There was a time when the world did not associate India with cricket, badminton or athletics. Before those sports produced their own generations of champions, it was hockey that carried the Indian flag across the globe. For decades, the Indian men's hockey team was not merely successful at the Olympics. It was dominant. India won eight Olympic gold medals in hockey, a record that remains unmatched by any team in the sport, along with one silver and three bronze medals. But the most powerful chapter of that story started in 1948.&nbsp;Just one year after India gained Independence, the country arrived at the London Olympics carrying something far bigger than a hockey stick. It was the first Olympics for India as an independent nation, and hockey gave the newly free country the perfect sporting statement. India defeated Great Britain 4-0 in the final to win the gold medal. It was India's first Olympic gold as an independent nation, and the symbolism could hardly have been greater. The former colonial power was beaten on its own soil, while the Indian flag rose above the podium. For a country still finding its identity after Independence and Partition, the victory represented much more than sport.<h2>The dynasty that started before Independence</h2>India's hockey story had already begun before 1947. The team won three consecutive Olympic gold medals at Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936. Major Dhyan Chand became the defining figure of that era, helping establish Indian hockey as a global force. The 1936 Berlin Games were particularly memorable. India defeated Germany 8-1 in the final, while Dhyan Chand's extraordinary skill helped cement his reputation as one of the greatest players the sport had seen. But Independence changed the meaning of those victories. The hockey team was no longer simply representing British India. It was now representing a sovereign nation. And the first opportunity to demonstrate that came in London in 1948.<h2>London 1948: The gold that belonged to a free India</h2>The 1948 Olympics were held in a world still recovering from the Second World War. For India, the Games came just months after Independence. The team had to navigate the enormous political and social changes that had accompanied Partition. Several players who had been part of India's hockey ecosystem before Independence were now representing Pakistan. Yet the Indian team remained formidable.&nbsp;Led by captain Kishan Lal, India progressed through the tournament and reached the final against Great Britain.The result was emphatic: India won 4-0. That victory became the first Olympic gold medal for independent India.It was the kind of sporting moment that could define a nation. The country had just emerged from colonial rule. Its institutions were still taking shape. Its economy and infrastructure faced enormous challenges. Yet on the Olympic hockey field, India was already a world power.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-1st-test-padikkal-marks-comeback-with-maiden-international-century-1786793823609">IND vs SL, 1st Test: Padikkal marks comeback with maiden international century</a><h2>The golden run continued</h2>The London triumph was not an isolated moment. India followed it with gold at Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne in 1956, extending the Olympic winning streak to six consecutive Games from 1928 through 1956. No other team has matched that run in Olympic hockey. The 1952 final produced another iconic performance. Against the Netherlands, India won 6-1, with Balbir Singh Sr. scoring five goals, a record for an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final that remains part of the sport's history.&nbsp;Four years later, India defeated Pakistan 1-0 in the Melbourne final to claim its sixth consecutive Olympic hockey gold.By then, Indian hockey was not simply successful. It was the standard against which the rest of the world measured itself. The team's style, built around close control, dribbling, speed and intricate passing, became synonymous with Indian hockey. The term ‘Indian dribble’ itself emerged from the team's remarkable stick skills.<h2>The end of the streak, and another beginning</h2>India's Olympic dominance eventually faced its biggest challenge. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan defeated India 1-0 in the final, ending India's run of six consecutive gold medals. India had to settle for silver. But the setback did not immediately end the golden era. India reclaimed Olympic gold at Tokyo 1964, defeating Pakistan 1-0 in the final.&nbsp;Bronze medals followed at Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972, before India finished seventh at Montreal 1976.Then came one final Olympic gold. At Moscow 1980, India returned to the top of the podium, winning its eighth and most recent Olympic hockey gold. That triumph marked the final gold medal of India's historic Olympic hockey dynasty.<h2>More than medals</h2>The significance of India's hockey dominance cannot be measured only through its medal tally. Hockey gave generations of Indians sporting heroes at a time when international sporting success was still rare. Dhyan Chand. Balbir Singh Sr. KD Singh Babu. Leslie Claudius. Udham Singh. Prithipal Singh. Charanjit Singh. These were names that represented excellence long before India developed the sporting ecosystem that exists today.&nbsp;The hockey team also helped create an emotional connection between sport and national identity. When India won in London in 1948, the victory carried the weight of a newly independent country. When the team returned to the top in Tokyo in 1964, it reaffirmed India's place among the world's elite. And when India won its eighth Olympic hockey gold in Moscow in 1980, it added another chapter to a legacy that had already stretched across more than five decades.<h2>The long wait for a new Olympic medal</h2>After the 1980 gold, Indian hockey entered a very different era. The team went through decades without another Olympic medal. India even missed the Olympic qualification in 2008, a dramatic low point for a team that had once seemed almost unbeatable. The revival finally came at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 because of the pandemic, when India won men's hockey bronze.&nbsp;Paris 2024 brought another bronze, giving the men's team back-to-back Olympic medals and signalling that the sport's historic legacy was beginning to find a new generation. The golden age may belong to history, but its influence remains.<h2>The sport that announced India to the world</h2>Today, Indian sport has many faces. Cricket has produced global superstars. Badminton has created Olympic champions. Athletics has given India a historic Olympic gold. Wrestling, shooting, boxing and weightlifting have all produced their own icons. But hockey came first. It was the sport through which generations of Indians learned what it meant to see their country dominate on the world's biggest sporting stage.&nbsp;And perhaps that is why the 1948 London gold remains so special. India had been independent for less than a year. The country was beginning the difficult task of building a new identity. On a hockey field in London, its athletes provided one of the earliest reasons for millions of Indians to look at the world and say: we belong here.&nbsp;That is the enduring legacy of Indian hockey. Not just eight Olympic gold medals. But the sporting identity of a nation.

Explore India's golden era in Olympic hockey, from the historic 1948 London gold to eight Olympic titles and the legacy of India's hockey legends

There was a time when the world did not associate India with cricket, badminton or athletics. Before those sports produced their own generations of champions, it was hockey that carried the Indian flag across the globe. For decades, the Indian men's hockey team was not merely successful at the Olympics. It was dominant. India won eight Olympic gold medals in hockey, a record that remains unmatched by any team in the sport, along with one silver and three bronze medals. But the most powerful chapter of that story started in 1948. Just one year after India gained Independence, the country arrived at the London Olympics carrying something far bigger than a hockey stick. It was the first Olympics for India as an independent nation, and hockey gave the newly free country the perfect sporting statement. India defeated Great Britain 4-0 in the final to win the gold medal. It was India's first Olympic gold as an independent nation, and the symbolism could hardly have been greater. The former colonial power was beaten on its own soil, while the Indian flag rose above the podium. For a country still finding its identity after Independence and Partition, the victory represented much more than sport. The dynasty that started before Independence India's hockey story had already begun before 1947. The team won three consecutive Olympic gold medals at Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936. Major Dhyan Chand became the defining figure of that era, helping establish Indian hockey as a global force. The 1936 Berlin Games were particularly memorable. India defeated Germany 8-1 in the final, while Dhyan Chand's extraordinary skill helped cement his reputation as one of the greatest players the sport had seen. But Independence changed the meaning of those victories. The hockey team was no longer simply representing British India. It was now representing a sovereign nation. And the first opportunity to demonstrate that came in London in 1948. London 1948: The gold that belonged to a free India The 1948 Olympics were held in a world still recovering from the Second World War. For India, the Games came just months after Independence. The team had to navigate the enormous political and social changes that had accompanied Partition. Several players who had been part of India's hockey ecosystem before Independence were now representing Pakistan. Yet the Indian team remained formidable. Led by captain Kishan Lal, India progressed through the tournament and reached the final against Great Britain. The result was emphatic: India won 4-0. That victory became the first Olympic gold medal for independent India. It was the kind of sporting moment that could define a nation. The country had just emerged from colonial rule. Its institutions were still taking shape. Its economy and infrastructure faced enormous challenges. Yet on the Olympic hockey field, India was already a world power. Also Read: IND vs SL, 1st Test: Padikkal marks comeback with maiden international century The golden run continued The London triumph was not an isolated moment. India followed it with gold at Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne in 1956, extending the Olympic winning streak to six consecutive Games from 1928 through 1956. No other team has matched that run in Olympic hockey. The 1952 final produced another iconic performance. Against the Netherlands, India won 6-1, with Balbir Singh Sr. scoring five goals, a record for an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final that remains part of the sport's history. Four years later, India defeated Pakistan 1-0 in the Melbourne final to claim its sixth consecutive Olympic hockey gold. By then, Indian hockey was not simply successful. It was the standard against which the rest of the world measured itself. The team's style, built around close control, dribbling, speed and intricate passing, became synonymous with Indian hockey. The term ‘Indian dribble’ itself emerged from the team's remarkable stick skills. The end of the streak, and another beginning India's Olympic dominance eventually faced its biggest challenge. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan defeated India 1-0 in the final, ending India's run of six consecutive gold medals. India had to settle for silver. But the setback did not immediately end the golden era. India reclaimed Olympic gold at Tokyo 1964, defeating Pakistan 1-0 in the final. Bronze medals followed at Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972, before India finished seventh at Montreal 1976. Then came one final Olympic gold. At Moscow 1980, India returned to the top of the podium, winning its eighth and most recent Olympic hockey gold. That triumph marked the final gold medal of India's historic Olympic hockey dynasty. More than medals The significance of India's hockey dominance cannot be measured only through its medal tally. Hockey gave generations of Indians sporting heroes at a time when international sporting success was still rare. Dhyan Chand. Balbir Singh Sr. KD Singh Babu. Leslie Claudius. Udham Singh. Prithipal Singh. Charanjit Singh. These were names that represented excellence long before India developed the sporting ecosystem that exists today. The hockey team also helped create an emotional connection between sport and national identity. When India won in London in 1948, the victory carried the weight of a newly independent country. When the team returned to the top in Tokyo in 1964, it reaffirmed India's place among the world's elite. And when India won its eighth Olympic hockey gold in Moscow in 1980, it added another chapter to a legacy that had already stretched across more than five decades. The long wait for a new Olympic medal After the 1980 gold, Indian hockey entered a very different era. The team went through decades without another Olympic medal. India even missed the Olympic qualification in 2008, a dramatic low point for a team that had once seemed almost unbeatable. The revival finally came at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 because of the pandemic, when India won men's hockey bronze. Paris 2024 brought another bronze, giving the men's team back-to-back Olympic medals and signalling that the sport's historic legacy was beginning to find a new generation. The golden age may belong to history, but its influence remains. The sport that announced India to the world Today, Indian sport has many faces. Cricket has produced global superstars. Badminton has created Olympic champions. Athletics has given India a historic Olympic gold. Wrestling, shooting, boxing and weightlifting have all produced their own icons. But hockey came first. It was the sport through which generations of Indians learned what it meant to see their country dominate on the world's biggest sporting stage. And perhaps that is why the 1948 London gold remains so special. India had been independent for less than a year. The country was beginning the difficult task of building a new identity. On a hockey field in London, its athletes provided one of the earliest reasons for millions of Indians to look at the world and say: we belong here. That is the enduring legacy of Indian hockey. Not just eight Olympic gold medals. But the sporting identity of a nation.

India's hockey team gave a newly independent nation its first Olympic gold in 1948, beginning a golden era that produced eight Olympic titles

When hockey became India's identity: The Olympic golden era that defined a nation

Indian men's hockey team Asia Cup run was more than just a qualification ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium—it was a showcase of how versatile, modern defenders like Jarmanpreet Singh are changing the game. Traditionally, defenders in hockey were the anchors: solid, disciplined, risk-averse. Jarmanpreet is all of that—but crucially, he is much more. In the Asia Cup semi-final against China, he came off the bench for Jugraj Singh, slipped seamlessly into the right flank, and turned a defensive recovery into an attacking masterstroke. His assist broke the deadlock, changed the tempo, and proved that in today’s hockey, a defender who can attack is as valuable as a striker who tracks back.&nbsp;This duality—shield and spear, stopper and creator—is precisely what India thrives on and exactly what SG Pipers, franchise in the Hockey India League (HIL) need. The Pipers endured a forgettable debut season in the Hockey India League, finishing last and searching for direction. Now, with a new Dutch coaching staff in Tim Oudenaller and a reset in vision, they need leadership not just from the dugout but also on the field.&nbsp;Jarmanpreet, retained as one of the key figures, is the obvious candidate. He reads the game like a captain should, communicates constantly with midfielders and attackers, and has the maturity to balance his instinctive attacking forays with his defensive duties. Most importantly, he has the respect of teammates, new and old.&nbsp;On being asked if he would take up the captaincy, his answer was clear: “If the team gives me a responsibility, I will take it. It is for the betterment of the team.” That quiet assurance, devoid of bravado yet full of intent, is exactly what SG Pipers’ young squad requires. In many ways, Jarmanpreet represents the next chapter of Indian hockey—disciplined in defense, dynamic in attack, and humble in leadership. If the Pipers want to shake off the shadows of last season and mount a serious challenge, entrusting him with the armband is not just a tactical choice. It’s a statement of intent.&nbsp;<h2>Jarmanpreet on Asia Cup and HIL</h2>Reflecting on India’s win, he said, “I think our team’s performance was very good. In the beginning, we were lagging a bit in finishing, but we improved a lot in the semi-finals and in the final as well. Personally, I think I have also improved a lot, but there are still areas where I need to get better. We will work on those in the next camps.” On the Hockey India League and SG Pipers’ upcoming season, Jarmanpreet added, "Our last season didn’t go well. We couldn’t do what we wanted to do. This season our target is to finish in the top four and then take it game by game. We want to improve and perform well. With the new coaching staff, we are excited to learn and adapt quickly.”

