Jyoti&rsquo;s journey in hockey is a testament to perseverance, determination, and passion. From humble beginnings to making a mark in the recently-concluded Women&rsquo;s Hockey India League and now her eyes set on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fih-pro-league">FIH Pro League</a> 2024/25 India leg, her story is one of resilience and unwavering belief in her dreams.<o:p></o:p>
Jyoti&rsquo;s hockey journey began in the sixth grade, a time of hardship for her family. After the untimely passing of her father, her mother struggled to make ends meet. One day, while visiting Jyoti&rsquo;s school to pay the fees, her mother met coach Pritam Rani Siwach, former Indian captain. <o:p></o:p>
When Pritam inquired about her ability to support Jyoti&rsquo;s aspirations, her mother revealed their financial struggles. The coach reassured her that everything&mdash;shoes, clothing, and training&mdash;would be provided for free. Despite financial hardships, Jyoti&rsquo;s mother made sacrifices, even offering to teach for free, ensuring that Jyoti could pursue her passion for hockey.<o:p></o:p>
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/english-football-welcomes-semi-automated-offside-technology-premier-league-seek-to-introduce-it-later-in-season-8718664">English Football welcomes semi-automated offside technology</a> Jyoti, who plays as a forward player for the national team, credits the Women&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hockey-india-league">Hockey India League</a> (HIL) for teaching her crucial lessons, both on and off the field. The exposure to international players helped her adapt to their speed and techniques, preparing her for the high-intensity matches in the upcoming FIH Pro League. She learned the importance of building connections beyond the field and maintaining a winning mindset, whether in a practice match or a high-stakes tournament.<o:p></o:p>
Playing alongside foreign athletes helped Jyoti and her teammates elevate their game, making their transition to the FIH Pro League smoother. She believes that such exposure is instrumental in bridging the gap between junior and senior levels of hockey. As the Junior World Cup approaches, she is optimistic that the young players who have trained with senior camps will benefit from this invaluable experience.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">'Rani's advice has stayed with me'</h2>
Her association with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rani-rampal">Rani Rampal</a>, former Indian hockey player, is built on their shared passion for the game. Rani has always admired Jyoti&rsquo;s commitment to improving the game and once gave her a piece of advice that has stayed with her: &ldquo;Just believe in yourself. Believe in your game. Everything else will fall into place.&rdquo;<o:p></o:p>
When Jyoti was picked for the Surma franchise in the Women&rsquo;s Hockey India League, she felt a rush of excitement and gratitude. While she expected to be selected, she was overjoyed when Surma placed their trust in her abilities. She views this opportunity as a stepping stone for young players like her, as well as for domestic and HIL players, to showcase their talent on a bigger stage.<o:p></o:p>
Reflecting on her training under coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harendra-singh">Harendra Singh</a>, Jyoti stresses on the sense of unity, discipline, and strength he instilled in the team. His vision for team cohesion and his passion for the sport have left a lasting impact on her. <o:p></o:p>
Indian Women&rsquo;s team are set to play their first match against England Women on Feb 15 at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.<o:p></o:p>
Jyoti acknowledges that every top team in the FIH Pro League poses a challenge, but her focus remains on self-improvement and executing strategies with precision.<o:p></o:p>
Jyoti&rsquo;s journey&mdash;from a determined young girl overcoming personal hardships to representing India&mdash;serves as an inspiration for aspiring hockey players. With her unwavering spirit and hunger for success, she continues to strive for excellence, aiming to take Indian women&rsquo;s hockey to greater heights.<o:p></o:p>

Olympics, Sports: Jyoti acknowledges that every top team in the FIH Pro League poses a challenge, but her focus remains on self-improvement and executing strategies with precision

Jyoti’s journey in hockey is a testament to perseverance, determination, and passion. From humble beginnings to making a mark in the recently-concluded Women’s Hockey India League and now her eyes set on FIH Pro League 2024/25 India leg, her story is one of resilience and unwavering belief in her dreams. Jyoti’s hockey journey began in the sixth grade, a time of hardship for her family. After the untimely passing of her father, her mother struggled to make ends meet. One day, while visiting Jyoti’s school to pay the fees, her mother met coach Pritam Rani Siwach, former Indian captain. When Pritam inquired about her ability to support Jyoti’s aspirations, her mother revealed their financial struggles. The coach reassured her that everything—shoes, clothing, and training—would be provided for free. Despite financial hardships, Jyoti’s mother made sacrifices, even offering to teach for free, ensuring that Jyoti could pursue her passion for hockey. Also Read: English Football welcomes semi-automated offside technology Jyoti, who plays as a forward player for the national team, credits the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) for teaching her crucial lessons, both on and off the field. The exposure to international players helped her adapt to their speed and techniques, preparing her for the high-intensity matches in the upcoming FIH Pro League. She learned the importance of building connections beyond the field and maintaining a winning mindset, whether in a practice match or a high-stakes tournament. Playing alongside foreign athletes helped Jyoti and her teammates elevate their game, making their transition to the FIH Pro League smoother. She believes that such exposure is instrumental in bridging the gap between junior and senior levels of hockey. As the Junior World Cup approaches, she is optimistic that the young players who have trained with senior camps will benefit from this invaluable experience. 'Rani's advice has stayed with me' Her association with Rani Rampal, former Indian hockey player, is built on their shared passion for the game. Rani has always admired Jyoti’s commitment to improving the game and once gave her a piece of advice that has stayed with her: “Just believe in yourself. Believe in your game. Everything else will fall into place.” When Jyoti was picked for the Surma franchise in the Women’s Hockey India League, she felt a rush of excitement and gratitude. While she expected to be selected, she was overjoyed when Surma placed their trust in her abilities. She views this opportunity as a stepping stone for young players like her, as well as for domestic and HIL players, to showcase their talent on a bigger stage. Reflecting on her training under coach Harendra Singh, Jyoti stresses on the sense of unity, discipline, and strength he instilled in the team. His vision for team cohesion and his passion for the sport have left a lasting impact on her. Indian Women’s team are set to play their first match against England Women on Feb 15 at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Jyoti acknowledges that every top team in the FIH Pro League poses a challenge, but her focus remains on self-improvement and executing strategies with precision. Jyoti’s journey—from a determined young girl overcoming personal hardships to representing India—serves as an inspiration for aspiring hockey players. With her unwavering spirit and hunger for success, she continues to strive for excellence, aiming to take Indian women’s hockey to greater heights.

Exclusive: Jyoti sets sights on FIH Pro League 2024/25 after HIL success

Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was Wednesday sacked from the position following a disappointing 2018 and offered the task of helming the junior squad by the national federation.

Constant chopping and changing of coaches is a frequent phenomenon in Indian hockey and Harendra, who was appointed in May, is the latest casualty.

"Though the year 2018 was very disappointing for the Indian Men's Hockey Team with results not going as expected, Hockey India believes investing in the junior program which will reap long-term benefits," HI said in a statement explaining the reasons behind Harendra's axing.&nbsp;

The Junior World Cup-winning coach took charge after India's medal-less showing at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but was unable to change the team's fortunes.

India were also below-par in the Asian Games in Indonesia, settling for a bronze after going into the tournament as the defending champions. They ended the year with a quarterfinal loss in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar.&nbsp;

"Hockey India will shortly be advertising and will invite applications for the position of the Chief Coach of the Indian Men's Hockey Team which will be returning to training camp in February 2019 for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup scheduled to commence from 23 March 2019.&nbsp;

"In the interim the team will be overseen by Hockey India High Performance Director, David John and current Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello," said Hockey India in a statement.

Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was Wednesday sacked from the position following a disappointing 2018 and offered the task of helming the junior squad by the national federation.

Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was Wednesday sacked from the position following a disappointing 2018 and offered the task of helming the junior squad by the national federation. Constant chopping and changing of coaches is a frequent phenomenon in Indian hockey and Harendra, who was appointed in May, is the latest casualty. "Though the year 2018 was very disappointing for the Indian Men's Hockey Team with results not going as expected, Hockey India believes investing in the junior program which will reap long-term benefits," HI said in a statement explaining the reasons behind Harendra's axing. The Junior World Cup-winning coach took charge after India's medal-less showing at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but was unable to change the team's fortunes. India were also below-par in the Asian Games in Indonesia, settling for a bronze after going into the tournament as the defending champions. They ended the year with a quarterfinal loss in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar. "Hockey India will shortly be advertising and will invite applications for the position of the Chief Coach of the Indian Men's Hockey Team which will be returning to training camp in February 2019 for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup scheduled to commence from 23 March 2019. "In the interim the team will be overseen by Hockey India High Performance Director, David John and current Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello," said Hockey India in a statement.

Only 7 months into job, India men's hockey coach Harendra Singh sacked

India's chief coach Harendra Singh has been officially reprimanded by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for his outburst against on-field umpires after the home team's quarterfinal loss to Netherlands in the men's hockey World Cup.

The reprimand was handed down to Harendra after he and India's analytical coach Chris Ciriello were called for an official hearing by the FIH on Saturday.

Eyeing to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to Netherlands in the fourth and last quarterfinal to crash out of the tournament in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium here on last Thursday.

Soon after the defeat, Harendra blamed poor umpiring for his side's unexpected early ouster, saying the FIH seriously need to address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year.

The India coach's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-coach-harendra-singh-irks-fih-for-raising-questions-on-umpiring-184377">vitriolic outburst didn't go down well</a> with the FIH with its technical delegate Christian Deckenbrock terming Harendra's outburst as "inappropriate" and "unacceptable".

"The FIH Technical Delegate has decided that India's coach Harendra Singh committed a breach of the Code of Conduct (Level 1.2.K: Public criticism of, or inappropriate public comment in relation to an incident at the press conference following the match between India vs Netherlands," the FIH said in a statement on Sunday.

"As a result of this breach, Harendra Singh received an official reprimand. The FIH Technical delegate indicated that the statements from India's coach at the press conference regarding umpires were unacceptable."

The world body further stated that this official reprimand will be recorded by the FIH and can be taken into account if Harendra breaches the Code of Conduct again at a future event.

India's chief coach Harendra Singh has been officially reprimanded by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for his outburst against on-field umpires after the home team's quarterfinal loss to Netherlands in the men's hockey World Cup.

India's chief coach Harendra Singh has been officially reprimanded by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for his outburst against on-field umpires after the home team's quarterfinal loss to Netherlands in the men's hockey World Cup. The reprimand was handed down to Harendra after he and India's analytical coach Chris Ciriello were called for an official hearing by the FIH on Saturday. Eyeing to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to Netherlands in the fourth and last quarterfinal to crash out of the tournament in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium here on last Thursday. Soon after the defeat, Harendra blamed poor umpiring for his side's unexpected early ouster, saying the FIH seriously need to address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year. The India coach's vitriolic outburst didn't go down well with the FIH with its technical delegate Christian Deckenbrock terming Harendra's outburst as "inappropriate" and "unacceptable". "The FIH Technical Delegate has decided that India's coach Harendra Singh committed a breach of the Code of Conduct (Level 1.2.K: Public criticism of, or inappropriate public comment in relation to an incident at the press conference following the match between India vs Netherlands," the FIH said in a statement on Sunday. "As a result of this breach, Harendra Singh received an official reprimand. The FIH Technical delegate indicated that the statements from India's coach at the press conference regarding umpires were unacceptable." The world body further stated that this official reprimand will be recorded by the FIH and can be taken into account if Harendra breaches the Code of Conduct again at a future event.

Hockey coach Harendra Singh receives official reprimand from FIH for his outburst against umpires

Harendra Singh's outburst against umpiring after India's quarter-final loss to Netherlands in the ongoing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">World Cup</a> didn't go down well with the world body (FIH) and its President Narinder Batra Saturday hinted at a strict action against the coach for his indecent behaviour.

Eyeing to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to Netherlands in the fourth and last quarter-final to crash out of the tournament in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium.

Soon after the defeat, Harendra blamed poor umpiring for his side's unexpected early ouster, saying FIH seriously need to address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year.

But the India coach's vitriolic outburst came back to haunt him as the FIH chief said a team should be graceful in defeat and questioning umpires is against the spirit of the game.

"Being the FIH President I have to follow certain protocols and I have my strong reservations against this kind of behaviour. A sport has to be played in the right spirit," Batra said in a press conference also attended by FIH CEO Thierry Wiel here on Saturday.

"One should be graceful whether you win or lose. Finding a fault is very easy. You should rather appreciate and respect. They (umpires) have only two eyes. They are doing a job, a thankless job. They will get criticised by anybody who loses," he added.

Harendra's job has been under the scanner ever since India failed to defend its Asian Games title in Jakarta and the World Cup was his last opportunity to save his skin.

It seems the India coach is set to lose his job with Hockey India mulling to take a drastic decision on the matter after the conclusion of the World Cup.

A former chief of Hockey India, Batra, who has considerable influence on the national federation, further indicated that some radical changes are on the offing in Indian hockey.

"I am here till the 17th December and then I will return to Delhi. After 17th I will give my statement on the issue as NOC (National Olympic Committee) President," said Batra, who also heads the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

"You are being unfair to people on the grounds, sometimes umpires themselves ask for referrals. Other games have also adopted (video referrals)."

FIH CEO Weil, who came on board in March this year, too felt it was not wise to blame umpires after a defeat.

"I think the beauty of sports in principle is that you have a winner and a loser. The day you win, you are happy. The day you lose, you are sad, which I understand. Even Argentina team cried on the bench," he said.

"Respect in fair play is such a nice thing. When you lose, what you have to do? You have to look forward to play better and win next time. To blame umpires is not the hockey style.&nbsp;

"I would just recommend (that) and definitely say umpires have a tough job, decision to be made within seconds. It (questioning umpires) is not acceptable."

The FIH CEO said the world body is no mood to review any umpiring decisions.

"We will not review anything. We will review the teams who have made such complaints made against the umpires. That is not acceptable. If you lose, you have to accept it and look forward," Weil said.

Harendra Singh's outburst against umpiring after India's quarter-final loss to Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup didn't go down well with the world body (FIH) and its President Narinder Batra Saturday hinted at a strict action against the coach for his indecent behaviour.

