning goal against India with his teammates (Source Reuters)

Germany fought back in the first couple of minutes in the final quarter, after Timur Oruz’s free-hit was defended messily. It resulted in a penalty corner but Furste’s flick was dismissed by defender Surender.
India increased the pressure when Sunil was brought down just away from the circle, resulting in a penalty corner. Rupinder again stepped up, only to be denied by the rival defence. Germany mounted several counter attacks but failed to translate them into goals.
However, India lost the match they should not have when in the dying moments they conceded a goal that came as a free-hit from the halfway line. Ruhr, the two-time World Young Player of the Year, deflected the ball home to get his team three full points.
It was the fourth loss for India against Germany in 11 Olympic matches. Overall, it was the 51st loss for eight-time Olympic champions India against the European side in 94 matches.
India will next play Argentina on Tuesday.
With two wins from as many games, Germany lead Pool B with six points, followed by Netherlands (4) and India (3).

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India Women’s Hockey Team Face Tougher Task Against Britain: Rio Olympics 2016

Indian Hockey Admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 05:23:05 +0000

After a come-from-behind draw against Japan, India will face last edition’s bronze medallists Great Britain in their second Pool B women’s hockey match at the Rio Olympics on Monday.
The India women’s team staged a brilliant comeback to draw 2-2 with Japan on Sunday.
Trailing 0-2 after the end of the second quarter, India hit back with goals from Rani Rampal and Lilima Minz.
It was an inspiring start by India in the first ten minutes of the first quarter but Japan took control of proceedings and moved ahead with two goals towards the end of the first and second quarter.

India were found playing catch-up as Japan made some aggressive moves and created plenty of scoring opportunities.
India, however, turned the tables in the third quarter as they scored two goals to level the scoring at 2-2.
Coach Neil Hawgood said they were nervous initially on the big stage.
“We didn’t handle the ball well and I think they (Japan) deserved to be 2-0 up. I think in the second half we started to play what I know we can actually play.”
The women’s team have qualified for the Summer Games after a 36-year absence and coach was confident they will make a mark in Rio.
England on the other hand started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Australia after Lily Owsley scored in the second quarter.
Georgina Morgan equalised from a penalty corner but Alex Danson grabbed the winner with a reverse-stick shot late in the third quarter.

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Indian hockey team will not participate in Rio Olympics march past

Indian Hockey Admin — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 06:09:51 +0000

The Indian hockey team representing India at the Rio Olympics will not participate in the march-past because their jerseys are not ready.
India’s hockey team which has garnered a total of 8 gold medals for the country was left hapless when they saw that more than 8 of their jerseys were misfit and were not suitable for the players. As the march-past will be televised live worldwide, the hockey players have decided to skip the event for fear of being embarrassed at the global stage.
Equipped with improper jersey kit, this is another blow to the morals of the athletes who are hoping that they will bag the gold medal for India.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran will be liable to answer for this gross negligence at such an important stage in the Olympics.

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Rio 2016: India Beat Spain 2-1 in Men’s Hockey Warm-Up

Indian Hockey Admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 10:19:28 +0000

Akashdeep Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh scored as the Indian men’s hockey team defeated Spain 2-1 in a practice match ahead of the Olympic Games here.
Incidentally, the Indians had lost two practice games to Spain in Madrid before coming here, but on Sunday evening they played at a good pace and the goals came to boost Indian spirits.
While forward Akashdeep showed his finishing skills, Rupinder sounded the board via a penalty corner.
Skipper PR Sreejesh said: “The weather was very hot in Spain. We were coming from very good weather in Bengaluru and it was very hot and humid, almost 40 degrees in Madrid. So it was good to get a game in Rio against Spain and we played well.”
There will be another training session or two and then a second practice match against another team.
The Indians are looking at their first medal in hockey since 1980, when they won a gold. Earlier India have won eighth gold medals from 1928 onwards. They also won a silver medal in 1960 and bronze in 1968 and 1972.
India will open their Rio 2016 campaign against Ireland on August 6.
Meanwhile, Australia were much improved in their second practice match, coming out 5-2 winners over arch-rivals Germany thanks to a double from Blake Govers and strikes from Jake Whetton, Eddie Ockenden and reserve Jeremy Hayward.
The performance was a marked improvement on their 0-3 defeat to Argentina 24 hours earlier, played at a higher tempo with more energy and a customary Australia-Germany intensity.
The men in green and gold raced to a two-goal lead, only to be pegged back by a typically resolute Germany before the first break. A goalless second period had the game delicately poised going into the final quarter of an hour, before three strikes in a feisty final period earned Australia victory.
“We want to get better every day,” said midfielder Eddie Ockenden, playing in his third Olympic Games. “It was a big improvement in attitude and also our skills. That was pleasing.
“We’ve never travelled 11 hours time difference, so we didn’t really know how we’d be feeling. We want to get better every day, get over the jet lag, start training better and harder. And we’ll be looking for further improvement in our final practice game against Ireland on Wednesday.”

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Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam will be leading the Indian Women’s Hockey Team in Rio

Indian Hockey Admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:53:54 +0000

Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam will be leading the Indian women’s hockey team when they make their comeback appearance at the Olympic stage after a hiatus of 36 years, next month at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Having just been handed the reins over from regular skipper Ritu Rani following a controversial exclusion of the latter from the national side, for the 24-year-old halfback from Manipur it would, no doubt, seem to be a mammoth task to perform.
With over a hundred senior appearances under her belt, Sushila certainly has the requisite experience in controlling matters from the backline, but with her being handed the captain’s role with less than a month to go for Rio 2016, quite a number of heads have been turned.

Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam new Indian women’s hockey team Captain

Although it’s the first time she will don the skipper’s armband for the Indian Eves, she was the central figure in India’s historic Bronze Medal win – defeating England in a penalty shootout – at the 2013 Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup held in Germany’s Monchengladbach. Therefore, Chanu is no stranger to leading teams at crucial stages in the international arena.
However, at the moment, the new captain is a figure of confidence. She is ready to rise to the occasion and has assured us of a positive show that would earn the Indian team at least a quarter-final berth after group stage victories over USA and Japan and a tight contest against Argentina.

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After Salman Khan IOA approaches Sachin Tendulkar, AR Rahman to be India’s Olympics Goodwill Ambassador

Indian Hockey Admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 06:39:45 +0000

A week after furore over the appointment of Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the Goodwill Ambassador for India at the Rio Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Friday also approached cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to join Salman – the ANI has tweeted.
It has also been learnt that musician AR Rahman and Olympic gold medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra might also be on IOA’s list of Goodwill Ambassadors.
“We are in communication with Sachin Tendulkar and A R Rahman to become brand ambassadors of the Indian Olympic contingent. We are yet to get their reply,” said Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice president Tarlochan Singh.
“We will rope in more people. Salman Khan will also remain,” he added.
After IOA named Salman for the role, Olympic medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and celebrated sprinter Milkha Singh expressed their displeasure at the appointment of somebody who wasn’t a sportsperson.
They were later joined by many other sportspersons who maintained that a sports personality should have been named. However, Salman garnered support from the likes Sourav Ganguly, Baichung Bhutia, Saina Nehwal and Sunil Gavaskar.
The IOA then clarified that Salman’s appointment did not involve any monetary aspect and was only done to cash in on his popularity so that more and more people support India’s Olympic campaign.
In a statement issued by IOA Secretary Rajeev Mehta, the association also said that it will soon appoint famous personalities from the cricket and music world in the capacity of a Goodwill Ambassador.
Writing to Sachin is a move in the same direction by the IOA.
Tendulkar has always batted for sportspersons in the country and his inclusion will surely boost the confidence of the athletes.
Yogeshwar Dutt who had criticised IOA for appointing Salman as Goodwill Ambassador shared his happiness over their decision to approach Sachin.
“भारतीय ओलम्पिक संघ(IOA) द्वारा भारत के महान खिलाड़ी @sachin_rt को भारतीय दल का GoodWill ambassador बनाए जाने का ससम्मान स्वागत हैं।जय हिंद,” Yogeshwar tweeted.
News Via: News18

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Salman Khan as the New Goodwill Ambassador of RIO Olympics 2016

Indian Hockey Admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:19:02 +0000

Salman Khan was named goodwill ambassador of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but this decision has come with subsequent negative and positive reactions.
Speaking on this new association with IOA Salman said, “I am honoured that Indian Olympic Association has chosen me as the goodwill ambassador for the Indian contingent for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
“It is a matter of great national pride that our athletes are performing better and better at the Olympic Games and I think we should all join hands in giving them every support and cheer for them so that Rio 2016 becomes our best Olympic tally.”
However, post this announcement there has been outrage from fellow athletes as well as social media. Seeming like unnecessary film promotion for Khan’s upcoming film Sultan, the Indian Olympic Associaton’s decision has not been received well.

Salman Khan with Sardar Singh and Mary Kom

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Hockey India to Award Rs One Lakh to Women’s Team for Rio Olympic Qualification

Indian Hockey Admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:17:13 +0000

Hockey India have announced that the entire women’s hockey team will be given a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for sealing qualification to the Olympics after 36 years. The Indian eves acheived the feat after a decent display at the EuroHockey Championship in London last August.
The India women’s hockey team had previously qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where they finished fourth.
Apart from the women’s team, the entire support staff will be awarded the cash prize from Hockey India. It will be handed over to the members of the hockey team on March 26 at the Hockey India awards in Bengaluru.
“It’s a very big achievement for women’s hockey in India,” India women’s hockey team skipper Ritu Rani was quoted as saying by Hockey India’s official website. “Till now, the Gold in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was the most celebrated moment for women’s hockey, but by qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, we have managed to push the bar higher.
“A good performance in the Olympics will help to take women’s hockey in India a long way ahead. This recognition by Hockey India will further motivate us to put up a good show,” the 24-year-old halfback added.
Ritu, along with defender Dipika Murthy, forward Rani Rampal and goalkeeper Savita Punia are also in contention to bag the Women’s Player of the Year award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.

Women’s Hockey Team Qualified for RIO Olympics 2016 – India Hockey

The Indian women’s team finished fifth at the Hockey World League semifinals in July last year, opening up an enormous opportunity for them to make it to the Rio Olympics. They could only confirm the spot for the 2016 Olympics if any of the two already-qualified teams reached the final of the EuroHockey Championship.
England, who had already sealed qualification to the Rio Olympics, got past Spain in the semifinal of the tournament and that paved the way for the Indian eves to make it to Rio 2016.
The mega quadrennial event is scheduled to begin in Brazil on August 5. Apart from India, Asian Games Champions Korea, Pan American Games champions Argentina, Great Britain, China, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the USA have sealed the qualification to the women’s hockey tournament of the Rio Olympics.
Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.in/india-womens-hockey-team-receive-rs-1-lakh-cash-prize-hockey-india-670613

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