Jarmanpreet Singh: The wall who also strikes — A captain in the making for SG Pipers

Indian men's hockey team Asia Cup run was more than just a qualification ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium—it was a showcase of how versatile, modern defenders like Jarmanpreet Singh are changing the game. Traditionally, defenders in hockey were the anchors: solid, disciplined, risk-averse. Jarmanpreet is all of that—but crucially, he is much more. In the Asia Cup semi-final against China, he came off the bench for Jugraj Singh, slipped seamlessly into the right flank, and turned a defensive recovery into an attacking masterstroke. His assist broke the deadlock, changed the tempo, and proved that in today’s hockey, a defender who can attack is as valuable as a striker who tracks back. This duality—shield and spear, stopper and creator—is precisely what India thrives on and exactly what SG Pipers, franchise in the Hockey India League (HIL) need. The Pipers endured a forgettable debut season in the Hockey India League, finishing last and searching for direction. Now, with a new Dutch coaching staff in Tim Oudenaller and a reset in vision, they need leadership not just from the dugout but also on the field. Jarmanpreet, retained as one of the key figures, is the obvious candidate. He reads the game like a captain should, communicates constantly with midfielders and attackers, and has the maturity to balance his instinctive attacking forays with his defensive duties. Most importantly, he has the respect of teammates, new and old. On being asked if he would take up the captaincy, his answer was clear: “If the team gives me a responsibility, I will take it. It is for the betterment of the team.” That quiet assurance, devoid of bravado yet full of intent, is exactly what SG Pipers’ young squad requires. In many ways, Jarmanpreet represents the next chapter of Indian hockey—disciplined in defense, dynamic in attack, and humble in leadership. If the Pipers want to shake off the shadows of last season and mount a serious challenge, entrusting him with the armband is not just a tactical choice. It’s a statement of intent. Jarmanpreet on Asia Cup and HIL Reflecting on India’s win, he said, “I think our team’s performance was very good. In the beginning, we were lagging a bit in finishing, but we improved a lot in the semi-finals and in the final as well. Personally, I think I have also improved a lot, but there are still areas where I need to get better. We will work on those in the next camps.” On the Hockey India League and SG Pipers’ upcoming season, Jarmanpreet added, "Our last season didn’t go well. We couldn’t do what we wanted to do. This season our target is to finish in the top four and then take it game by game. We want to improve and perform well. With the new coaching staff, we are excited to learn and adapt quickly.”

Jarmanpreet Singh’s dual role as defender and attacker makes him SG Pipers’ ideal captaincy choice, offering the leadership and versatility the team needs to bounce back in the Hockey India League

Savita Punia&rsquo;s journey to becoming one of the most celebrated names in Indian women&rsquo;s hockey is nothing short of extraordinary. From a young girl in Haryana to earning 300 caps for the national team, her path has been paved with relentless hard work, unwavering determination, and, most importantly, the unconditional support of her family and in-laws. In a candid conversation with WION's Jatin Verma, Savita opened up about the role her loved ones played in shaping her illustrious career and the sacrifices they made to help her achieve her dreams.
<h2>A dream backed by family</h2>
Growing up in Sirsa, Haryana, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/savita-punia">Savita</a> was introduced to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hockey">hockey</a> at a young age. Her grandfather was instrumental in encouraging her to pursue the sport seriously. "My grandfather used to tell me stories about Indian hockey&rsquo;s golden era. He always believed that if I worked hard, I could make a name for myself," she reminisced.
Unlike many young athletes who struggle to gain family approval for sports as a career, Savita found her biggest cheerleaders at home. Her parents recognised her passion early on and stood by her side, ensuring she had everything she needed to excel. "They never questioned my choice. Instead, they motivated me to train harder and be the best version of myself," she said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-india-assistant-coach-surprised-by-spin-dependence-lauds-their-effort-8767395">Champions Trophy 2025 | India assistant coach surprised by spin dependence, lauds team's effort</a>
For many female athletes, marriage often marks a turning point in their careers, sometimes even forcing them to step away from the sport. However, for Savita, marriage brought another layer of support. Her in-laws not only embraced her passion for hockey but also encouraged her to continue playing at the highest level.
"After marriage, many people assume that a woman&rsquo;s career takes a backseat. But my in-laws ensured that I never had to compromise on my dreams," she shared with gratitude. Her husband and in-laws took pride in her achievements, managing household responsibilities so she could focus on training and competitions. "They never saw my career as just my journey. They saw it as a collective dream for the entire family," she added.
Savita acknowledges that balancing personal life and a professional sports career isn&rsquo;t easy. Long training camps, international tours, and rigorous schedules meant that she often had to spend months away from home. "There were times when I missed important family occasions. But instead of making me feel guilty, my family reminded me that I was representing the nation, and that was just as important," she said.
Her mother-in-law, in particular, played a pivotal role in managing household affairs, ensuring that Savita could remain focused on her game. "She treats my success as her own. Every time I win a match, she calls me up and says, &lsquo;This is our victory.&rsquo; That means the world to me," she shared emotionally.
<h2>The road to 300 caps</h2>
Earning 300 caps for the national team is a testament to Savita&rsquo;s dedication and perseverance. It is also a tribute to the family and in-laws who stood by her through every high and low. "If I had not received this kind of support, I don&rsquo;t know if I would have been able to achieve this milestone. Having a strong family backing gives you a different level of confidence on the field," she admitted.
As she continues to guard India&rsquo;s goalpost with unwavering determination, Savita remains grateful for the people who have shaped her journey. "My story is not just mine alone. It belongs to my family, my in-laws, and everyone who has stood by me. Every time I step onto the field, I play for them as much as I play for India."
Savita Punia&rsquo;s journey is a shining example of what can be achieved when passion meets the right support system. As she moves forward in her career, one thing remains certain&mdash;her family and in-laws will always be her strongest pillars of strength.

Sports, Olympics: Growing up in Sirsa, Haryana, Savita was introduced to hockey at a young age. Her grandfather was instrumental in encouraging her to pursue the sport seriously

Savita Punia’s journey to becoming one of the most celebrated names in Indian women’s hockey is nothing short of extraordinary. From a young girl in Haryana to earning 300 caps for the national team, her path has been paved with relentless hard work, unwavering determination, and, most importantly, the unconditional support of her family and in-laws. In a candid conversation with WION's Jatin Verma, Savita opened up about the role her loved ones played in shaping her illustrious career and the sacrifices they made to help her achieve her dreams. A dream backed by family Growing up in Sirsa, Haryana, Savita was introduced to hockey at a young age. Her grandfather was instrumental in encouraging her to pursue the sport seriously. "My grandfather used to tell me stories about Indian hockey’s golden era. He always believed that if I worked hard, I could make a name for myself," she reminisced. Unlike many young athletes who struggle to gain family approval for sports as a career, Savita found her biggest cheerleaders at home. Her parents recognised her passion early on and stood by her side, ensuring she had everything she needed to excel. "They never questioned my choice. Instead, they motivated me to train harder and be the best version of myself," she said. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 | India assistant coach surprised by spin dependence, lauds team's effort For many female athletes, marriage often marks a turning point in their careers, sometimes even forcing them to step away from the sport. However, for Savita, marriage brought another layer of support. Her in-laws not only embraced her passion for hockey but also encouraged her to continue playing at the highest level. "After marriage, many people assume that a woman’s career takes a backseat. But my in-laws ensured that I never had to compromise on my dreams," she shared with gratitude. Her husband and in-laws took pride in her achievements, managing household responsibilities so she could focus on training and competitions. "They never saw my career as just my journey. They saw it as a collective dream for the entire family," she added. Savita acknowledges that balancing personal life and a professional sports career isn’t easy. Long training camps, international tours, and rigorous schedules meant that she often had to spend months away from home. "There were times when I missed important family occasions. But instead of making me feel guilty, my family reminded me that I was representing the nation, and that was just as important," she said. Her mother-in-law, in particular, played a pivotal role in managing household affairs, ensuring that Savita could remain focused on her game. "She treats my success as her own. Every time I win a match, she calls me up and says, ‘This is our victory.’ That means the world to me," she shared emotionally. The road to 300 caps Earning 300 caps for the national team is a testament to Savita’s dedication and perseverance. It is also a tribute to the family and in-laws who stood by her through every high and low. "If I had not received this kind of support, I don’t know if I would have been able to achieve this milestone. Having a strong family backing gives you a different level of confidence on the field," she admitted. As she continues to guard India’s goalpost with unwavering determination, Savita remains grateful for the people who have shaped her journey. "My story is not just mine alone. It belongs to my family, my in-laws, and everyone who has stood by me. Every time I step onto the field, I play for them as much as I play for India." Savita Punia’s journey is a shining example of what can be achieved when passion meets the right support system. As she moves forward in her career, one thing remains certain—her family and in-laws will always be her strongest pillars of strength.

Exclusive | Behind every save: How Savita Punia's family helped shape her legacy

India men's hockey team beat Great Britain 4-2 in the shootout on Sunday (Jul 4) to reach semis at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. India goalkepper PR Sreejesh displayed exemplary skills to save attempts from the Brits, while the Indians scored on all four attempts.

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🇮🇳🔥 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗡! 
 
Congratulations to the Indian Men's Hockey team for their heart-stopping shoot-out victory, earning a spot in the semi-finals! 🏑 
 
You're now just one win away from claiming your 13th Olympic medal 🏅 in hockey. Your relentless spirit and remarkable… <a href="https://t.co/jByQtmpeJ2">pic.twitter.com/jByQtmpeJ2</a>
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) <a href="https://twitter.com/nitin_gadkari/status/1820041548135899635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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For India, skipper Harmanpreet was first to score, equalising GBR player James Albery's opening goal in the shootout. Zachary Wallace was the next to score&nbsp;for the Brits but India's Sukhjeet Singh scored the equaliser.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/news-paris-olympics-2024-closing-ceremony-ace-shooter-manu-bhaker-named-india%E2%80%99s-flag-bearer-746998">Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony: Ace shooter Manu Bhaker named India’s flag bearer</a>

With the shootout score being tied at 2-2, Britain's Conor Williamson missed on the third attempt unlike India's Lalit Kumar Upadhyay who gave India&nbsp;a 3-2 lead.

Britain's Phil Roper took the fourth shot but couldn't score, thanks to some brilliant keeping by Sreejesh. India's Raj Kumar Pal then scored on the fourth attempt to hand India a famous win.

The regulation time finished at 1-1 despite India playing with 10 players most of the time in three quarters. India's Amit Rohidas was given a red card in the second quarter of the game. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh, however, soon scored a goal to take India in front.

Great Britain's Morton Lee&nbsp;scored the equaliser nearly five minutes later in the same quarter, and the score remained 1-1 for the remainder&nbsp;of the game.

India will next play the winner of Argentina vs Germany in the semi-final on Tuesday (Aug&nbsp;6).

India men's hockey team beat Great Britain 4-2 in the shootout on Sunday (Jul 4) to reach semis at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. India goalkepper PR Sreejesh displayed exemplary skills to save attempts from the Brits, while the Indians scored on all four attempts.

India men's hockey team beat Great Britain 4-2 in the shootout on Sunday (Jul 4) to reach semis at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. India goalkepper PR Sreejesh displayed exemplary skills to save attempts from the Brits, while the Indians scored on all four attempts. 🇮🇳🔥 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗡! Congratulations to the Indian Men's Hockey team for their heart-stopping shoot-out victory, earning a spot in the semi-finals! 🏑 You're now just one win away from claiming your 13th Olympic medal 🏅 in hockey. Your relentless spirit and remarkable… pic.twitter.com/jByQtmpeJ2 — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 4, 2024 × For India, skipper Harmanpreet was first to score, equalising GBR player James Albery's opening goal in the shootout. Zachary Wallace was the next to score for the Brits but India's Sukhjeet Singh scored the equaliser. Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony: Ace shooter Manu Bhaker named India’s flag bearer With the shootout score being tied at 2-2, Britain's Conor Williamson missed on the third attempt unlike India's Lalit Kumar Upadhyay who gave India a 3-2 lead. Britain's Phil Roper took the fourth shot but couldn't score, thanks to some brilliant keeping by Sreejesh. India's Raj Kumar Pal then scored on the fourth attempt to hand India a famous win. The regulation time finished at 1-1 despite India playing with 10 players most of the time in three quarters. India's Amit Rohidas was given a red card in the second quarter of the game. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh, however, soon scored a goal to take India in front. Great Britain's Morton Lee scored the equaliser nearly five minutes later in the same quarter, and the score remained 1-1 for the remainder of the game. India will next play the winner of Argentina vs Germany in the semi-final on Tuesday (Aug 6).

Paris Olympics 2024: India beat 'not-so' Great Britain in shootout to reach men's hockey semis - WATCH

The Indian Men's Hockey Team lost to Belgium 1-2 in a hard-fought encounter in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23, Europe leg which commenced today at the Lee Valley Stadium in London. Seasoned striker Mandeep Singh scored India's lone goal while Thibeau Stockbroekx (18') and Nelson Onana (60+) scored a goal each in Belgium's victory.

<h2>India lose in curtain-raiser</h2>

Kicking off the overseas campaign, India produced a confident start in the first quarter, creating early opportunities. Vice Captain Hardik Singh played a key role in India's attack, fetching an early shot on goal from the top of the D and shaking off the nervousness of playing against the World Cup runners up and reigning Olympic Champions. However, Belgium's goalie Loic Van Doren was impressive in the goal post, whisking away India's hopes of early goal.

The next few minutes of the first quarter saw Belgium drop the pace of the game, cautiously rotated the ball and controlled the play. With 20 seconds left for the first hooter, Belgium who had kept the ball possession for the most part, saw Victor Wegnez create a PC. But Loick Luypaert's dragflick was stopped by India's first rusher Amit Rohidas, warding off an early setback.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Belgium managed to break the deadlock as they created yet another penalty corner. This time, though Sreejesh made two brilliant saves off the dragflick from Luypaert, Belgium kept the ball on rebound only to create a clever set play within the D to beat Sreejesh. It was Thibeau Stockbroekx who picked up a good assist to loft the ball into the net.

Not letting the goal put them under the pump, India bounced back when Vivek Sagar Prasad earned his team their first PC in the 25th minute of the game. Though Harmanpreet picked up a powerful dragflick, the ball bounced off Belgium's defender on the line of the goal. Mandeep Singh, lurking around the post picked up the rebound, produced a fine finish to equalise. This was Mandeep's 98th international goal.