Harendra Singh's outburst against umpiring after India's quarter-final loss to Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup didn't go down well with the world body (FIH) and its President Narinder Batra Saturday hinted at a strict action against the coach for his indecent behaviour. Eyeing to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to Netherlands in the fourth and last quarter-final to crash out of the tournament in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium. Soon after the defeat, Harendra blamed poor umpiring for his side's unexpected early ouster, saying FIH seriously need to address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year. But the India coach's vitriolic outburst came back to haunt him as the FIH chief said a team should be graceful in defeat and questioning umpires is against the spirit of the game. "Being the FIH President I have to follow certain protocols and I have my strong reservations against this kind of behaviour. A sport has to be played in the right spirit," Batra said in a press conference also attended by FIH CEO Thierry Wiel here on Saturday. "One should be graceful whether you win or lose. Finding a fault is very easy. You should rather appreciate and respect. They (umpires) have only two eyes. They are doing a job, a thankless job. They will get criticised by anybody who loses," he added. Harendra's job has been under the scanner ever since India failed to defend its Asian Games title in Jakarta and the World Cup was his last opportunity to save his skin. It seems the India coach is set to lose his job with Hockey India mulling to take a drastic decision on the matter after the conclusion of the World Cup. A former chief of Hockey India, Batra, who has considerable influence on the national federation, further indicated that some radical changes are on the offing in Indian hockey. "I am here till the 17th December and then I will return to Delhi. After 17th I will give my statement on the issue as NOC (National Olympic Committee) President," said Batra, who also heads the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). "You are being unfair to people on the grounds, sometimes umpires themselves ask for referrals. Other games have also adopted (video referrals)." FIH CEO Weil, who came on board in March this year, too felt it was not wise to blame umpires after a defeat. "I think the beauty of sports in principle is that you have a winner and a loser. The day you win, you are happy. The day you lose, you are sad, which I understand. Even Argentina team cried on the bench," he said. "Respect in fair play is such a nice thing. When you lose, what you have to do? You have to look forward to play better and win next time. To blame umpires is not the hockey style. "I would just recommend (that) and definitely say umpires have a tough job, decision to be made within seconds. It (questioning umpires) is not acceptable." The FIH CEO said the world body is no mood to review any umpiring decisions. "We will not review anything. We will review the teams who have made such complaints made against the umpires. That is not acceptable. If you lose, you have to accept it and look forward," Weil said.

India coach Harendra Singh irks FIH for raising questions on umpiring

India's hockey coach Harendra Singh has apologised after a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by the Netherlands ended their hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil.

"First of all, I like to tender my apology to the people in India for not giving the results what they deserve. But, I am not going to take it very easily," Harendra told reporters at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

The visitors benefited from a disputed penalty corner that resulted in the decisive goal being scored in the 50th minute.

India defender Amit Rohidas was given a 10-minute suspension in the fourth quarter and the Indian coach was critical of the officials.

"It was not 11 players against 11. It was 11 against 13," Harendra said.

"If they (umpires) don't want to improve, we will continue to face these type of results."

India, who won six Olympic hockey golds in a row between 1928 and 1956, secured their lone World Cup triumph in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur.

Following their last Olympic gold in 1980, India's performances declined over the next three decades as the game moved from natural grass to synthetic surfaces.

The current squad produced glimpses of their glorious past during their run to the Champions Trophy final this year but their World Cup exit proves there is still plenty of work to be done.

Indian captain Manpreet Singh said there was little point in contesting umpiring decisions after the match

"What's the use of appealing now? We have lost the World Cup anyway," he said.

"We have to accept the defeat gracefully. The federation, players and coaches invest so much of time for a tournament. But you could ruin the 4-6 years' hard work with one wrong decision."

India's hockey coach Harendra Singh has apologised after a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by the Netherlands ended their hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil. "First of all, I like to tender my apology to the people in India for not giving the results what they deserve.

India's hockey coach Harendra Singh has apologised after a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by the Netherlands ended their hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil. "First of all, I like to tender my apology to the people in India for not giving the results what they deserve. But, I am not going to take it very easily," Harendra told reporters at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The visitors benefited from a disputed penalty corner that resulted in the decisive goal being scored in the 50th minute. India defender Amit Rohidas was given a 10-minute suspension in the fourth quarter and the Indian coach was critical of the officials. "It was not 11 players against 11. It was 11 against 13," Harendra said. "If they (umpires) don't want to improve, we will continue to face these type of results." India, who won six Olympic hockey golds in a row between 1928 and 1956, secured their lone World Cup triumph in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur. Following their last Olympic gold in 1980, India's performances declined over the next three decades as the game moved from natural grass to synthetic surfaces. The current squad produced glimpses of their glorious past during their run to the Champions Trophy final this year but their World Cup exit proves there is still plenty of work to be done. Indian captain Manpreet Singh said there was little point in contesting umpiring decisions after the match "What's the use of appealing now? We have lost the World Cup anyway," he said. "We have to accept the defeat gracefully. The federation, players and coaches invest so much of time for a tournament. But you could ruin the 4-6 years' hard work with one wrong decision."

India coach Harendra Singh apologises to fans after World Cup exit

India's chief coach Harendra Singh Thursday blamed poor umpiring for his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-2018-india-crash-out-after-losing-to-netherlands-in-quarter-final-183831">team's early ouster</a> from the ongoing men's hockey World Cup.&nbsp;

He said the International Hockey Federation (FIH) needs to seriously address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year.&nbsp;

Aiming to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to the Netherlands in the fourth and last quarterfinal, crashing out in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium.&nbsp;

Harendra said it's high time the FIH reviews the performance of umpires.&nbsp;

"I would like to tender my apologies. We haven't given what we had to. I am not going to stop today. If they (umpires) don't want to improve, we will continue to face these type of results," he said at the post-match press conference.&nbsp;

"Can anyone define Amit Rohidas's 10-min yellow card? What about this gentleman (pointing at Manpreet Singh), when he was pushed from behind? Why not a yellow card there? We have lost two major tournaments (Asian Games) this year because of umpiring.&nbsp;

"Two times we got a card when we hadn't done anything. But when it happened against us, they (umpires) said nothing. They need to improve. We have lost two major tournaments," he added.&nbsp;

The India coach, however, said he will not lodge any protest and accept the result.&nbsp;

"99.8 percent the referral goes in favour of players. The outcome of a protest has never been good in my career. We accept this gracefully. We want neutral umpiring. I except both teams to be treated equally. One wrong decision can ruin your preparation of 4-6 years," he said.&nbsp;

India captain Manpreet Singh too was utterly disappointed with the outcome and said there is no point in lodging a protest now.&nbsp;

"What is the use? We lost. We are out of the tournament," he said.&nbsp;

"The team had put in all the effort, but it didn't happen. I am happy that all boys gave their 100 per cent and were not short on confidence." 
Harendra said it was an equal contest but missed chances hurt India badly.&nbsp;

"We had a couple of open chances. We missed, so did Holland. That was because both teams were playing high-tempo game. Sometimes your position is not there, or your stick is not there (in the right place). The way the boys fought without the goalkeeper, in front of you I want to salute my players."&nbsp;

"We played well in patches but I will give 7 out of 10 on temperament to my team."&nbsp;

Criticising the on-field umpires, Harendra further said he didn't think the penalty corner from which Netherlands scored their winner, was right.&nbsp;

"The penalty corner which they got, I don't agree with it," he said. 
Netherlands coach Max Caldas, however, disagreed with his Indian counterpart and said it is not wise to blame the umpires after a defeat.&nbsp;

"The team with most chances wins the game. We won the game. That's the bottom line. In the end, the umpires didn't play the game. We never discuss umpires after a game, we talk about our own performance," he said.&nbsp;

"We review games, not umpires. We review our own performance. It happened with us at the Champions Trophy when the call went against us and we had a draw against India. Umpires do their job. It's a very fast-paced game," Caldas added.&nbsp;

The Dutch captain Billy Bakker too agreed with his coach on the umpiring issue.&nbsp;

"I think we are pretty happy with the officials. In the end, India were asking for a penalty corner. It doesn't matter if they had the referral.&nbsp;

Sometimes in sports things don't go like you want. Something you have to deal with it," he said.&nbsp;

"I think the umpires did a good job."

India's chief coach Harendra Singh Thursday blamed poor umpiring for his team's early ouster from the ongoing men's hockey World Cup. He said the International Hockey Federation (FIH) needs to seriously address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year.

India's chief coach Harendra Singh Thursday blamed poor umpiring for his team's early ouster from the ongoing men's hockey World Cup. He said the International Hockey Federation (FIH) needs to seriously address the issue as his side has been on the receiving end of poor on-field decisions twice this year. Aiming to rewrite history after a hiatus of 43 years, India lost 1-2 to the Netherlands in the fourth and last quarterfinal, crashing out in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium. Harendra said it's high time the FIH reviews the performance of umpires. "I would like to tender my apologies. We haven't given what we had to. I am not going to stop today. If they (umpires) don't want to improve, we will continue to face these type of results," he said at the post-match press conference. "Can anyone define Amit Rohidas's 10-min yellow card? What about this gentleman (pointing at Manpreet Singh), when he was pushed from behind? Why not a yellow card there? We have lost two major tournaments (Asian Games) this year because of umpiring. "Two times we got a card when we hadn't done anything. But when it happened against us, they (umpires) said nothing. They need to improve. We have lost two major tournaments," he added. The India coach, however, said he will not lodge any protest and accept the result. "99.8 percent the referral goes in favour of players. The outcome of a protest has never been good in my career. We accept this gracefully. We want neutral umpiring. I except both teams to be treated equally. One wrong decision can ruin your preparation of 4-6 years," he said. India captain Manpreet Singh too was utterly disappointed with the outcome and said there is no point in lodging a protest now. "What is the use? We lost. We are out of the tournament," he said. "The team had put in all the effort, but it didn't happen. I am happy that all boys gave their 100 per cent and were not short on confidence." Harendra said it was an equal contest but missed chances hurt India badly. "We had a couple of open chances. We missed, so did Holland. That was because both teams were playing high-tempo game. Sometimes your position is not there, or your stick is not there (in the right place). The way the boys fought without the goalkeeper, in front of you I want to salute my players." "We played well in patches but I will give 7 out of 10 on temperament to my team." Criticising the on-field umpires, Harendra further said he didn't think the penalty corner from which Netherlands scored their winner, was right. "The penalty corner which they got, I don't agree with it," he said. Netherlands coach Max Caldas, however, disagreed with his Indian counterpart and said it is not wise to blame the umpires after a defeat. "The team with most chances wins the game. We won the game. That's the bottom line. In the end, the umpires didn't play the game. We never discuss umpires after a game, we talk about our own performance," he said. "We review games, not umpires. We review our own performance. It happened with us at the Champions Trophy when the call went against us and we had a draw against India. Umpires do their job. It's a very fast-paced game," Caldas added. The Dutch captain Billy Bakker too agreed with his coach on the umpiring issue. "I think we are pretty happy with the officials. In the end, India were asking for a penalty corner. It doesn't matter if they had the referral. Sometimes in sports things don't go like you want. Something you have to deal with it," he said. "I think the umpires did a good job."

Hockey World Cup: Coach Harendra Singh blames poor umpiring for India's early ouster

Standing on the verge of creating history, Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh said his team is ready to take on any challenge thrown by the Netherlands in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">World Cup</a> quarter-final here.&nbsp;

World number five India are set to take on Netherlands in the last quarter-final on Thursday, and Harendra said they have left no stones unturned and their preparation for the crucial clash are spot on.&nbsp;

"Hoga to wahi jo hum chahenge (Eventually, it is what we want that is going to happen)," Harendra declared when asked about Thursday's vital encounter.&nbsp;

"We want what 1.3 billion people want. Indian team is mentally and physically ready. We have done our homework on Dutch aggression.&nbsp;

Whatever challenge they throw, we are ready to solve that, not just accept it," he added.&nbsp;

India has never defeated Netherlands in the history of the World Cup, but Harendra refused to dwell on the past.&nbsp;

"History is only to read, not to understand," he quipped.&nbsp;

"They (Netherlands) have come prepared, Every team comes to win.&nbsp;

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Goalkeeper <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> says his experience dictates that the team should not dwell on past setbacks, but instead look forward and continue to perform as they have at the OHMWC Bhubaneswar 2018.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/beFtFmXSRe">pic.twitter.com/beFtFmXSRe</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1072822156159987714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian team has made history in the last six months. You have to face every team, it is the&nbsp;World cup. You are bound to play the top team," he added.&nbsp;

Harendra said it will be an equal contest on Thursday and whoever takes their chances will come out winners.&nbsp;

"We won't do anything different. There are some minor adjustments.&nbsp;

They love to play attacking hockey, so do India. It is an equal contest. In tomorrow's match, you can't afford to miss even 25 per cent chances," he said.&nbsp;

Harendra said penalty corner conversions is an area of concern for the Netherlands which they will try to explore.&nbsp;

"When we analyse a match, we study grey areas of the opponents. Penalty corners is their grey area. We don't ignore Holland outright.&nbsp;

From 1971 to 2018, their base of hockey is penalty corners. We can't ignore that. India is ready to solve that challenge," he said.&nbsp;

It is expected to be a full house on Thursday at the Kalinga Stadium like any other India match, and Harendra said "crowd support" will provide India extra motivation to go for the kill.&nbsp;

"I think they are forgetting that whenever the crowd is behind us, it becomes 12th man, extra energy. As a coach I like that," he said.&nbsp;

"There is no chance that opponents can easily sit on their back. I think it's not pressured, it's your thought how you enjoy it. So far in any tournament, not just the World Cup, we have learned how to go with the crowd. We are enjoying."&nbsp;

Harendra said India cannot afford to drop their intensity at any point of time during the match.&nbsp;

"I agree that we have dropped our intensity during the course of a game, which we cannot afford against a team like Holland," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I have told them to keep that intensity not just for 60 minutes but 74 minutes, including half-time and quarter-breaks. We have discussed and they have agreed."&nbsp;&nbsp;

India captain Manpreet Singh said they are determined to create a history.&nbsp;

"If you talk about Olympics it was two years ago. The team has improved, especially since Harry sir (Harendra) has come. We are playing attacking hockey. We want to change history. The focus is that we don't leave out even the 50:50 chances."

Standing on the verge of creating history, Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh said his team is ready to take on any challenge thrown by the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-final here.