With scoreboard reading 1-1 at half time, the two teams came off the ten-minute break with a fresh intent to register a lead. Within the first five minutes, both teams traded PCs but neither were successful in their attempts. Though Belgium had another opportunity, just seconds before the hooter went off, they could not convert.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/his-form-should-be-observed-gavaskar-not-in-favour-of-ruling-out-kohli-from-indias-t20-wc-plans-596674">'His form should be observed': Gavaskar not in favour of ruling out Kohli from India's T20 WC plans</a>

Continuing to be in a gridlock, the match came down to the wire with both teams vying for that elusive goal. Four minutes into the quarter, Belgium managed a PC while trying to drive into the left flank. But Sreejesh was excellent in the post to make fine save. He continued to produce some mouth-watering saves that kept Belgium in the hunt.

While India continued to defend with all their heart, their attack was slowed down with Belgium adapting to full press. The final two minutes of the game remained tense but Belgium came through with a lead when they created a PC with seconds left for the final hooter. It didn't help that India in their effort to defend gave away a few extra PCs that cost them dearly. It was new comer Nelson Onana who scored from a rebound coming off a PC and securing a win for his team.

India will next take on hosts Great Britain on Saturday 27 May 2023.

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The Indian Men's Hockey Team lost to Belgium 1-2 in a hard-fought encounter in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23, Europe leg which commenced today at the Lee Valley Stadium in London.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team lost to Belgium 1-2 in a hard-fought encounter in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23, Europe leg which commenced today at the Lee Valley Stadium in London. Seasoned striker Mandeep Singh scored India's lone goal while Thibeau Stockbroekx (18') and Nelson Onana (60+) scored a goal each in Belgium's victory. India lose in curtain-raiser Kicking off the overseas campaign, India produced a confident start in the first quarter, creating early opportunities. Vice Captain Hardik Singh played a key role in India's attack, fetching an early shot on goal from the top of the D and shaking off the nervousness of playing against the World Cup runners up and reigning Olympic Champions. However, Belgium's goalie Loic Van Doren was impressive in the goal post, whisking away India's hopes of early goal. The next few minutes of the first quarter saw Belgium drop the pace of the game, cautiously rotated the ball and controlled the play. With 20 seconds left for the first hooter, Belgium who had kept the ball possession for the most part, saw Victor Wegnez create a PC. But Loick Luypaert's dragflick was stopped by India's first rusher Amit Rohidas, warding off an early setback. Three minutes into the second quarter, Belgium managed to break the deadlock as they created yet another penalty corner. This time, though Sreejesh made two brilliant saves off the dragflick from Luypaert, Belgium kept the ball on rebound only to create a clever set play within the D to beat Sreejesh. It was Thibeau Stockbroekx who picked up a good assist to loft the ball into the net. Not letting the goal put them under the pump, India bounced back when Vivek Sagar Prasad earned his team their first PC in the 25th minute of the game. Though Harmanpreet picked up a powerful dragflick, the ball bounced off Belgium's defender on the line of the goal. Mandeep Singh, lurking around the post picked up the rebound, produced a fine finish to equalise. This was Mandeep's 98th international goal. With scoreboard reading 1-1 at half time, the two teams came off the ten-minute break with a fresh intent to register a lead. Within the first five minutes, both teams traded PCs but neither were successful in their attempts. Though Belgium had another opportunity, just seconds before the hooter went off, they could not convert. ALSO READ | 'His form should be observed': Gavaskar not in favour of ruling out Kohli from India's T20 WC plans Continuing to be in a gridlock, the match came down to the wire with both teams vying for that elusive goal. Four minutes into the quarter, Belgium managed a PC while trying to drive into the left flank. But Sreejesh was excellent in the post to make fine save. He continued to produce some mouth-watering saves that kept Belgium in the hunt. While India continued to defend with all their heart, their attack was slowed down with Belgium adapting to full press. The final two minutes of the game remained tense but Belgium came through with a lead when they created a PC with seconds left for the final hooter. It didn't help that India in their effort to defend gave away a few extra PCs that cost them dearly. It was new comer Nelson Onana who scored from a rebound coming off a PC and securing a win for his team. India will next take on hosts Great Britain on Saturday 27 May 2023. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

FIH Hockey Pro League: Belgium down India 2-1 in curtain-raiser

2023 will begin with a bang&nbsp;for hockey lovers in India. The Harmanpreet Singh-led Team India is gearing up for the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneshwar next month. The tournament will be held in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and the national side will aim to kick off in style and return with the coveted title. In the last edition of the World Cup, also held in Odisha, hosts India were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In order to motivate the Indian squad,&nbsp;Hockey India recently announced cash prizes for the team and the support staff.

It is to be noted the National Governing Body for hockey will reward the Indian team with Rs 25 lakh (INR 2.5 million) each if they ensure a gold medal at the forthcoming showpiece event. Meanwhile,&nbsp;the members of the support staff will be honoured with Rs 5 lakh&nbsp;each. On the other hand, a silver-medal finish will lead to the players walk away with Rs 15 lakh&nbsp;each whereas the support staff will be given Rs 3 lakh. For a bronze finish, Harmanpreet &amp; Co. will be rewarded with Rs 10 lakh&nbsp;each with the support staff getting Rs 2 lakh. India last attained a podium finish in 1975 -- 47 years ago -- but will feel confident entering the mega event, on home soil, following their bronze-medal finish in Tokyo 2020. In Commonwealth Games 2022, the Men in Blue returned with a silver medal.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-wc-explained-what-is-the-tie-breaker-rule-that-will-come-into-play-in-group-stage-547460">Hockey WC: EXPLAINED! What is the tie-breaker rule that will come into play in group stage</a>

Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, in an official statement released by HI, said, "Finishing on the podium at a Senior Men's World Cup is not an easy task, and we hope this announcement will further increase the motivation levels of the already glory-hungry Indian Men's Hockey Team. Winning a medal in a home World Cup would surely go down as one of the best memories for the players in their decorated careers. We wish them the very best for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela."

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Meanwhile, Hockey India's Secretary General Bholanath Singh said, "The Indian Men's Hockey Team is the pride of the nation and we want them to scale all the possible peaks in the sport. To help them achieve that, and to further motivate them towards this target, we have announced this prize for the team. Harmanpreet and Co are very able and talented players and we are sure they will do the best they can to finish with a medal."

Squad

Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran.&nbsp;

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas (Vice-captain), Nilam Sanjeep Xess&nbsp;

Midfielders: &nbsp;Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh,Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh.&nbsp;

Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh.

Alternate Players: Rajkumar Pal and Jugraj Singh.

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</section>

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2023 will begin with a bang for hockey lovers in India. The Harmanpreet Singh-led Team India is gearing up for the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneshwar next month. The tournament will be held in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and the national side will aim to kick off in style and return with the coveted title.

2023 will begin with a bang for hockey lovers in India. The Harmanpreet Singh-led Team India is gearing up for the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneshwar next month. The tournament will be held in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and the national side will aim to kick off in style and return with the coveted title. In the last edition of the World Cup, also held in Odisha, hosts India were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In order to motivate the Indian squad, Hockey India recently announced cash prizes for the team and the support staff. It is to be noted the National Governing Body for hockey will reward the Indian team with Rs 25 lakh (INR 2.5 million) each if they ensure a gold medal at the forthcoming showpiece event. Meanwhile, the members of the support staff will be honoured with Rs 5 lakh each. On the other hand, a silver-medal finish will lead to the players walk away with Rs 15 lakh each whereas the support staff will be given Rs 3 lakh. For a bronze finish, Harmanpreet & Co. will be rewarded with Rs 10 lakh each with the support staff getting Rs 2 lakh. India last attained a podium finish in 1975 -- 47 years ago -- but will feel confident entering the mega event, on home soil, following their bronze-medal finish in Tokyo 2020. In Commonwealth Games 2022, the Men in Blue returned with a silver medal. Also read: Hockey WC: EXPLAINED! What is the tie-breaker rule that will come into play in group stage Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, in an official statement released by HI, said, "Finishing on the podium at a Senior Men's World Cup is not an easy task, and we hope this announcement will further increase the motivation levels of the already glory-hungry Indian Men's Hockey Team. Winning a medal in a home World Cup would surely go down as one of the best memories for the players in their decorated careers. We wish them the very best for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela." Meanwhile, Hockey India's Secretary General Bholanath Singh said, "The Indian Men's Hockey Team is the pride of the nation and we want them to scale all the possible peaks in the sport. To help them achieve that, and to further motivate them towards this target, we have announced this prize for the team. Harmanpreet and Co are very able and talented players and we are sure they will do the best they can to finish with a medal." Squad Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran. Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas (Vice-captain), Nilam Sanjeep Xess Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh,Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh. Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh. Alternate Players: Rajkumar Pal and Jugraj Singh. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

WC 2023: Hockey India announces prize money for Harmanpreet Singh-led team on podium finish

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here. It was Abhishek (25`) who scored the match`s first goal while Mandeep Singh (60`) scored a late goal for India. Nicolas de Kerpel (33`) and Alexander Hendrickx (49`, 59`) were the goal scorers for the hosts. With this win, Belgium have pushed India to the third place in the pool standings while Netherlands continues to lead the table in this season`s prestigious FIH Hockey Pro League. 
 
It was hosts Belgium who got off to a flying start, showing their will to bounce back after losing to India 4-5 in a tense shootout on Saturday. After a few attempts, Belgium found an early opportunity in the 7th minute through a PC but a poor variation denied them a lead. Three minutes later, Jarmanpreet`s assist to Sukhjeet Singh at the top of the circle opened up a brilliant chance for India to take the lead but Sukhjeet`s shot went over the goalpost. Both teams played the next few minutes with caution, rotating the ball tactfully creating space but neither team were successful in scoring a goal. 
 
After showing patience in their game, India finally broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Gurjant teamed up with Lalit Upadhyay to set up a brilliant goal by Abhishek. Ahead by 1-0 at half-time, India came out of the ten-minute half-time break with a clear intent to increase their lead.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afc-asian-cup-qualifiers-india-afg-players-engage-in-ugly-brawl-after-chhetri-cos-2-1-win-watch-487669">AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: India, AFG players engage in ugly brawl after Chhetri &amp; Co.'s 2-1 win - WATCH</a> 
 
Harmanpreet Singh created one such opportunity when he assisted experienced forward Akashdeep Singh with a brilliant long pass only a minute and a half into the third quarter. Poised on top of the circle, Akashdeep took a strong shot on goal but it went straight to the Belgian goalie Vincent Vanasch who padded the ball away. Only moments later, Belgium scored a splendid goal in the 33rd minute when a good interception dispossessed India, setting up a brilliant run into the circle where Arthur de Sloover set up Nicolas de Kerpel to score. Kerpel sneaked the ball past India`s vigilant custodian Sreejesh, into the extreme right corner of the post. The goal fetched the hosts a much-needed equaliser as they built on this attack to create many more opportunities in the following minutes. 
 
The hosts succeeded in extending their lead when they were awarded a PC after a foot foul by Indian defenders inside their circle. Alexander Hendrickx was on target firing the ball past India`s PC defence. 
 
With just five minutes left for the final hooter, India found a fine opportunity when they won a PC after a good video referral call. But dragflick specialist Harmanpreet`s aim to net the top of the post was pushed away by Belgium`s experienced goalie Vanasch. With just minutes left before the final hooter, Belgium put India under pressure when they drove into the striking circle. This was when a desperate body tackle by Sreejesh saw India concede a penalty stroke which was converted by Hendrickx with ease. 
 
Though, India fought back to the final second, with Manpreet Singh setting up India`s second goal when he assisted Vivek Sagar in the circle. A quick-thinking Vivek pushed the ball to Mandeep Singh who deflected the ball past Belgium`s keeper to narrow the lead to 2-3. But unfortunately, with just 30 seconds left, India`s excellent fight back ended in disappointment.

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here.

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here. It was Abhishek (25`) who scored the match`s first goal while Mandeep Singh (60`) scored a late goal for India. Nicolas de Kerpel (33`) and Alexander Hendrickx (49`, 59`) were the goal scorers for the hosts. With this win, Belgium have pushed India to the third place in the pool standings while Netherlands continues to lead the table in this season`s prestigious FIH Hockey Pro League. It was hosts Belgium who got off to a flying start, showing their will to bounce back after losing to India 4-5 in a tense shootout on Saturday. After a few attempts, Belgium found an early opportunity in the 7th minute through a PC but a poor variation denied them a lead. Three minutes later, Jarmanpreet`s assist to Sukhjeet Singh at the top of the circle opened up a brilliant chance for India to take the lead but Sukhjeet`s shot went over the goalpost. Both teams played the next few minutes with caution, rotating the ball tactfully creating space but neither team were successful in scoring a goal. After showing patience in their game, India finally broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Gurjant teamed up with Lalit Upadhyay to set up a brilliant goal by Abhishek. Ahead by 1-0 at half-time, India came out of the ten-minute half-time break with a clear intent to increase their lead. ALSO READ | AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: India, AFG players engage in ugly brawl after Chhetri & Co.'s 2-1 win - WATCH Harmanpreet Singh created one such opportunity when he assisted experienced forward Akashdeep Singh with a brilliant long pass only a minute and a half into the third quarter. Poised on top of the circle, Akashdeep took a strong shot on goal but it went straight to the Belgian goalie Vincent Vanasch who padded the ball away. Only moments later, Belgium scored a splendid goal in the 33rd minute when a good interception dispossessed India, setting up a brilliant run into the circle where Arthur de Sloover set up Nicolas de Kerpel to score. Kerpel sneaked the ball past India`s vigilant custodian Sreejesh, into the extreme right corner of the post. The goal fetched the hosts a much-needed equaliser as they built on this attack to create many more opportunities in the following minutes. The hosts succeeded in extending their lead when they were awarded a PC after a foot foul by Indian defenders inside their circle. Alexander Hendrickx was on target firing the ball past India`s PC defence. With just five minutes left for the final hooter, India found a fine opportunity when they won a PC after a good video referral call. But dragflick specialist Harmanpreet`s aim to net the top of the post was pushed away by Belgium`s experienced goalie Vanasch. With just minutes left before the final hooter, Belgium put India under pressure when they drove into the striking circle. This was when a desperate body tackle by Sreejesh saw India concede a penalty stroke which was converted by Hendrickx with ease. Though, India fought back to the final second, with Manpreet Singh setting up India`s second goal when he assisted Vivek Sagar in the circle. A quick-thinking Vivek pushed the ball to Mandeep Singh who deflected the ball past Belgium`s keeper to narrow the lead to 2-3. But unfortunately, with just 30 seconds left, India`s excellent fight back ended in disappointment.