Standing on the verge of creating history, Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh said his team is ready to take on any challenge thrown by the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-final here. World number five India are set to take on Netherlands in the last quarter-final on Thursday, and Harendra said they have left no stones unturned and their preparation for the crucial clash are spot on. "Hoga to wahi jo hum chahenge (Eventually, it is what we want that is going to happen)," Harendra declared when asked about Thursday's vital encounter. "We want what 1.3 billion people want. Indian team is mentally and physically ready. We have done our homework on Dutch aggression. Whatever challenge they throw, we are ready to solve that, not just accept it," he added. India has never defeated Netherlands in the history of the World Cup, but Harendra refused to dwell on the past. "History is only to read, not to understand," he quipped. "They (Netherlands) have come prepared, Every team comes to win. Goalkeeper @16Sreejesh says his experience dictates that the team should not dwell on past setbacks, but instead look forward and continue to perform as they have at the OHMWC Bhubaneswar 2018.#IndiaKaGame #HWC2018 #DilHockey pic.twitter.com/beFtFmXSRe — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) December 12, 2018 × Indian team has made history in the last six months. You have to face every team, it is the World cup. You are bound to play the top team," he added. Harendra said it will be an equal contest on Thursday and whoever takes their chances will come out winners. "We won't do anything different. There are some minor adjustments. They love to play attacking hockey, so do India. It is an equal contest. In tomorrow's match, you can't afford to miss even 25 per cent chances," he said. Harendra said penalty corner conversions is an area of concern for the Netherlands which they will try to explore. "When we analyse a match, we study grey areas of the opponents. Penalty corners is their grey area. We don't ignore Holland outright. From 1971 to 2018, their base of hockey is penalty corners. We can't ignore that. India is ready to solve that challenge," he said. It is expected to be a full house on Thursday at the Kalinga Stadium like any other India match, and Harendra said "crowd support" will provide India extra motivation to go for the kill. "I think they are forgetting that whenever the crowd is behind us, it becomes 12th man, extra energy. As a coach I like that," he said. "There is no chance that opponents can easily sit on their back. I think it's not pressured, it's your thought how you enjoy it. So far in any tournament, not just the World Cup, we have learned how to go with the crowd. We are enjoying." Harendra said India cannot afford to drop their intensity at any point of time during the match. "I agree that we have dropped our intensity during the course of a game, which we cannot afford against a team like Holland," he said. "I have told them to keep that intensity not just for 60 minutes but 74 minutes, including half-time and quarter-breaks. We have discussed and they have agreed." India captain Manpreet Singh said they are determined to create a history. "If you talk about Olympics it was two years ago. The team has improved, especially since Harry sir (Harendra) has come. We are playing attacking hockey. We want to change history. The focus is that we don't leave out even the 50:50 chances."

Hockey World Cup: India vs Netherlands an 'equal contest,' says coach Harendra Singh

Chief India coach Harendra Singh on Saturday said for him the pool matches were a four-nation event and the real World Cup begins now after the hosts grabbed a direct entry into the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-india-maul-canada-5-1-to-book-quarte-final-berth-182506">quarter-final with a 5-1 thrashing of Canada</a>.

India topped Pool C with seven points on account of a better goal difference than Olympic silver medallist Belgium and will play their quarter-final game on December 13.&nbsp;

"Those who have visited my room know I have already written who we will play in the quarter-finals and who in the semifinals. For me a four-nation tournament has finished and the World Cup starts now," Harendra said.&nbsp;

"From quarter-finals, you can smell a medal. The actual tournament starts with the next game."&nbsp;

Harendra said India were guilty of running too much with the ball in search of goals in the opening two quarters.&nbsp;

"We are missing in the final pass, we were running for goals. We have to wait for our moment, can't rush towards the ball. I think the first half, we did too much running," he said.

"We were too much in a hurry. We were lacking in the final execution. I think we have to throw out the childish instinct."

He, however, rued the fact that India failed to keep a clean slate.

"We were running for the ball. I want the players to tackle irrespective of their position. We failed to keep a clean-sheet and I feel bad about it," Harendra said.&nbsp;

"By conceding you give away the momentum to opponents. It puts pressure on the (future) opponents when they see the team has kept a clean sheet.

"This team doesn't look into any other team's bedroom. Our target was 6-0, we won 5-1. This team is working on that for the last 4-5 years. We have a target and we know if we achieve that we will reach where we want to," he added.

Despite leading 5-1, India removed goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for a kicking back with three minutes remaining and Harendra said it was a premeditated tactic.

"I should have done (removed goalkeeper) 3 minutes ago. It was decided that in the 8th minute we will remove, but we missed that somehow. Irrespective of the result, we had decided we will take out the keeper (shortly before the end)," he said.

The coach informed that skipper Manpreet Singh didn't play the full match as he was unwell.&nbsp;

"We knew Manpreet was having cough and sore throat. We could not use him for the entire match. So, we had one less midfielder. That's why Lalit's (Upadhyay) role changed. I pulled Lalit back a little," Harendra said.&nbsp;

Man-of-the-match Lalit, who scored two goals on Saturday, said their main focus was to maintain the structure.&nbsp;

"As the coach told us, our structure and energy should be the focus. We were going all out. He (coach) knows each and every player, how to use them. He wants us to play fearlessly," he said.

Chief India coach Harendra Singh on Saturday said for him the pool matches were a four-nation event and the real World Cup begins now after the hosts grabbed a direct entry into the quarter-final with a 5-1 thrashing of Canada.

Chief India coach Harendra Singh on Saturday said for him the pool matches were a four-nation event and the real World Cup begins now after the hosts grabbed a direct entry into the quarter-final with a 5-1 thrashing of Canada. India topped Pool C with seven points on account of a better goal difference than Olympic silver medallist Belgium and will play their quarter-final game on December 13. "Those who have visited my room know I have already written who we will play in the quarter-finals and who in the semifinals. For me a four-nation tournament has finished and the World Cup starts now," Harendra said. "From quarter-finals, you can smell a medal. The actual tournament starts with the next game." Harendra said India were guilty of running too much with the ball in search of goals in the opening two quarters. "We are missing in the final pass, we were running for goals. We have to wait for our moment, can't rush towards the ball. I think the first half, we did too much running," he said. "We were too much in a hurry. We were lacking in the final execution. I think we have to throw out the childish instinct." He, however, rued the fact that India failed to keep a clean slate. "We were running for the ball. I want the players to tackle irrespective of their position. We failed to keep a clean-sheet and I feel bad about it," Harendra said. "By conceding you give away the momentum to opponents. It puts pressure on the (future) opponents when they see the team has kept a clean sheet. "This team doesn't look into any other team's bedroom. Our target was 6-0, we won 5-1. This team is working on that for the last 4-5 years. We have a target and we know if we achieve that we will reach where we want to," he added. Despite leading 5-1, India removed goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for a kicking back with three minutes remaining and Harendra said it was a premeditated tactic. "I should have done (removed goalkeeper) 3 minutes ago. It was decided that in the 8th minute we will remove, but we missed that somehow. Irrespective of the result, we had decided we will take out the keeper (shortly before the end)," he said. The coach informed that skipper Manpreet Singh didn't play the full match as he was unwell. "We knew Manpreet was having cough and sore throat. We could not use him for the entire match. So, we had one less midfielder. That's why Lalit's (Upadhyay) role changed. I pulled Lalit back a little," Harendra said. Man-of-the-match Lalit, who scored two goals on Saturday, said their main focus was to maintain the structure. "As the coach told us, our structure and energy should be the focus. We were going all out. He (coach) knows each and every player, how to use them. He wants us to play fearlessly," he said.