FIH Hockey Pro League: Olympic Champions Belgium beat India 3-2 in a hard-fought contest

India swept the International Hockey Federation's annual awards on Wednesday, claiming all the top honours based on a voting system which was lambasted as a "failure" by men's Olympic champions Belgium, prompting the FIH to say that it would try to figure why some associations did not cast their ballot.

Five Indian players and the head coaches of both the men's and women's teams in Tokyo claimed the top honours across different categories after fetching the maximum votes. The men's hockey team had won a bronze, its first in 41 years, in the Tokyo Olympics, while the women's side had finished an unprecedented fourth in the showpiece. 
Harmanpreet Singh won the men's 'Player of the Year' award and Gurjit Kaur was recognised as the best player in the women's section. Veteran P R Sreejesh and Savita Punia won the best goalkeeper awards in the men's and women's section, while young striker Sharmila Devi (women) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (men) were adjudged best rising stars.

The drag-click duo of Harmanpreet and Gurjit were the top-scorers in their respective team's stellar run at the Games. Men's team coach Graham Reid and women's coach Sjoerd Marijne were also voted the best. While Reid is still with the team, Marijne's tenure ended after the Tokyo Games.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-india-withdraws-from-2022-birmingham-cwg-cites-covid-concerns-discriminatory-quarantine-rules-418432">Hockey India withdraws from 2022 Birmingham CWG; cites Covid concerns, discriminatory quarantine rules</a>

Hockey Belgium reacted sharply to the announcement of the winners and questioned the process as none of their Tokyo Games champions managed to win an award. Votes from National Associations -- represented by their respective national captains and coaches -- accounted for 50 per cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes. 
It is to be noted that only 19 associations from the 42-strong European bloc cast their votes, compared to 29 out of 33 in Asia.

"Hockey Belgium is very disappointed with the outcome of @FIH_Hockey Star Awards. A gold winning team with multiple nominees in all categories but doesn't win a single award demonstrates failure of the voting system. We will work with FIH to ensure a fairer system in the future," the Belgian association tweeted.

The sentiment was shared by the team's official handle as well. "We fully agree! This is not normal! The credibility and image of our sport is once again facing hard times. It's a pitty (sic) @FIH," stated the Red Lions. 
In all, 79 National Associations voted, the others being Africa (11 out of 25 Member Associations), Oceania (3 out of 8), and Pan America (17 out of 30) "And with a record number of almost 300,000 fans casting their votes, fan participation in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards has been exceptional," the FIH said.

Following Belgium's objection, FIH issued a statement to clarify its stand and promised a review if necessary. 
"As one can see, all winning athletes have topped the standings in each of the three voting groups...As always FIH will conduct a review of the FIH Hockey Star Awards and make adjustments wherever deemed necessary. In particular, we will focus on establishing why a number of national associations failed to vote," it said. 
The nominations from Belgium (men) and the Netherlands (women), who were not only crowned Olympic Champions but also won the 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro League, finished behind the Indians once the votes were counted.

Belgium duo of Alexander Hendrickx and Arthur van Doren were voted second and third best players respectively among men, with Vincent Vanasch (Belgium) named second best goalkeeper and Shane McLeod of New Zealand second best coach. Among women, Eva de Goede and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands clinched the respective second and third places in the Player of the Year awards while Alyson Annan of Australia finished second for the FIH Coach of the Year Award.

Great Britain goalkeeper Maddie Hinch, rising star Fiona Crackles and coach Mark Hager of Australia all were third in their respective categories.

With the FIH Hockey Stars Awards skipped in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year's awards covered the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the FIH said.

"The voting process started on 23 August and concluded on 15 September 2021. Votes from National Associations - represented by their respective national captains and coaches - counted for 50 pe cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes," it added. 
Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam congratulated the winners.

"This is a great moment for Indian hockey as all our Indian nominees for the FIH Stars Awards have been announced winners. "After the historic performances in Tokyo by both Indian Men and Women's Hockey teams, the support from Indian fans from across the globe has been overwhelming," he said.&nbsp;

India swept the International Hockey Federation's annual awards on Wednesday, claiming all the top honours based on a voting system which was lambasted as a "failure" by men's Olympic champions Belgium, prompting the FIH to say that it would try to figure why some associations did not cast their ballot.

India swept the International Hockey Federation's annual awards on Wednesday, claiming all the top honours based on a voting system which was lambasted as a "failure" by men's Olympic champions Belgium, prompting the FIH to say that it would try to figure why some associations did not cast their ballot. Five Indian players and the head coaches of both the men's and women's teams in Tokyo claimed the top honours across different categories after fetching the maximum votes. The men's hockey team had won a bronze, its first in 41 years, in the Tokyo Olympics, while the women's side had finished an unprecedented fourth in the showpiece. Harmanpreet Singh won the men's 'Player of the Year' award and Gurjit Kaur was recognised as the best player in the women's section. Veteran P R Sreejesh and Savita Punia won the best goalkeeper awards in the men's and women's section, while young striker Sharmila Devi (women) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (men) were adjudged best rising stars. The drag-click duo of Harmanpreet and Gurjit were the top-scorers in their respective team's stellar run at the Games. Men's team coach Graham Reid and women's coach Sjoerd Marijne were also voted the best. While Reid is still with the team, Marijne's tenure ended after the Tokyo Games. ALSO READ | Hockey India withdraws from 2022 Birmingham CWG; cites Covid concerns, discriminatory quarantine rules Hockey Belgium reacted sharply to the announcement of the winners and questioned the process as none of their Tokyo Games champions managed to win an award. Votes from National Associations -- represented by their respective national captains and coaches -- accounted for 50 per cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes. It is to be noted that only 19 associations from the 42-strong European bloc cast their votes, compared to 29 out of 33 in Asia. "Hockey Belgium is very disappointed with the outcome of @FIH_Hockey Star Awards. A gold winning team with multiple nominees in all categories but doesn't win a single award demonstrates failure of the voting system. We will work with FIH to ensure a fairer system in the future," the Belgian association tweeted. The sentiment was shared by the team's official handle as well. "We fully agree! This is not normal! The credibility and image of our sport is once again facing hard times. It's a pitty (sic) @FIH," stated the Red Lions. In all, 79 National Associations voted, the others being Africa (11 out of 25 Member Associations), Oceania (3 out of 8), and Pan America (17 out of 30) "And with a record number of almost 300,000 fans casting their votes, fan participation in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards has been exceptional," the FIH said. Following Belgium's objection, FIH issued a statement to clarify its stand and promised a review if necessary. "As one can see, all winning athletes have topped the standings in each of the three voting groups...As always FIH will conduct a review of the FIH Hockey Star Awards and make adjustments wherever deemed necessary. In particular, we will focus on establishing why a number of national associations failed to vote," it said. The nominations from Belgium (men) and the Netherlands (women), who were not only crowned Olympic Champions but also won the 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro League, finished behind the Indians once the votes were counted. Belgium duo of Alexander Hendrickx and Arthur van Doren were voted second and third best players respectively among men, with Vincent Vanasch (Belgium) named second best goalkeeper and Shane McLeod of New Zealand second best coach. Among women, Eva de Goede and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands clinched the respective second and third places in the Player of the Year awards while Alyson Annan of Australia finished second for the FIH Coach of the Year Award. Great Britain goalkeeper Maddie Hinch, rising star Fiona Crackles and coach Mark Hager of Australia all were third in their respective categories. With the FIH Hockey Stars Awards skipped in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year's awards covered the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the FIH said. "The voting process started on 23 August and concluded on 15 September 2021. Votes from National Associations - represented by their respective national captains and coaches - counted for 50 pe cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes," it added. Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam congratulated the winners. "This is a great moment for Indian hockey as all our Indian nominees for the FIH Stars Awards have been announced winners. "After the historic performances in Tokyo by both Indian Men and Women's Hockey teams, the support from Indian fans from across the globe has been overwhelming," he said.

Hockey: India sweep FIH annual awards; men’s Olympic champion Belgium says 'this is not normal'

Firsts are always special. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India its first-ever medal at the Tokyo 2020, by securing a silver in the 49kg category. It was the start of something special for Team India, who went on to end with as many as seven medals to return their best-ever showing&nbsp;at an Olympics.&nbsp;

Thus, she fulfilled her family’s and her dreams. She also made her entire team, which was beside her at all times and had worked tirelessly to ensure her a podium-finish, extremely proud. Vijay Sharma, Mirabai's and India's national weightlifting coach, was also beaming&nbsp;with pride seeing his protégé stand on the podium as she also fulfilled his long-standing and unfulfilled desire.

For the unversed, Vijay joined as the national coach in 2012. However, the first chapter of his journey as an athlete&nbsp; was penned down&nbsp;long back. The man from Modinagar, near Meerut, didn't have a glittering resume but won as many as seven medals -- including a gold -- at the national championship. However, an Olympic medal eluded his cabinet before Mirabai scripted history. Thus, while Vijay cannot brag of an Olympic medal as an athlete, he is now living his dream in through her success.

WION News' Aditya Sahay&nbsp;got chance to interact with Vijay Sharma as the veteran coach shared his journey with Mirabai, the hardships and sacrifices seen together and future of weightlifting in India. Here are the excerpts:

Q) Being a former&nbsp;athlete, how did you feel when Mirabai Chanu secured silver at Tokyo 2020? What was the initial feeling?&nbsp;

Being an athlete and now a coach, it was such a moment that cannot be described. If you are not able to do something in life, you hope and expect that is achieved by your child. These athletes are my children only. So I cannot really put this in words as to what and how I actually felt. After Rio 2016 and the Tokyo Olympics being pushed by a year due to Covid-19, the wait was a long one but eventually turned out to be worthwhile.&nbsp;

Q) Surely, the process must've been tough. Over the years, you're believed to have made sure the relationship between athletes-coach remained solid and the diet and overall fitness weren't compromised at any cost. What was your initial plans when you stepped up as the national weightlifting coach in 2012?&nbsp;

During my stint as an athlete, staying in national camp from 1993-2000, I gave plenty of trails and failed many a times. Back then, I realised what all are essential for any player in his, or her, journey. That phase taught me many things. Thus, I started with a lot of changes as a state coach in 2001. I tried and tested a lot of things in my initial days. We won the state junior championship on three successive occasions, which propelled the federation to invite us and work with the national team.&nbsp;

Since joining the national team, I realised the same issues are still existing in the federation in terms of training regime, diet plans, fitness etc. Slowly and steadily, I&nbsp;started seeing the changes and understood the progress is now happening. My personal experience taught me a lot. Earlier the culture and concept was that running fitness isn't that important in weightlifting. It took time but I tried to inculcate such changes and look after the overall fitness in every aspect.&nbsp;

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Back in action! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/missionparis2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#missionparis2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/0D5ZVMMN0k">pic.twitter.com/0D5ZVMMN0k</a>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1430513016055898114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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I worked on athletes' diet plans, fitness and to build a trust and communication with the players. You need to sit and spend time with them, on and off the field. Only then will they respond and work with you in a desired manner.&nbsp;See, national champions won't listen to you at once. He, or she, will feel they are already very good so one needs to win their trust so that the communication and respect is intact. After all this was formed, we started marching ahead in big events and the confidence and momentum just kept on building continuously.&nbsp;

Q) What were the hardships Mirabai-Vijay Sharma and team went through over the years, enroute Tokyo silver?&nbsp;

I've worked a lot with these players. All of them, not only Mirabai, have sacrificed a lot. Mira was contemplating quitting the game, especially after what transpired in Rio 2016. The following 2-3 months was very tough to motivate and force her way back. After her record win in 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG), her back injury forced us to stay in Mumbai for long for medical treatment so that was another big jolt coming our way.&nbsp;To top it all, Mira didn't even attend her own sister's wedding. From Rio 2016 onwards, she must've visited her hometown for only 12-14 days maximum. Even I haven't met my close friends for years. You don't get to visit families on occasions and festivities, which doesn't come out in the open but is tough for every athlete.&nbsp;

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Thank you my coach Vijay Sharma sir and team for all the hardwork. <a href="https://t.co/CwBfqOJBws">pic.twitter.com/CwBfqOJBws</a>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1418924188614733828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Q) Is it true that you missed out on several family gatherings and festivities over the years. How tough was it and how did your family support you?&nbsp;

I continued to play at the national level even after marriage. So every new member of the family knew that my life isn't the same. However, my family has always supported me wholeheartedly. No one can move an inch ahead or succeed in their field sans family support.&nbsp;I've my home in Ghaziabad. It isn't very far from the camp (in Patiala). But I never travelled back home. I wasn't home even for Karwa Chauth or any other festival to follow the same rules which were applicable to the athletes. It didn't feel right to visit my family when my children (i.e. the athletes) remain in the camp.&nbsp;

One needs to set the example and abide by it for others to follow suit. These are my children. Any birthday or festival, we get together and celebrate as much as we can....so that we can treat each other as a family away from home.

Q) Is it easy when the coach has also won medals, like you have, and represented the nation? Does the method become&nbsp;slightly easier?

Depends on the inner soul. There were many good or great players with me during my national camp days. I wasn't the best, but that doesn't mean a good athlete will be a good coach. It all depends on how your mind is reacting and how confident you are from within.&nbsp;

Q) In India, we shower athletes with praises when they succeed and criticise them sharply when they're down. Do you feel the attention given, though much-deserved, becomes a bit too much afterwards? Should the focus, instead, remain on the road ahead?