Our World Cup begins now, says India coach after sealing QF berth

A litmus test awaits India in their second pool match of the men's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup</a> Sunday and chief coach Harendra Singh said he considers the game against world no.3 Belgium as a virtual "pre-quarterfinal" for the home team.&nbsp;

India are placed in Pool C alongside reigning Olympic silver medallist Belgium, South Africa and Canada and the table toppers will directly qualify for the last-eight round.&nbsp;

With India notching up a 5-0 win over South Africa in their opener and Belgium beating Canada 2-1, the hosts just need a victory over the Red Lions to secure their place in the quarters and avoid the cross-overs.&nbsp;

As per the format of the tournament, the table-toppers from the four pools will directly qualify for the quarterfinals while the second and third-placed teams will play in the cross-overs for a place in the last-eight round.&nbsp;

"I don't feel any pressure. If you enjoy that pressure you will succeed. What I feel is that for me tomorrow is our pre-quarterfinal match and if we want to directly go into the quarterfinals we will have to win tomorrow," Harendra said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.&nbsp;

"We have discussed that in our team meeting and we will take one match at a time."&nbsp;

Since 2013, India do not have a good record against Belgium, having won just five and suffered defeats on 13 occasions with one game ending in a draw.&nbsp;

Asked about Belgium's threat, Harendra said India need to play to its strength to come out victorious on Sunday.&nbsp;

"If we look at their graph in the last 4-5 years, Belgium is a good team. We have to play according to the situation," he said. &nbsp;

"In the last 5-6 months the Indian team has set a trademark of playing attacking hockey which is our weapon and we won't compromise on that."

Speaking about the areas that India need to guard against Belgium on Sunday, the India coach said: "We need to take care about the vertical hockey Belgium plays. They don't play parallel hockey of playing the ball back. So, we need to concentrate on that."

Harendra said the World Cup is a new tournament for his team and past results will hardly have any impact.

"I don't think about past. I never focussed on mistakes of past but what we do is point out the good things we have done in the past matches. Past is history. Every tournament you have to look it in a new way as new chapter," he said.

"Our fault is we discuss a lot about the past but are not willing to live in the present moment. We tend to destroy our future by discussing about past.

"Tomorrow is a new day, a new tournament, a new team, a new World Cup which is being watched and blessed by 15,000 spectators at home."

Harendra said the Indians don't look at the crowd support as pressure, instead he considers them as "12th man".

"The crowd is our 12th man. Many teams (opponents) can feel the pressure. We should take advantage of that," he said.

Striker Akashdeep Singh, who has been entrusted with the new role of a linkman in the side, said he is enjoying his new position.

"I am enjoying my new role. When the coach joined us he suggested me to drop a little down and play as an attacking midfielder because I have a good vision and I share a good understanding with other strikers," he said.&nbsp;

A litmus test awaits India in their second pool match of the men's hockey World Cup Sunday and chief coach Harendra Singh said he considers the game against world no.

A litmus test awaits India in their second pool match of the men's hockey World Cup Sunday and chief coach Harendra Singh said he considers the game against world no.3 Belgium as a virtual "pre-quarterfinal" for the home team. India are placed in Pool C alongside reigning Olympic silver medallist Belgium, South Africa and Canada and the table toppers will directly qualify for the last-eight round. With India notching up a 5-0 win over South Africa in their opener and Belgium beating Canada 2-1, the hosts just need a victory over the Red Lions to secure their place in the quarters and avoid the cross-overs. As per the format of the tournament, the table-toppers from the four pools will directly qualify for the quarterfinals while the second and third-placed teams will play in the cross-overs for a place in the last-eight round. "I don't feel any pressure. If you enjoy that pressure you will succeed. What I feel is that for me tomorrow is our pre-quarterfinal match and if we want to directly go into the quarterfinals we will have to win tomorrow," Harendra said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday. "We have discussed that in our team meeting and we will take one match at a time." Since 2013, India do not have a good record against Belgium, having won just five and suffered defeats on 13 occasions with one game ending in a draw. Asked about Belgium's threat, Harendra said India need to play to its strength to come out victorious on Sunday. "If we look at their graph in the last 4-5 years, Belgium is a good team. We have to play according to the situation," he said. "In the last 5-6 months the Indian team has set a trademark of playing attacking hockey which is our weapon and we won't compromise on that." Speaking about the areas that India need to guard against Belgium on Sunday, the India coach said: "We need to take care about the vertical hockey Belgium plays. They don't play parallel hockey of playing the ball back. So, we need to concentrate on that." Harendra said the World Cup is a new tournament for his team and past results will hardly have any impact. "I don't think about past. I never focussed on mistakes of past but what we do is point out the good things we have done in the past matches. Past is history. Every tournament you have to look it in a new way as new chapter," he said. "Our fault is we discuss a lot about the past but are not willing to live in the present moment. We tend to destroy our future by discussing about past. "Tomorrow is a new day, a new tournament, a new team, a new World Cup which is being watched and blessed by 15,000 spectators at home." Harendra said the Indians don't look at the crowd support as pressure, instead he considers them as "12th man". "The crowd is our 12th man. Many teams (opponents) can feel the pressure. We should take advantage of that," he said. Striker Akashdeep Singh, who has been entrusted with the new role of a linkman in the side, said he is enjoying his new position. "I am enjoying my new role. When the coach joined us he suggested me to drop a little down and play as an attacking midfielder because I have a good vision and I share a good understanding with other strikers," he said.

'I don't feel any pressure,' says India hockey coach Harendra Singh ahead of Belgium clash

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football".

In this new approach, no player has a fixed position - defender, sweeper, wingers all move up and down as the ball moves, confusing the opposition who don't know who to target. It was a tactic played to perfection by Johan Cruyff's Holland against Germany, but sadly the Orange shirts lost the final thus burying the flamboyant, free-flowing approach.

The beautiful game made "total football" famous, now India has the chance to adopt it and introduce "Indian elements" to potentially take the opposition by surprise. The new technique calls for shrewd organizational skill, pace and accuracy which have traditionally not been India's forte.

However, in this World Cup led by Manpreet Singh under coach Harendra Singh, India has the chance to surprise the top teams and the World. India has fallen off the radar in world hockey, the last the Indian team which won the World Cup was during&nbsp;the Emergency&nbsp;way back in 1975.

The astro turf killed India's game in the 80s as the European teams led by Germany, Australia, Netherlands took control of the game. India struggled with pace and their tendency to hold on to the ball and not adopting a fast-paced passing game like the Europeans led to defeats in the Olympics and several other lesser-known tournaments.&nbsp;

Suddenly, India wasn't feared anymore - a huge factor in sports. The loss of fear factor led successive Indian teams to lose confidence in themselves as they fell off the charts.

The Indian team hit an all-time low after the team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 for the first time ever. The eight-time gold medallist could not go any lower.&nbsp;

India started from scratch, in the last two years the team has again started to perform, led by the junior team which won the junior World Cup under Harendra Singh, the current coach of the national team at the World Cup.&nbsp;

The new approach towards "total hockey" will not be easy as it will test the physical agility of players, a trait Indian players are not well known for be it hockey or cricket. It needs a power approach, much like the way Europeans play their game combined with the skill and artistry of Cruff's Netherlands.

It calls for dismantling the game in the mind and adopting a new, fluid approach in which every player is a defender and an attacker - a destructive strategy built to win matches.

Hockey itself has changed over the years, the quarters and substituting players has revolutionised the game in the era of T20 cricket and quick-fix solutions. The game is waiting for a whole new approach, and what better than the inventors of the game coming up with an ultra modern approach turning the European style on its head.

In this, the frontline and defenders would have to be collapsed to keep pushing the ball up and whenever the opposition counter-attacks, players fall back into defensive positions.

India in this World Cup has little to lose except that they are playing at home in front of a crowd which views hockey as a game belonging to the bygone era when India was the world champion, a story which now seems a world away from reality.

An Indian defeat in this World Cup will once again take away fans which the game can ill-afford. The need of the hour is a new, dynamic style from the creators of the game.

Time for India to stand up and be counted.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football".

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football". In this new approach, no player has a fixed position - defender, sweeper, wingers all move up and down as the ball moves, confusing the opposition who don't know who to target. It was a tactic played to perfection by Johan Cruyff's Holland against Germany, but sadly the Orange shirts lost the final thus burying the flamboyant, free-flowing approach. The beautiful game made "total football" famous, now India has the chance to adopt it and introduce "Indian elements" to potentially take the opposition by surprise. The new technique calls for shrewd organizational skill, pace and accuracy which have traditionally not been India's forte. However, in this World Cup led by Manpreet Singh under coach Harendra Singh, India has the chance to surprise the top teams and the World. India has fallen off the radar in world hockey, the last the Indian team which won the World Cup was during the Emergency way back in 1975. The astro turf killed India's game in the 80s as the European teams led by Germany, Australia, Netherlands took control of the game. India struggled with pace and their tendency to hold on to the ball and not adopting a fast-paced passing game like the Europeans led to defeats in the Olympics and several other lesser-known tournaments. Suddenly, India wasn't feared anymore - a huge factor in sports. The loss of fear factor led successive Indian teams to lose confidence in themselves as they fell off the charts. The Indian team hit an all-time low after the team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 for the first time ever. The eight-time gold medallist could not go any lower. India started from scratch, in the last two years the team has again started to perform, led by the junior team which won the junior World Cup under Harendra Singh, the current coach of the national team at the World Cup. The new approach towards "total hockey" will not be easy as it will test the physical agility of players, a trait Indian players are not well known for be it hockey or cricket. It needs a power approach, much like the way Europeans play their game combined with the skill and artistry of Cruff's Netherlands. It calls for dismantling the game in the mind and adopting a new, fluid approach in which every player is a defender and an attacker - a destructive strategy built to win matches. Hockey itself has changed over the years, the quarters and substituting players has revolutionised the game in the era of T20 cricket and quick-fix solutions. The game is waiting for a whole new approach, and what better than the inventors of the game coming up with an ultra modern approach turning the European style on its head. In this, the frontline and defenders would have to be collapsed to keep pushing the ball up and whenever the opposition counter-attacks, players fall back into defensive positions. India in this World Cup has little to lose except that they are playing at home in front of a crowd which views hockey as a game belonging to the bygone era when India was the world champion, a story which now seems a world away from reality. An Indian defeat in this World Cup will once again take away fans which the game can ill-afford. The need of the hour is a new, dynamic style from the creators of the game. Time for India to stand up and be counted. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

'Total Hockey': India's new formula to win the World Cup

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision.&nbsp;

Akashdeep impressed all and sundry in his new role as linkman by not only setting up a goal for Lalit Upadhyay but also scoring one in I<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085">ndia's 5-0 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085">rout</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085"> of South Africa</a> in their Pool C opener.&nbsp;

Asked about Akashdeep's performance, Harendra said: "He (Akashdeep) has very good peripheral vision and so we used him little down from his usual position as linkman. He is lethal as a linkman and we have three strikers floating inside the circle.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-hockey-special-shah-rukh-and-indias-coach-harendra-singh-played-together-in-school-tournaments-179842">Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments</a>

"If you go back 15 years, Dhanraj (Pillay) changed his role from the 2002 World Cup. He became a playmaker and Deepak (Thakur) and Prabhjot (Singh) scored. I am very happy with Akash. He is taking the lead. In every department we have a leader. I hope we continue that way throughout the tournament," the visibly delighted coach added.

Harendra said keeping a clean slate was the most positive outcome from Wednesday's game.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

"The match sheet, which is clean, is a positive sign. It means defence, i.e. All 11 for them, played well. They came out and snatched the ball at the right moment, didn't throw their sticks," he said.

India got five penalty corners on Wednesday but failed to score a single goal with a direct shot.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> explains how due to the demand of the game he has changed the role of <a href="https://twitter.com/akashdeeps985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akashdeeps985</a> in time. He expressed how he's now playing as a link man and creating more chances for the team. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvRSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvRSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/1pRLfTNk4W">pic.twitter.com/1pRLfTNk4W</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1067821369147252737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"What matters for me is to score goals from penalty corners, it may come via direct shot or any other way and we did score twice from penalty corners today," he said.

Harendra admitted that after an impressive first half, India were a bit complacent in the third quarter, which allowed South Africa to create a few chances.&nbsp;

"I think during third quarter somewhere we were a little bit complacent," he said.

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"India would look to express themselves on the field and would make the best of the chances which they'll be dealt with," says coach <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> after India beats South Africa 5-0.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvRSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvRSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/SZtlwI9LIe">pic.twitter.com/SZtlwI9LIe</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1067818541733289985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The moment they were 2-0 down, they pulled one of their back three up to an extra midfielder. But we regrouped well (after surviving those chances). They were smelling one goal. But we didn't let that happen."&nbsp;

South Africa coach Mark Hokins was obviously disappointed with the outcome of the match.&nbsp;

"I am disappointed with the result. We didn't execute our plans. The difference in this level is to take your chances. We didn't and they (India) did. We need to take key moments in the game," he said.

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision.

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision. Akashdeep impressed all and sundry in his new role as linkman by not only setting up a goal for Lalit Upadhyay but also scoring one in India's 5-0 rout of South Africa in their Pool C opener. Asked about Akashdeep's performance, Harendra said: "He (Akashdeep) has very good peripheral vision and so we used him little down from his usual position as linkman. He is lethal as a linkman and we have three strikers floating inside the circle. Also Read | Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments "If you go back 15 years, Dhanraj (Pillay) changed his role from the 2002 World Cup. He became a playmaker and Deepak (Thakur) and Prabhjot (Singh) scored. I am very happy with Akash. He is taking the lead. In every department we have a leader. I hope we continue that way throughout the tournament," the visibly delighted coach added. Harendra said keeping a clean slate was the most positive outcome from Wednesday's game. Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue "The match sheet, which is clean, is a positive sign. It means defence, i.e. All 11 for them, played well. They came out and snatched the ball at the right moment, didn't throw their sticks," he said. India got five penalty corners on Wednesday but failed to score a single goal with a direct shot. .@HarendraSingh66 explains how due to the demand of the game he has changed the role of @akashdeeps985 in time. He expressed how he's now playing as a link man and creating more chances for the team. #INDvRSA #IndiaKaGame #DilHockey #HWC2018 pic.twitter.com/1pRLfTNk4W — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 28, 2018 × "What matters for me is to score goals from penalty corners, it may come via direct shot or any other way and we did score twice from penalty corners today," he said. Harendra admitted that after an impressive first half, India were a bit complacent in the third quarter, which allowed South Africa to create a few chances. "I think during third quarter somewhere we were a little bit complacent," he said. "India would look to express themselves on the field and would make the best of the chances which they'll be dealt with," says coach @HarendraSingh66 after India beats South Africa 5-0.#DilHockey #HWC2018 #DilHockey #INDvRSA pic.twitter.com/SZtlwI9LIe — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 28, 2018 × "The moment they were 2-0 down, they pulled one of their back three up to an extra midfielder. But we regrouped well (after surviving those chances). They were smelling one goal. But we didn't let that happen." South Africa coach Mark Hokins was obviously disappointed with the outcome of the match. "I am disappointed with the result. We didn't execute our plans. The difference in this level is to take your chances. We didn't and they (India) did. We need to take key moments in the game," he said.