If we compare ourselves with China, we are still far behind in terms of the overall inclination we've for weightlifting. To date, parents are reluctant to invest their ward's career in other diverse fields. The government is doing its part and even the media isn't wrong here. The thought process of the common citizens have to change and not just think about the medal-winners for 2-4 months but emphasise for a longer period. Hence, a chain will be formed where we will get a lot more talent for every sport. There is no dearth of talent in India for any field. If sports culture widens nationwide, it will help our country to develop further as well.&nbsp;

Q) Paralympics athletes have crossed double figures in the medal tally as we speak. Do you think time is ripe for India to invest heavily on athletics and various other field events, and not remain a cricket-centric country?&nbsp;

Yes, last time also they'd (para-athletes) inspired us. They showed us the way after our Rio 2016 campaign too&nbsp;when we felt down. They&nbsp;always show us to never give up. They have their shortcomings but still don't know how to go down without giving a serious fight. Hence, what is stopping us? This time around too, they're winning hearts all over.&nbsp; Also, the government needs to be credited for their efforts and involvement. I've never seen such amount of help from any government. Once, we were sent to the USA in a day after all the arrangements were put in place.

Thus, hopefully in the next Olympics we will return back with 25 medals.&nbsp;

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Honoured to meet and interact with our Honourable Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> sir. <a href="https://t.co/nUj1cnk33S">pic.twitter.com/nUj1cnk33S</a>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1427317915817156609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Q) Apart from Mira, whose performance has impressed you the most? You can even mention among the lot that won hearts but no medals.&nbsp;

Mira was impressive. We all believed she will return with a medal and she proved us right. She lived upto expectations. Among others in individual&nbsp;sports, Neeraj Chopra was superb. I didn't expect that from him but he left me completely stunned. On the other hand, the women's hockey -- infact the entire hockey contingent -- and their performance was praise worthy, to say the least.&nbsp;From moving to the fourth spot after ending last in Rio 2016, Rani Rampal &amp; Co. deserve all the applause and praise.

Firsts are always special. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India its first-ever medal at the Tokyo 2020, by securing a silver in the 49kg category. It was the start of something special for Team India, who went on to end with as many as seven medals to return their best-ever showing at an Olympics.

Firsts are always special. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India its first-ever medal at the Tokyo 2020, by securing a silver in the 49kg category. It was the start of something special for Team India, who went on to end with as many as seven medals to return their best-ever showing at an Olympics. Thus, she fulfilled her family’s and her dreams. She also made her entire team, which was beside her at all times and had worked tirelessly to ensure her a podium-finish, extremely proud. Vijay Sharma, Mirabai's and India's national weightlifting coach, was also beaming with pride seeing his protégé stand on the podium as she also fulfilled his long-standing and unfulfilled desire. For the unversed, Vijay joined as the national coach in 2012. However, the first chapter of his journey as an athlete was penned down long back. The man from Modinagar, near Meerut, didn't have a glittering resume but won as many as seven medals -- including a gold -- at the national championship. However, an Olympic medal eluded his cabinet before Mirabai scripted history. Thus, while Vijay cannot brag of an Olympic medal as an athlete, he is now living his dream in through her success. WION News' Aditya Sahay got chance to interact with Vijay Sharma as the veteran coach shared his journey with Mirabai, the hardships and sacrifices seen together and future of weightlifting in India. Here are the excerpts: Q) Being a former athlete, how did you feel when Mirabai Chanu secured silver at Tokyo 2020? What was the initial feeling? Being an athlete and now a coach, it was such a moment that cannot be described. If you are not able to do something in life, you hope and expect that is achieved by your child. These athletes are my children only. So I cannot really put this in words as to what and how I actually felt. After Rio 2016 and the Tokyo Olympics being pushed by a year due to Covid-19, the wait was a long one but eventually turned out to be worthwhile. Q) Surely, the process must've been tough. Over the years, you're believed to have made sure the relationship between athletes-coach remained solid and the diet and overall fitness weren't compromised at any cost. What was your initial plans when you stepped up as the national weightlifting coach in 2012? During my stint as an athlete, staying in national camp from 1993-2000, I gave plenty of trails and failed many a times. Back then, I realised what all are essential for any player in his, or her, journey. That phase taught me many things. Thus, I started with a lot of changes as a state coach in 2001. I tried and tested a lot of things in my initial days. We won the state junior championship on three successive occasions, which propelled the federation to invite us and work with the national team. Since joining the national team, I realised the same issues are still existing in the federation in terms of training regime, diet plans, fitness etc. Slowly and steadily, I started seeing the changes and understood the progress is now happening. My personal experience taught me a lot. Earlier the culture and concept was that running fitness isn't that important in weightlifting. It took time but I tried to inculcate such changes and look after the overall fitness in every aspect. Back in action! #missionparis2024 pic.twitter.com/0D5ZVMMN0k — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 25, 2021 × I worked on athletes' diet plans, fitness and to build a trust and communication with the players. You need to sit and spend time with them, on and off the field. Only then will they respond and work with you in a desired manner. See, national champions won't listen to you at once. He, or she, will feel they are already very good so one needs to win their trust so that the communication and respect is intact. After all this was formed, we started marching ahead in big events and the confidence and momentum just kept on building continuously. Q) What were the hardships Mirabai-Vijay Sharma and team went through over the years, enroute Tokyo silver? I've worked a lot with these players. All of them, not only Mirabai, have sacrificed a lot. Mira was contemplating quitting the game, especially after what transpired in Rio 2016. The following 2-3 months was very tough to motivate and force her way back. After her record win in 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG), her back injury forced us to stay in Mumbai for long for medical treatment so that was another big jolt coming our way. To top it all, Mira didn't even attend her own sister's wedding. From Rio 2016 onwards, she must've visited her hometown for only 12-14 days maximum. Even I haven't met my close friends for years. You don't get to visit families on occasions and festivities, which doesn't come out in the open but is tough for every athlete. Thank you my coach Vijay Sharma sir and team for all the hardwork. pic.twitter.com/CwBfqOJBws — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) July 24, 2021 × Q) Is it true that you missed out on several family gatherings and festivities over the years. How tough was it and how did your family support you? I continued to play at the national level even after marriage. So every new member of the family knew that my life isn't the same. However, my family has always supported me wholeheartedly. No one can move an inch ahead or succeed in their field sans family support. I've my home in Ghaziabad. It isn't very far from the camp (in Patiala). But I never travelled back home. I wasn't home even for Karwa Chauth or any other festival to follow the same rules which were applicable to the athletes. It didn't feel right to visit my family when my children (i.e. the athletes) remain in the camp. One needs to set the example and abide by it for others to follow suit. These are my children. Any birthday or festival, we get together and celebrate as much as we can....so that we can treat each other as a family away from home. Q) Is it easy when the coach has also won medals, like you have, and represented the nation? Does the method become slightly easier? Depends on the inner soul. There were many good or great players with me during my national camp days. I wasn't the best, but that doesn't mean a good athlete will be a good coach. It all depends on how your mind is reacting and how confident you are from within. Q) In India, we shower athletes with praises when they succeed and criticise them sharply when they're down. Do you feel the attention given, though much-deserved, becomes a bit too much afterwards? Should the focus, instead, remain on the road ahead? If we compare ourselves with China, we are still far behind in terms of the overall inclination we've for weightlifting. To date, parents are reluctant to invest their ward's career in other diverse fields. The government is doing its part and even the media isn't wrong here. The thought process of the common citizens have to change and not just think about the medal-winners for 2-4 months but emphasise for a longer period. Hence, a chain will be formed where we will get a lot more talent for every sport. There is no dearth of talent in India for any field. If sports culture widens nationwide, it will help our country to develop further as well. Q) Paralympics athletes have crossed double figures in the medal tally as we speak. Do you think time is ripe for India to invest heavily on athletics and various other field events, and not remain a cricket-centric country? Yes, last time also they'd (para-athletes) inspired us. They showed us the way after our Rio 2016 campaign too when we felt down. They always show us to never give up. They have their shortcomings but still don't know how to go down without giving a serious fight. Hence, what is stopping us? This time around too, they're winning hearts all over. Also, the government needs to be credited for their efforts and involvement. I've never seen such amount of help from any government. Once, we were sent to the USA in a day after all the arrangements were put in place. Thus, hopefully in the next Olympics we will return back with 25 medals. Honoured to meet and interact with our Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi sir. pic.twitter.com/nUj1cnk33S — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 16, 2021 × Q) Apart from Mira, whose performance has impressed you the most? You can even mention among the lot that won hearts but no medals. Mira was impressive. We all believed she will return with a medal and she proved us right. She lived upto expectations. Among others in individual sports, Neeraj Chopra was superb. I didn't expect that from him but he left me completely stunned. On the other hand, the women's hockey -- infact the entire hockey contingent -- and their performance was praise worthy, to say the least. From moving to the fourth spot after ending last in Rio 2016, Rani Rampal & Co. deserve all the applause and praise.

EXCLUSIVE | Dark clouds of struggle have a 'silver' lining for Mirabai Chanu's coach Vijay Sharma

Indian men`s hockey team forward Gurjant Singh said that the team will start training from next month as the team has a busy year ahead due to Commonwealth and Asian Games.

The Indian hockey men and women hockey players from Punjab received a rousing welcome at Amritsar on Wednesday.

"We`ll start training from next month. We have a busy year ahead due to Commonwealth and Asian Games. Confidence of team is high," said men`s hockey team player Gurjant Singh while speaking to ANI.

Gurpreet Singh Khaira, District Collector, Amritsar, said, "This is a matter of pride for us that our team has won the bronze medal after 40 years. We will take them to the Golden Temple then we will escort them home. This is a small gesture from us. They all deserve it."

Gujrant Singh`s uncle said, "Many people are dancing in happiness for their return. Everyone`s ready to welcome them."The Indian men`s hockey team, which ended a 41-year medal drought by clinching a bronze medal in Tokyo, rose to 3rd in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World Rankings, behind Belgium and Australia, respectively.

Before this feat, the Manpreet Singh-led side`s career-high ranking was No.4, which they achieved in March 2020 on the back of their scintillating performances in the first three rounds of the second edition of FIH Hockey Pro League 2020.

Manpreet and Co. finished second in Pool A winning four out of five group phase matches and defeated Great Britain 3-1 in Quarter-Final before losing 5-2 against Belgium in their historic Semi-Final.

However, they staged a remarkable comeback to grab a 5-4 win over Germany to clinch a historic Bronze medal at Olympic Games and as result climbed up to their best-ever world ranking.

Indian men`s hockey team forward Gurjant Singh said that the team will start training from next month as the team has a busy year ahead due to Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Indian men`s hockey team forward Gurjant Singh said that the team will start training from next month as the team has a busy year ahead due to Commonwealth and Asian Games. The Indian hockey men and women hockey players from Punjab received a rousing welcome at Amritsar on Wednesday. "We`ll start training from next month. We have a busy year ahead due to Commonwealth and Asian Games. Confidence of team is high," said men`s hockey team player Gurjant Singh while speaking to ANI. Gurpreet Singh Khaira, District Collector, Amritsar, said, "This is a matter of pride for us that our team has won the bronze medal after 40 years. We will take them to the Golden Temple then we will escort them home. This is a small gesture from us. They all deserve it." Gujrant Singh`s uncle said, "Many people are dancing in happiness for their return. Everyone`s ready to welcome them."The Indian men`s hockey team, which ended a 41-year medal drought by clinching a bronze medal in Tokyo, rose to 3rd in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World Rankings, behind Belgium and Australia, respectively. Before this feat, the Manpreet Singh-led side`s career-high ranking was No.4, which they achieved in March 2020 on the back of their scintillating performances in the first three rounds of the second edition of FIH Hockey Pro League 2020. Manpreet and Co. finished second in Pool A winning four out of five group phase matches and defeated Great Britain 3-1 in Quarter-Final before losing 5-2 against Belgium in their historic Semi-Final. However, they staged a remarkable comeback to grab a 5-4 win over Germany to clinch a historic Bronze medal at Olympic Games and as result climbed up to their best-ever world ranking.

Team to start training next month for Commonwealth, Asian Games: Hockey player Gurjant Singh

Indian men's hockey team has&nbsp;ended their 41-year wait to win a medal in the Olympics after they defeated Germany and won a bronze medal. The Men in Blue held their nerve to win a thrilling match and beat the Germans 5-4 at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Thursday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-india-end-41-year-medal-wait-in-mens-hockey-as-they-win-bronze-402994" hreflang="en">Tokyo 2020: India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze</a>

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team on scripting history and winning India the first medal in men's hockey since 1980. He tweeted: "Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian. Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team."

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Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian. 
 
Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team. 🏑
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1423122624679268355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Indian President Ram Nath Kovind also took to Twitter and wrote: "Congratulations to our men's hockey team for winning an Olympic Medal in hockey after 41 years. The team showed exceptional skills, resilience &amp; determination to win. This historic victory will start a new era in hockey and will inspire the youth to take up and excel in the sport."

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Congratulations to our men's hockey team for winning an Olympic Medal in hockey after 41 years. The team showed exceptional skills, resilience &amp; determination to win. This historic victory will start a new era in hockey and will inspire the youth to take up and excel in the sport
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1423125026576879620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Here are some of the politicians who also congratulated the Indian team on a historic win.&nbsp;

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Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>🇮🇳. 
 
A moment of immense pride and joy for every Indian that our Men’s Hockey Team has won the Bronze Medal at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a>. You have made the entire nation proud. <a href="https://t.co/Nl9LIujhVR">pic.twitter.com/Nl9LIujhVR</a>
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1423126310482812928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Brilliant in Blue 👏 
Congratulations Indian Men’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> Team on the spectacular victory to give us an Olympic medal after 41 long years. This historic win at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> will inspire generation of sportspersons. All the very best for future. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thehockeyindia</a>
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/Naveen_Odisha/status/1423127060076138498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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After 41 years wait..! 
A golden moment for Indian Hockey and Indian Sports! Finally, long wait is over as India defeated Germany to win Hockey Men's Olympic Bronze medal at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> 
 
India in complete celebration mood! Congratulations to our Hockey players !! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a> 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/RmeGOnCpBn">pic.twitter.com/RmeGOnCpBn</a>
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju/status/1423121015253585920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Many sports icons took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian hockey team.&nbsp;

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Chak De Fattey ! Burraaah 
A landmark day for <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> 
After being down 3-1, INDIA fights back to win the bronze medal match 5-3, a first Olympic medal in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> after 40 years. Mazaa aa gaya <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsGer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndvsGer</a> <a href="https://t.co/0T3ssVPnRG">pic.twitter.com/0T3ssVPnRG</a>
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1423122200236683266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations 🇮🇳 . Bronze in Hockey after 41 yrs . What a game. Proud of Indian Hockey. <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/JkJVZYWNp3">pic.twitter.com/JkJVZYWNp3</a>
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh/status/1423123385869955080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Many Bollywood superstars also congratulated the Indian team.&nbsp;

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Wow!! Indian Men’s Hockey Team Congratulations. Resilience and skill at its peak. What an exciting match.
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/1423124431275102217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations Team India on rewriting history! An Olympic medal after 41 years! What a match, what a comeback! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/3mdym3Cupa">pic.twitter.com/3mdym3Cupa</a>
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/1423127461185736709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian men's hockey team has ended their 41-year wait to win a medal in the Olympics after they defeated Germany and won a bronze medal. The Men in Blue held their nerve to win a thrilling match and beat the Germans 5-4 at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Thursday.

Indian men's hockey team has ended their 41-year wait to win a medal in the Olympics after they defeated Germany and won a bronze medal. The Men in Blue held their nerve to win a thrilling match and beat the Germans 5-4 at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Thursday. ALSO READ: Tokyo 2020: India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team on scripting history and winning India the first medal in men's hockey since 1980. He tweeted: "Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian. Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team." Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian. Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team. 🏑 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 5, 2021 × Indian President Ram Nath Kovind also took to Twitter and wrote: "Congratulations to our men's hockey team for winning an Olympic Medal in hockey after 41 years. The team showed exceptional skills, resilience & determination to win. This historic victory will start a new era in hockey and will inspire the youth to take up and excel in the sport." Congratulations to our men's hockey team for winning an Olympic Medal in hockey after 41 years. The team showed exceptional skills, resilience & determination to win. This historic victory will start a new era in hockey and will inspire the youth to take up and excel in the sport — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 5, 2021 × Here are some of the politicians who also congratulated the Indian team on a historic win. Congratulations #TeamIndia🇮🇳. A moment of immense pride and joy for every Indian that our Men’s Hockey Team has won the Bronze Medal at #Tokyo2020. You have made the entire nation proud. pic.twitter.com/Nl9LIujhVR — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 5, 2021 × Brilliant in Blue 👏 Congratulations Indian Men’s #Hockey Team on the spectacular victory to give us an Olympic medal after 41 long years. This historic win at #Tokyo2020 will inspire generation of sportspersons. All the very best for future. #Cheer4India @thehockeyindia — Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 5, 2021 × After 41 years wait..! A golden moment for Indian Hockey and Indian Sports! Finally, long wait is over as India defeated Germany to win Hockey Men's Olympic Bronze medal at #Tokyo2020 India in complete celebration mood! Congratulations to our Hockey players !! #Cheer4India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/RmeGOnCpBn — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 5, 2021 × Many sports icons took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian hockey team. Chak De Fattey ! Burraaah A landmark day for @TheHockeyIndia After being down 3-1, INDIA fights back to win the bronze medal match 5-3, a first Olympic medal in #Hockey after 40 years. Mazaa aa gaya #IndvsGer pic.twitter.com/0T3ssVPnRG — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 5, 2021 × Congratulations 🇮🇳 . Bronze in Hockey after 41 yrs . What a game. Proud of Indian Hockey. @TheHockeyIndia @Olympics pic.twitter.com/JkJVZYWNp3 — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) August 5, 2021 × Many Bollywood superstars also congratulated the Indian team. Wow!! Indian Men’s Hockey Team Congratulations. Resilience and skill at its peak. What an exciting match. — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 5, 2021 × Congratulations Team India on rewriting history! An Olympic medal after 41 years! What a match, what a comeback! #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/3mdym3Cupa — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) August 5, 2021 ×

From PM Modi to Akshay Kumar: Congratulations pour in after India's historic win in hockey at Tokyo Olympics

With a medal at Tokyo Olympics: Re-live the 'Glory Days' of Indian men's hockey

Indian men's hockey team staged a stunning comeback against Germany to win a medal for India for the first time since 1980. The Men in Blue were quick to concede the first goal after Germany's Timur Oruz scored in the opening 2 minutes.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-ravi-kumar-dahiya-vs-zavur-uguev-finals-bout-402981" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020, Live Streaming: When and where to watch Ravi Kumar Dahiya&nbsp;vs&nbsp;Zavur Uguev finals bout?</a>

But, India's Simranjeet scored a stunning equaliser in the second quarter. However, defensive errors helped Germany to score two more goals and taking the scoreline to 3-1. But, the goals triggered the Indian team to change their game from defence to offence, and with help of penalty corners, Hardik Singh and Harmanpreet Singh found the back of the net.&nbsp;

In the third quarter, India was too good for the Germans as Rupinder Pal Singh scored from a penalty stroke and Gurjant's perfect assist helped Simranjeet score the fifth goal for India in the match. India were up by 5-3 by the end of the third quarter.&nbsp;

Germans looked in control in the first half of the fourth quarter as they scored their fourth goal. But the Indian men held their nerves to win a medal and end a 41-year wait.&nbsp;

Indian men's hockey team staged a stunning comeback against Germany to win a medal for India for the first time since 1980. The Men in Blue were quick to concede the first goal after Germany's Timur Oruz scored in the opening 2 minutes.

Indian men's hockey team staged a stunning comeback against Germany to win a medal for India for the first time since 1980. The Men in Blue were quick to concede the first goal after Germany's Timur Oruz scored in the opening 2 minutes. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020, Live Streaming: When and where to watch Ravi Kumar Dahiya vs Zavur Uguev finals bout? But, India's Simranjeet scored a stunning equaliser in the second quarter. However, defensive errors helped Germany to score two more goals and taking the scoreline to 3-1. But, the goals triggered the Indian team to change their game from defence to offence, and with help of penalty corners, Hardik Singh and Harmanpreet Singh found the back of the net. In the third quarter, India was too good for the Germans as Rupinder Pal Singh scored from a penalty stroke and Gurjant's perfect assist helped Simranjeet score the fifth goal for India in the match. India were up by 5-3 by the end of the third quarter. Germans looked in control in the first half of the fourth quarter as they scored their fourth goal. But the Indian men held their nerves to win a medal and end a 41-year wait.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh&nbsp;and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh,&nbsp;along with the team's coach&nbsp;Graham Reid.

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/with-a-medal-at-tokyo-olympics-re-live-the-glory-days-of-indian-mens-hockey-dhyan-chand-403033" hreflang="en">With a medal at Tokyo Olympics: Re-live the 'Glory Days' of Indian men's hockey</a>

The Indian hockey coach said he had told the team to dare to dream, adding, "you have to be prepared to lose in order to win."

India's "wall" Sreejesh, who belongs to Kerala,&nbsp;said hockey can be developed in his state while asserting that he was "seriously proud" of his achievements.

Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tokyo-games-indian-mens-hockey-team-defeats-germany-to-win-bronze-medal-403100/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I am speechless, it was a great team effort," the star Indian goalkeeper said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> | "The team didn't take much time to bounceback. They were focussed. This is the answer to everyone who questioned us in 2012", says Indian Hockey Team Goalkeeper <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/DiggySinghDeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DiggySinghDeo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/reidgj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reidgj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianHockeyTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianHockeyTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/PEFUdJdTwh">pic.twitter.com/PEFUdJdTwh</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1423194039495499776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Describing his emotions as India were declared winners against Germany&nbsp;in the bronze medal match, Indian captain Manpreet,&nbsp;29, said the team was overjoyed calling it an "outstanding" performance.

The Indian captain said the players and the coach had tears of joy after the&nbsp;victory, India's first hockey Olympics medal in 41 years.

"He was just trying to be strong, saying I am not crying but actually he was crying," the Indian captain said jokingly referring to the coach.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-india-end-41-year-medal-wait-in-mens-hockey-as-they-win-bronze-402994">Read:&nbsp;India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze</a>

"It was very testy on the field today which probably led to the emotions," the Australian admitted while adding that the "Olympics is special".

"It gets in your blood and in your heart and when you mix those two together then you get what you saw today."

"The last 15 months haven't been easy for the team including the whole world which also plays a fairly big role," the Indian team's coach said.

"We haven't seen our families for a very long time and missed little things like seeing my daughter, including missing birthdays and weddings which has been sacrificed for the greater good," the coach said.

"It makes it easier when things like this happen," the coach said haling India's victory.

Goalkeeper Sreejesh reflected on India's missed opportunities earlier, but said this time, the team had the confidence to win a medal.

Sreejesh said even though India didn't play well against Australia, the quality of the team stood out.

"We bounced back, played really well although we lost in the semi-final but the team spirit came through in the end," the Olympic bronze medallist said.

"The team did not take too much time to bounce back, they focused on their task. In today's match as well, we went down but due to our bonding, confidence and trust between each other, it helped us to get back," he said.

"We just snatched the match from the Germans," the Indian goalkeeper said proudly.

"This is the answer to everyone's questions, those who asked us questions earlier, this is it," he said. "Just wait, do the things and results will follow," Sreejesh said while taking a swipe at the detractors.

"We didn't get a medal in a long time so we created history. I think it will be good for the upcoming players who can now say they too want to win a medal just like this team and they can win too and create history again," India's captain said.

The Indian captain said it is a big win for the game and the Indian fans.

The match was a cliffhanger in the end as&nbsp;Germany was given a penalty corner with just seconds to go for the match to end, however, the Indian coach informed that there were about 29 seconds to go since the officials hadn't switched the clock back on after the timeout and so the clock stayed at 29.6 seconds for a period of time

"It was certainly more than 6.5 seconds, I was a little bit distracted trying to get the bench to switch the clock back on and to go back and check how much time was added on but we have a great penalty corner defence unit."

"I knew they would all be fighting for their lives to keep the ball out of the net and sure enough they did it," the coach said with relief.

The Indian captain excitedly informed that India's goalkeeper will be in charge of the celebrations tonight and will organise everything.&nbsp;

"Coach&nbsp;will do the snake dance today," the Indian goalkeeper said.

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, along with the team's coach Graham Reid.

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, along with the team's coach Graham Reid. IN PICS| With a medal at Tokyo Olympics: Re-live the 'Glory Days' of Indian men's hockey The Indian hockey coach said he had told the team to dare to dream, adding, "you have to be prepared to lose in order to win." India's "wall" Sreejesh, who belongs to Kerala, said hockey can be developed in his state while asserting that he was "seriously proud" of his achievements. Watch: "I am speechless, it was a great team effort," the star Indian goalkeeper said. #EXCLUSIVE | "The team didn't take much time to bounceback. They were focussed. This is the answer to everyone who questioned us in 2012", says Indian Hockey Team Goalkeeper @16Sreejesh to @DiggySinghDeo @reidgj @manpreetpawar07 #Tokyo2020 #IndianHockeyTeam #Olympics pic.twitter.com/PEFUdJdTwh — WION (@WIONews) August 5, 2021 × Describing his emotions as India were declared winners against Germany in the bronze medal match, Indian captain Manpreet, 29, said the team was overjoyed calling it an "outstanding" performance. The Indian captain said the players and the coach had tears of joy after the victory, India's first hockey Olympics medal in 41 years. "He was just trying to be strong, saying I am not crying but actually he was crying," the Indian captain said jokingly referring to the coach. Read: India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze "It was very testy on the field today which probably led to the emotions," the Australian admitted while adding that the "Olympics is special". "It gets in your blood and in your heart and when you mix those two together then you get what you saw today." "The last 15 months haven't been easy for the team including the whole world which also plays a fairly big role," the Indian team's coach said. "We haven't seen our families for a very long time and missed little things like seeing my daughter, including missing birthdays and weddings which has been sacrificed for the greater good," the coach said. "It makes it easier when things like this happen," the coach said haling India's victory. Goalkeeper Sreejesh reflected on India's missed opportunities earlier, but said this time, the team had the confidence to win a medal. Sreejesh said even though India didn't play well against Australia, the quality of the team stood out. "We bounced back, played really well although we lost in the semi-final but the team spirit came through in the end," the Olympic bronze medallist said. "The team did not take too much time to bounce back, they focused on their task. In today's match as well, we went down but due to our bonding, confidence and trust between each other, it helped us to get back," he said. "We just snatched the match from the Germans," the Indian goalkeeper said proudly. "This is the answer to everyone's questions, those who asked us questions earlier, this is it," he said. "Just wait, do the things and results will follow," Sreejesh said while taking a swipe at the detractors. "We didn't get a medal in a long time so we created history. I think it will be good for the upcoming players who can now say they too want to win a medal just like this team and they can win too and create history again," India's captain said. The Indian captain said it is a big win for the game and the Indian fans. The match was a cliffhanger in the end as Germany was given a penalty corner with just seconds to go for the match to end, however, the Indian coach informed that there were about 29 seconds to go since the officials hadn't switched the clock back on after the timeout and so the clock stayed at 29.6 seconds for a period of time "It was certainly more than 6.5 seconds, I was a little bit distracted trying to get the bench to switch the clock back on and to go back and check how much time was added on but we have a great penalty corner defence unit." "I knew they would all be fighting for their lives to keep the ball out of the net and sure enough they did it," the coach said with relief. The Indian captain excitedly informed that India's goalkeeper will be in charge of the celebrations tonight and will organise everything. "Coach will do the snake dance today," the Indian goalkeeper said.