India's hockey coach explains how Akashdeep proved lethal in new role of linkman

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Hockey World Cup</a> has kick-started with a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-2018-opening-ceremony-live-179778">grand opening ceremony</a> at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.&nbsp;

Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances.

Shah Rukh recreated his Chak De! India dialogues as he recalled his connection with national sport and said &nbsp;"I did play a little bit of hockey in school and college. I used to play as a centre-forward, and right opposite me was obviously a goalkeeper,".

There is one more connection between Shah Rukh and hockey that is present coach of Indian field hockey Harendra Singh.

Harendra Singh and Shah Rukh have played in together in school hockey tournaments of Delhi.

Shahrukh Khan was the centre-forward of St. Columba's team and Harendra Singh was a goalkeeper and forward for Union Academy school.

"Shah Rukh used to come at Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place after school and stay with Pandit Jugal Kishor Sharma house. He was St&nbsp;Columbus student and I was with Union Academy School," revealed Harendra Singh.

Today at the opening ceremony India's reel life and real hockey coaches were present together once again.

Harendra expressed confidence that his young side in which seven out of 18 players are from the junior World Cup squad.

Conceding last-minute goals has been India's perennial problem in the last few years but Harendra said it' is with all hockey playing nations.

"We always discuss India concede a last-minute goal to lose. It has happened in the last 4-5 years, including the Asian Games. But that doesn't only happen with the Indian team. I can give you history where other teams also have lost the same way," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Hockey World Cup has kick-started with a grand opening ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances.

The Hockey World Cup has kick-started with a grand opening ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances. Shah Rukh recreated his Chak De! India dialogues as he recalled his connection with national sport and said "I did play a little bit of hockey in school and college. I used to play as a centre-forward, and right opposite me was obviously a goalkeeper,". There is one more connection between Shah Rukh and hockey that is present coach of Indian field hockey Harendra Singh. Harendra Singh and Shah Rukh have played in together in school hockey tournaments of Delhi. Shahrukh Khan was the centre-forward of St. Columba's team and Harendra Singh was a goalkeeper and forward for Union Academy school. "Shah Rukh used to come at Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place after school and stay with Pandit Jugal Kishor Sharma house. He was St Columbus student and I was with Union Academy School," revealed Harendra Singh. Today at the opening ceremony India's reel life and real hockey coaches were present together once again. Harendra expressed confidence that his young side in which seven out of 18 players are from the junior World Cup squad. Conceding last-minute goals has been India's perennial problem in the last few years but Harendra said it' is with all hockey playing nations. "We always discuss India concede a last-minute goal to lose. It has happened in the last 4-5 years, including the Asian Games. But that doesn't only happen with the Indian team. I can give you history where other teams also have lost the same way," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out.

WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament.

"We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION.

India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold.

The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating.

On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Sreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps."

He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> World Cup with <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> at 730pm on Tuesday on <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/tA9CHLa7SY">pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY</a>
— Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiggySinghDeo/status/1066908682158596096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently.

"We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION.

"We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added.

For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th. Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out. WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament. "We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION. India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold. The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating. On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Sreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps." He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent. Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 @FIH_Hockey World Cup with @HarendraSingh66 @manpreetpawar07 and @16Sreejesh at 730pm on Tuesday on @WIONews @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY — Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) November 26, 2018 × Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently. "We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION. "We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added. For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Ready to take up World Cup challenge, says Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh to WION

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out.

WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament.

"We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION.

India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold.

The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating.

On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Shreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps."

He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> World Cup with <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> at 730pm on Tuesday on <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/tA9CHLa7SY">pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY</a>
— Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiggySinghDeo/status/1066908682158596096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently.

"We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION.

"We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added.

For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th. Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out. WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament. "We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION. India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold. The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating. On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Shreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps." He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent. Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 @FIH_Hockey World Cup with @HarendraSingh66 @manpreetpawar07 and @16Sreejesh at 730pm on Tuesday on @WIONews @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY — Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) November 26, 2018 × Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently. "We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION. "We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added. For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Hockey is connected with every Indian, says Indian coach Harendra Singh to WION

Hockey India appointed Harendra Singh as the Chief Coach for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team on Tuesday.

Singh took over from Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne, who will return back to his responsibility as coach of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team.&nbsp;

India men’s hockey team had a disappointing run at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast as the team finished without a medal losing to England in the bronze medal playoff match.&nbsp;

By finishing fourth, India produced their worst showing at the Commonwealth Games since 2006.&nbsp;

The women’s team, on the other hand, lost to Australia in the semifinals before being spanked 6-0 by England in the bronze medal match to also finish fourth.

Some had questioned Marijne’s team selection for CWG and even preparedness for an event of such magnitude.&nbsp;

Harendra, who led the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team to the Junior World Cup title in 2016, was appointed as the Chief Coach of the Women’s Hockey team in September 2017.&nbsp;

Prior to that, he had led the women’s team to their ninth Asia Cup title in Japan last year.

Harendra said, “It is an honour for me to now manage the Indian Men’s Hockey team. It has been a very satisfying journey with the Indian Women’s Hockey team and I would like to thank Hockey India for entrusting me with the new role as we prepare ourselves for a very important season ahead.”

The men’s team had reassembled in Bangalore last week a fortnight after the Games in Gold Coast.

Marijne will return back to his responsibility as coach of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team.

Hockey India appointed Harendra Singh as the Chief Coach for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team on Tuesday. Singh took over from Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne, who will return back to his responsibility as coach of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team. India men’s hockey team had a disappointing run at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast as the team finished without a medal losing to England in the bronze medal playoff match. By finishing fourth, India produced their worst showing at the Commonwealth Games since 2006. The women’s team, on the other hand, lost to Australia in the semifinals before being spanked 6-0 by England in the bronze medal match to also finish fourth. Some had questioned Marijne’s team selection for CWG and even preparedness for an event of such magnitude. Harendra, who led the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team to the Junior World Cup title in 2016, was appointed as the Chief Coach of the Women’s Hockey team in September 2017. Prior to that, he had led the women’s team to their ninth Asia Cup title in Japan last year. Harendra said, “It is an honour for me to now manage the Indian Men’s Hockey team. It has been a very satisfying journey with the Indian Women’s Hockey team and I would like to thank Hockey India for entrusting me with the new role as we prepare ourselves for a very important season ahead.” The men’s team had reassembled in Bangalore last week a fortnight after the Games in Gold Coast.

Harendra Singh named Indian men's hockey coach. Earlier coach Sjoerd Marijne to oversee women's side

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