EXCLUSIVE: We were questioned and laughed at in past, this is our answer, says Sreejesh after India win Olympic Hockey bronze - Watch

India celebrated as Indian women's hockey team defeated Australia on Monday and qualified for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics. And among the numerous celebratory tweets, it is a tweet by 'ex-coach' Kabir Khan aka Shah Rukh Khan that caught Indian coach Sjoerd Marijne's attention.&nbsp; 
 
Many drew comparisons between the nail biting quarter final that the two teams played with the climax sequence of Bollywood superhit 'Chak De! India'. Much like the film, where coach Kabir Khan (played by SRK) broke down as the Indian team defeated Australian team, on Monday, a clip of Marijne getting emotional at the team's win went viral on the internet.&nbsp; 
 
Calling it the 'real Chak De moment', the clip was shared far and wide on Twitter as fans in India celebrated the win.&nbsp; 
 
As Marijne shared a selfie with the team, he captioned it as, "Sorry family, I am coming again later'.&nbsp; 
 
SRK, a sports enthusiast, shared Marijne's tweet and gave a reference of 'Chak De! India' as he wrote, "Haan haan no problem. Just bring some Gold on your way back….for a billion family members. This time Dhanteras is also on 2nd Nov. From: Ex-coach Kabir Khan."&nbsp; 
 
Khan was referring to Dhanteras- a Hindu festival that falls right before Diwali where people typically mark the auspicious day by buying gold. Incidentally it falls this year on the actor's birthday.&nbsp;

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Haan haan no problem. Just bring some Gold on your way back….for a billion family members. This time Dhanteras is also on 2nd Nov. From: Ex-coach Kabir Khan. <a href="https://t.co/QcnqbtLVGX">https://t.co/QcnqbtLVGX</a>
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/1422120843816042502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Marijne responded to Khan's tweet as said, "Thank you for all the support and love. We will give everything again. From: The Real Coach." The coach added a winking emoji along with his tweet.&nbsp;

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Thank you for all the support and love. We will give everything again. 
From: The Real Coach. 😉 <a href="https://t.co/TpKTMuFLxt">https://t.co/TpKTMuFLxt</a>
— Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) <a href="https://twitter.com/SjoerdMarijne/status/1422124204988657664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

 
Team India will be playing against Argentina in the semi finals and we hope that much like the film, the team will able to bring a gold home.&nbsp;

India celebrated as Indian women's hockey team defeated Australia on Monday and qualified for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics. And among the numerous celebratory tweets, it is a tweet by 'ex-coach' Kabir Khan aka Shah Rukh Khan that caught Indian coach Sjoerd Marijne's attention.

India celebrated as Indian women's hockey team defeated Australia on Monday and qualified for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics. And among the numerous celebratory tweets, it is a tweet by 'ex-coach' Kabir Khan aka Shah Rukh Khan that caught Indian coach Sjoerd Marijne's attention. Many drew comparisons between the nail biting quarter final that the two teams played with the climax sequence of Bollywood superhit 'Chak De! India'. Much like the film, where coach Kabir Khan (played by SRK) broke down as the Indian team defeated Australian team, on Monday, a clip of Marijne getting emotional at the team's win went viral on the internet. Calling it the 'real Chak De moment', the clip was shared far and wide on Twitter as fans in India celebrated the win. As Marijne shared a selfie with the team, he captioned it as, "Sorry family, I am coming again later'. SRK, a sports enthusiast, shared Marijne's tweet and gave a reference of 'Chak De! India' as he wrote, "Haan haan no problem. Just bring some Gold on your way back….for a billion family members. This time Dhanteras is also on 2nd Nov. From: Ex-coach Kabir Khan." Khan was referring to Dhanteras- a Hindu festival that falls right before Diwali where people typically mark the auspicious day by buying gold. Incidentally it falls this year on the actor's birthday. Haan haan no problem. Just bring some Gold on your way back….for a billion family members. This time Dhanteras is also on 2nd Nov. From: Ex-coach Kabir Khan. https://t.co/QcnqbtLVGX — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 2, 2021 × Marijne responded to Khan's tweet as said, "Thank you for all the support and love. We will give everything again. From: The Real Coach." The coach added a winking emoji along with his tweet. Thank you for all the support and love. We will give everything again. From: The Real Coach. 😉 https://t.co/TpKTMuFLxt — Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) August 2, 2021 × Team India will be playing against Argentina in the semi finals and we hope that much like the film, the team will able to bring a gold home.

Indian women hockey's coach Sjoerd Marijne responds to 'ex coach' Shah Rukh Khan as team enters semi finals at the Olympics ​​​​​​​

With exactly one month to go for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Olympic fever is slowly engulfing the entire sporting world. While the Indian athletes carry out their high-octane practice sessions, it's time for the hockey fans relive the memories from the triumphant Olympic campaigns in the past through Hockey India's Flashback Series.&nbsp;

Former Indian Hockey Forward Gurdev Singh recalls the fond&nbsp;memories from the 1956 Olympics.

Gurdev Singh, who played an integral part in India's Gold Medal victory at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, reminisced playing alongside the great Balbir Singh Sr. The 87-year-old recounted that if Balbir Singh got into the D, he would definitely find the back of the net, "We played with five Forwards in that tournament. I scored 5 goals in the Olympics. We all used to practice a lot, but Balbir Singh Sr used to practice much more. Whenever he got into the D, he never missed the goal. He was a really good scorer."

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Former Indian Hockey Forward Gurdev Singh kicks off this campaign with his recollection of the 1956 Olympics. 
 
Read 👉 <a href="https://t.co/B5EToFpl2C">https://t.co/B5EToFpl2C</a> 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HaiTayyar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HaiTayyar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrongerTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyInvites?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyInvites</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreTeamIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WeAreTeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/SbtOXTOKl5">pic.twitter.com/SbtOXTOKl5</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1407606470154153986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The former India player added that during a non-Olympic match Balbir Singh Sr was in such good form that he scored every time he got the ball, "There was a match in which Balbir Singh got the ball four-five times and he converted each one of those chances into goals. Then he said, 'if you keep giving me the ball, then I'll keep scoring and keep playing for four-five years'.

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When asked about his memories from the Melbourne Games, Gurdev said, "It was a very happy moment for us. We won all the matches in the 1956 Olympics. This was only the second time that no team had scored against India in the entire Olympics campaign. Our Captain Balbir Singh Sr's finger was broken during the tournament, but he still played for the team. At that time, wherever the Indian Hockey Team went, it always won."

The former India Hockey Forward also spoke about roaming around in Melbourne during the Olympics, "Australia is a great country. During our free time, the entire team went around Melbourne and saw some sights."

Winning an Olympic Medal is a huge achievement for any sportsperson, but the Indian team didn't receive a big reception once they arrived in India. With great pride, Gurdev said that it was normal for India to win a Gold in hockey in those days.

"When we came back from Melbourne with the Gold Medal, there were only three-four persons to receive us at the airport. Everyone expected us to win as it was quite normal for us to win Gold Medals in the Olympics," signed off Gurdev."

With exactly one month to go for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Olympic fever is slowly engulfing the entire sporting world. While the Indian athletes carry out their high-octane practice sessions, it's time for the hockey fans relive the memories from the triumphant Olympic campaigns in the past through Hockey India's Flashback Series.

With exactly one month to go for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Olympic fever is slowly engulfing the entire sporting world. While the Indian athletes carry out their high-octane practice sessions, it's time for the hockey fans relive the memories from the triumphant Olympic campaigns in the past through Hockey India's Flashback Series. Former Indian Hockey Forward Gurdev Singh recalls the fond memories from the 1956 Olympics. Gurdev Singh, who played an integral part in India's Gold Medal victory at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, reminisced playing alongside the great Balbir Singh Sr. The 87-year-old recounted that if Balbir Singh got into the D, he would definitely find the back of the net, "We played with five Forwards in that tournament. I scored 5 goals in the Olympics. We all used to practice a lot, but Balbir Singh Sr used to practice much more. Whenever he got into the D, he never missed the goal. He was a really good scorer." Former Indian Hockey Forward Gurdev Singh kicks off this campaign with his recollection of the 1956 Olympics. Read 👉 https://t.co/B5EToFpl2C #IndiaKaGame #HaiTayyar #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey @FIH_Hockey @Olympics @WeAreTeamIndia pic.twitter.com/SbtOXTOKl5 — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 23, 2021 × The former India player added that during a non-Olympic match Balbir Singh Sr was in such good form that he scored every time he got the ball, "There was a match in which Balbir Singh got the ball four-five times and he converted each one of those chances into goals. Then he said, 'if you keep giving me the ball, then I'll keep scoring and keep playing for four-five years'. ALSO READ: Olympics-Tokyo 2020 organisers ban alcohol, defend allowing spectators When asked about his memories from the Melbourne Games, Gurdev said, "It was a very happy moment for us. We won all the matches in the 1956 Olympics. This was only the second time that no team had scored against India in the entire Olympics campaign. Our Captain Balbir Singh Sr's finger was broken during the tournament, but he still played for the team. At that time, wherever the Indian Hockey Team went, it always won." The former India Hockey Forward also spoke about roaming around in Melbourne during the Olympics, "Australia is a great country. During our free time, the entire team went around Melbourne and saw some sights." Winning an Olympic Medal is a huge achievement for any sportsperson, but the Indian team didn't receive a big reception once they arrived in India. With great pride, Gurdev said that it was normal for India to win a Gold in hockey in those days. "When we came back from Melbourne with the Gold Medal, there were only three-four persons to receive us at the airport. Everyone expected us to win as it was quite normal for us to win Gold Medals in the Olympics," signed off Gurdev."

Former Indian hockey forward Gurdev Singh recounts playing with Balbir Singh Sr in 1956 Olympics

Indian Men's Hockey Team's defender Surender Kumar, who has played 135 matches for the national side, feels fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid show on their recent successful tours to Europe and Argentina.

"I feel fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid performance on both the tours. I don't think we would have had a successful outing in Argentina and Europe if our fitness level were not up to the mark," said Surender.

He further added, "When your fitness level is up to the mark, you automatically perform well on the field. You know, when you are away from the competition for such a long time, it becomes difficult to maintain such fitness levels. Hence, to keep our fitness level on track, we also gave importance to our physical strength at the camp, apart from technical aspects of the game."

The World No. 5 side, who pitted against the Olympic Champions Argentina registered 2-2 (3-2 SO), 3-0 wins in their Hockey Pro League tie and secured 4-3, 4-4, 0-1 and 4-2 results in their practice matches. Speaking about the team's performance against the hosts Argentina, the 27-year-old defender said that the team focused on keeping things simple and played to their strengths without doing anything extra.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ck-vineeth-steps-up-once-again-to-help-during-indias-hour-of-need-383298" hreflang="en">CK Vineeth steps up once again to help during India's hour of need</a>

"It's not that easy to compete in a high-level competition after almost a year, especially against a strong team like Argentina, who had more international exposure than us. We focused on keeping things simple and played to our strengths, without doing anything extra, and I feel it worked out for us on the tour. And, would like to continue doing it in the Olympics as well. So, yeah, it was a good tour considering the fact that we defeated the Olympic Champions on their home soil as well as we got a great exposure before heading into the Olympics," said Surender.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Karnal-born player, who is with the Core Group at SAI, Bengaluru further highlighted that the team is working on improving their fitness level. "We are working on improving our fitness level as it has been one of the key elements for us. As I said, if you want to put up a good show on the field, you need to have that fitness level," said the experienced defender.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/my-team-to-win-league-next-year-rio-ferdinand-believes-this-team-will-win-the-premier-league-next-year-383276" hreflang="en">'My team to win league next year': Rio Ferdinand believes this team will win the Premier League next year</a>

With the marquee event Olympic Games just around the corner, Surender also emphasised that the team is taking one day at a time, and this approach has helped the team excel on their recent tours.

"We are taking it one day at a time, and this approach has also helped us excel on our recent tours. I think it will help us in the Olympics as well. For now, we are just focusing on our training and working hard to improve our levels each and every day," he concluded.

Indian Men's Hockey Team's defender Surender Kumar, who has played 135 matches for the national side, feels fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid show on their recent successful tours to Europe and Argentina.

Indian Men's Hockey Team's defender Surender Kumar, who has played 135 matches for the national side, feels fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid show on their recent successful tours to Europe and Argentina. "I feel fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid performance on both the tours. I don't think we would have had a successful outing in Argentina and Europe if our fitness level were not up to the mark," said Surender. He further added, "When your fitness level is up to the mark, you automatically perform well on the field. You know, when you are away from the competition for such a long time, it becomes difficult to maintain such fitness levels. Hence, to keep our fitness level on track, we also gave importance to our physical strength at the camp, apart from technical aspects of the game." The World No. 5 side, who pitted against the Olympic Champions Argentina registered 2-2 (3-2 SO), 3-0 wins in their Hockey Pro League tie and secured 4-3, 4-4, 0-1 and 4-2 results in their practice matches. Speaking about the team's performance against the hosts Argentina, the 27-year-old defender said that the team focused on keeping things simple and played to their strengths without doing anything extra. ALSO READ: CK Vineeth steps up once again to help during India's hour of need "It's not that easy to compete in a high-level competition after almost a year, especially against a strong team like Argentina, who had more international exposure than us. We focused on keeping things simple and played to our strengths, without doing anything extra, and I feel it worked out for us on the tour. And, would like to continue doing it in the Olympics as well. So, yeah, it was a good tour considering the fact that we defeated the Olympic Champions on their home soil as well as we got a great exposure before heading into the Olympics," said Surender. The Karnal-born player, who is with the Core Group at SAI, Bengaluru further highlighted that the team is working on improving their fitness level. "We are working on improving our fitness level as it has been one of the key elements for us. As I said, if you want to put up a good show on the field, you need to have that fitness level," said the experienced defender. ALSO READ: 'My team to win league next year': Rio Ferdinand believes this team will win the Premier League next year With the marquee event Olympic Games just around the corner, Surender also emphasised that the team is taking one day at a time, and this approach has helped the team excel on their recent tours. "We are taking it one day at a time, and this approach has also helped us excel on our recent tours. I think it will help us in the Olympics as well. For now, we are just focusing on our training and working hard to improve our levels each and every day," he concluded.

'Fitness one of the key elements for team,' says Indian Men's Hockey defender Surender Kumar

The Indian Men's Hockey Team&nbsp;Forward Mandeep Singh, who scored a goal in India's 3-0 victory over Argentina in their second FIH Hockey Pro League match earlier in May, expressed that the side's brilliant performance against the Olympic Gold Medallists is a huge confidence booster for the national side. The Indian team won the first FIH Hockey Pro League match against Argentina via penalty shootout (3-2) and further defeated Argentina in two out of their four practice matches on the tour, which was held from April 6 to April 14.

"Putting up a great performance against the Olympic Gold Medallists is certainly a huge confidence booster for us. We played very well against Germany and Great Britain as well and it was great to back that up with a brilliant tour of Argentina. We have attained a great rhythm in our last two tours, and we are currently working on a few aspects that we could have done better in our recent matches," said the Forward.

Mandeep added that the team's coordination on the field during their tours of Argentina and Europe was a huge plus point for the team.

"When a team plays matches after a long break, a team could lose its coordination. However, it was great to see how we all found our coordination quickly and gelled very well as a team when we played each of our matches this year. The team is shaping up really well at the moment. We just have to keep focussing on the basics and keeping moving forward with each practice session," said the 26-year-old.

The Forward further added that the Indian team's sole focus at the moment is the Olympics, and that the side is on track to create history in the quadrennial event.

"Our sole focus is the Olympics and I think we are totally on track to put up a great performance in the quadrennial event later this year. We are very fortunate to be training for the Olympics in a safe and secure environment at the SAI campus in Bengaluru during a very difficult time for our country. We are thankful for the tremendous efforts put in by Hockey India and SAI in the last one year. We couldn't have continued to practice for the Olympics without their invaluable support," signed off Mandeep.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team Forward Mandeep Singh, who scored a goal in India's 3-0 victory over Argentina in their second FIH Hockey Pro League match earlier in May, expressed that the side's brilliant performance against the Olympic Gold Medallists is a huge confidence booster for the national side.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team Forward Mandeep Singh, who scored a goal in India's 3-0 victory over Argentina in their second FIH Hockey Pro League match earlier in May, expressed that the side's brilliant performance against the Olympic Gold Medallists is a huge confidence booster for the national side. The Indian team won the first FIH Hockey Pro League match against Argentina via penalty shootout (3-2) and further defeated Argentina in two out of their four practice matches on the tour, which was held from April 6 to April 14. "Putting up a great performance against the Olympic Gold Medallists is certainly a huge confidence booster for us. We played very well against Germany and Great Britain as well and it was great to back that up with a brilliant tour of Argentina. We have attained a great rhythm in our last two tours, and we are currently working on a few aspects that we could have done better in our recent matches," said the Forward. Mandeep added that the team's coordination on the field during their tours of Argentina and Europe was a huge plus point for the team. "When a team plays matches after a long break, a team could lose its coordination. However, it was great to see how we all found our coordination quickly and gelled very well as a team when we played each of our matches this year. The team is shaping up really well at the moment. We just have to keep focussing on the basics and keeping moving forward with each practice session," said the 26-year-old. The Forward further added that the Indian team's sole focus at the moment is the Olympics, and that the side is on track to create history in the quadrennial event. "Our sole focus is the Olympics and I think we are totally on track to put up a great performance in the quadrennial event later this year. We are very fortunate to be training for the Olympics in a safe and secure environment at the SAI campus in Bengaluru during a very difficult time for our country. We are thankful for the tremendous efforts put in by Hockey India and SAI in the last one year. We couldn't have continued to practice for the Olympics without their invaluable support," signed off Mandeep.

'India's performance against Argentina is huge confidence booster,' says hockey forward Mandeep Singh

The COVID-19 pandemic ended up putting the entire sporting world to a screeching halt. While the year 2020 was supposed to be the busiest year when it comes to sports events, players, coaches and everyone associated with sports were confined to their respective homes as almost the entire world witnessed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the dreaded virus.&nbsp;

As dreams, aspirations and training regimes of sportspersons came to an unprecedented pause due to the pandemic, Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha continued training despite various challenges.&nbsp;

The Odisha centre, which is training girls in hockey, bolstered their facilities in a bid to include both indoor and outdoor training drills as well as technical skills development alongside a special emphasis on mental and nutrition training.&nbsp;

Former Netherlands hockey player, Floris Jan Bovelander helped the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in developing the program with everyone coming together to ensure safety protocols were met during tough times.

When asked how challenging was it to train youngsters and provide them with drills during the lockdown, Bovelander said that the rural areas in Odisha, with ample spaces, helped youngsters do some physical work at home while explaining the importance of physical exercises.

<img alt="Hockey 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8b4ae352-28c1-43ad-9016-8a2e1d1728d2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hockey%202.JPG" />

"It is important for everyone to do some physical work during the day. It not only has an impact on the body of youngsters but also for the elderly it is very important that they keep on doing physical exercises. But for the youngsters, yes definitely, it was a big shock to come into a lockdown. But what we gave the young players some physical exercises and some Hockey drills through videos by the local trainers and in the written form.

"Luckily, the girls and boys live in rural areas in Odisha so they have some space and room to do these exercises and drills at the playgrounds at home. The lockdown has definitely had a lot of impact, but to the players’ benefit, they could do some physical work at home," Bovelander told WION in an exclusive interview.

Bovelander further explained the importance of training effectively rather than spending long hours. Courtesy Bovelander, trainers from the Netherlands joined virtually and spend time with Indian trainers as they shared their knowledge about hockey.&nbsp;

<img alt="Hockey" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9582c420-b6a3-414f-a26b-34fa15f9b056" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hockey%201.JPG" />

"For me, Hockey is being together and playing together as well. Hockey is also about tactics, the game plan, and playing as a team. With a better understanding of Indian hockey, we have realized the importance of focusing on the tactics and giving the players more experience in competitive play – which are built into their training programs.

"Along with gameplay and physical fitness sessions – rest and recovery are equally important. As well as developing life skills and education. Indians tend to over train – and frankly, as compared to the Netherlands, the number&nbsp;of hours of training given to young athletes in India is very high. Better play fewer hours but these hours must be highly effective, with good passion and dedication. Good coaching for every level is essential.

"What I really liked is that we could connect to some girls and boys in rural areas via virtual modes of interactions. In the end, we managed to connect our trainers in the Netherlands with the trainers in these areas - which is kind of amazing that we have a connection between Holland and the rural areas of India," Bovelander added.

Bovelander praised infrastructure at the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha as he went through the challenges faced by everyone associated in the program during the lockdown.&nbsp;

"The good thing about the Naval Tata Hockey Academy is that the infrastructure at Kalinga stadium is designed such that the players can live in a bio bubble. Their hostel is next to the pitch and the have food prepared in the canteen, which is also within the Kalinga stadium and managed by the Tata’s so we can control the hygiene factor. So during the coronavirus period, the female players were allowed to come to Bhubaneshwar, get tested, and live in the bubble and play Hockey.

"The infrastructure in Bhubaneshwar is superb for these players we have selected. Training on the pitch and living in the stadium complex where the World Cup and all the international matches are played is very inspiring for them. You can see it their eyes and it reflects in their body language. Especially when they come here for the first time or when they are selected, they get really inspired and motivated by the infrastructure," the Olympic gold medallist said.

Young players often don't have the necessary knowledge about mental health and nutrition. As COVID-19 pandemic continues to teach humans a revamped way of living, Bovelander feels it was the perfect time to educate young athletes about the importance of nutrition and mental health.

"For our hockey program, we already have an experienced nutritionist and a mental trainer on board. The diet is prescribed by the nutritionist, after taking into consideration the individual needs based on regular health checkups and after observing the performance on the field. The nutritionist also conducts regular workshops with the cooks on the right kind of preparation needed to give required nutrition to the girls. She also conducts workshops for the girls to make them understand the importance of healthy eating habits," Neelam Babardesai – Head of Sports, Tata Trusts told WION.

"Just like we have a strength and conditioning expert - who is generally termed as a Physical trainer - one who is responsible to keep one's body fit and strong, we have a mental trainer who is responsible for the player’s mental wellbeing and improving their mental strength. Just as regular exercises and drills are required to be physically fit, it’s important to regularly do some mental exercises to improve mental strength. This is a practice which we have to inculcate from a young age. It may range from breathing techniques to yoga. We believe that if we regularly work on the mental training of the players to improve their confidence and make them more responsible for themselves, we will be able to extract better performances. A sports psychologist is generally only required at a later elite stage - when the athlete may have to address performance-related issues.

"The mental trainer conducts regular sessions with the girls in our academy to assess the personality of the children, map their fears and apprehensions and help them develop more confidence. Since our current trainer is well versed with the Odia language, it was easier for her to gain the trust and thus connect with them. With tutors helping the children to improve their learning levels, the trainer also counsels them on different career options, preparing them for a future beyond being a player," she added.

<img alt="Hockey" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3f6e1da8-0ad3-4d46-a4c3-5ec8734d056f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hockey%203.JPG" />

Setting up a programme and to carry it without a hitch amid a pandemic and lockdown has its own set of challenges.&nbsp;

"First and foremost is to find centres which have the basic infrastructure to run the programme – and then to collaborate with the local bodies to get permission to run the centres there. The centres also needed to be monitored, so the accessibility of these centres also needed to be looked at. The biggest challenge, however, is to find the right kind of coaches, locally, to teach in the programme and also to manage it. However strong a program we have, ultimately the children will improve their quality of play only if they get good coaches," Babardesai said.

"We were very clear that we wanted to give career opportunities to the erstwhile players from the region – who may or may not have played competitively – but really had a passion towards the sport. So having a strong coach development program was imperative to the success of the program. At times the local players did have the basic skills right, but the communication skills required to teach the children was what needed developing. Majority of the tribal people are very shy and soft-spoken, so we really had to work hard with them to get them to open up on the field. We also supported them with travel allowances in case they had to travel long distances to reach the centres," she added.

<img alt="Hockey" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ebd5942-f8d0-4df7-8614-02e4371f4fbf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hockey4.JPG" />

When asked about the risks of players picking up injuries after getting less or no physical exercise during the lockdown, Babardesai said that a full-time physiotherapist helped in cutting down the number of injuries by focusing on prevention of niggles.&nbsp;

"The full-time physiotherapist not only helps post injuries but also focusses on prevention of injuries – by ensuring that their bodies are strong and that form of the exercises is correct. Based on physical tests and fitness assessments, an exercise schedule is defined detailing the kind of exercises and the repetitions along with an emphasis on the right amount of recovery. Even during the course of the pandemic, when in-person training was not possible, the children followed their exercise schedules diligently, which helped prepare the bodies correctly to resume the training without any injuries. The right kind of diet was also maintained throughout which also worked in preventing injuries and helped them get back to play," she explained.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended up putting the entire sporting world to a screeching halt. While the year 2020 was supposed to be the busiest year when it comes to sports events, players, coaches and everyone associated with sports were confined to their respective homes as almost the entire world witnessed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the dreaded virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended up putting the entire sporting world to a screeching halt. While the year 2020 was supposed to be the busiest year when it comes to sports events, players, coaches and everyone associated with sports were confined to their respective homes as almost the entire world witnessed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the dreaded virus. As dreams, aspirations and training regimes of sportspersons came to an unprecedented pause due to the pandemic, Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha continued training despite various challenges. The Odisha centre, which is training girls in hockey, bolstered their facilities in a bid to include both indoor and outdoor training drills as well as technical skills development alongside a special emphasis on mental and nutrition training. Former Netherlands hockey player, Floris Jan Bovelander helped the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in developing the program with everyone coming together to ensure safety protocols were met during tough times. When asked how challenging was it to train youngsters and provide them with drills during the lockdown, Bovelander said that the rural areas in Odisha, with ample spaces, helped youngsters do some physical work at home while explaining the importance of physical exercises. "It is important for everyone to do some physical work during the day. It not only has an impact on the body of youngsters but also for the elderly it is very important that they keep on doing physical exercises. But for the youngsters, yes definitely, it was a big shock to come into a lockdown. But what we gave the young players some physical exercises and some Hockey drills through videos by the local trainers and in the written form. "Luckily, the girls and boys live in rural areas in Odisha so they have some space and room to do these exercises and drills at the playgrounds at home. The lockdown has definitely had a lot of impact, but to the players’ benefit, they could do some physical work at home," Bovelander told WION in an exclusive interview. Bovelander further explained the importance of training effectively rather than spending long hours. Courtesy Bovelander, trainers from the Netherlands joined virtually and spend time with Indian trainers as they shared their knowledge about hockey. "For me, Hockey is being together and playing together as well. Hockey is also about tactics, the game plan, and playing as a team. With a better understanding of Indian hockey, we have realized the importance of focusing on the tactics and giving the players more experience in competitive play – which are built into their training programs. "Along with gameplay and physical fitness sessions – rest and recovery are equally important. As well as developing life skills and education. Indians tend to over train – and frankly, as compared to the Netherlands, the number of hours of training given to young athletes in India is very high. Better play fewer hours but these hours must be highly effective, with good passion and dedication. Good coaching for every level is essential. "What I really liked is that we could connect to some girls and boys in rural areas via virtual modes of interactions. In the end, we managed to connect our trainers in the Netherlands with the trainers in these areas - which is kind of amazing that we have a connection between Holland and the rural areas of India," Bovelander added. Bovelander praised infrastructure at the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha as he went through the challenges faced by everyone associated in the program during the lockdown. "The good thing about the Naval Tata Hockey Academy is that the infrastructure at Kalinga stadium is designed such that the players can live in a bio bubble. Their hostel is next to the pitch and the have food prepared in the canteen, which is also within the Kalinga stadium and managed by the Tata’s so we can control the hygiene factor. So during the coronavirus period, the female players were allowed to come to Bhubaneshwar, get tested, and live in the bubble and play Hockey. "The infrastructure in Bhubaneshwar is superb for these players we have selected. Training on the pitch and living in the stadium complex where the World Cup and all the international matches are played is very inspiring for them. You can see it their eyes and it reflects in their body language. Especially when they come here for the first time or when they are selected, they get really inspired and motivated by the infrastructure," the Olympic gold medallist said. Young players often don't have the necessary knowledge about mental health and nutrition. As COVID-19 pandemic continues to teach humans a revamped way of living, Bovelander feels it was the perfect time to educate young athletes about the importance of nutrition and mental health. "For our hockey program, we already have an experienced nutritionist and a mental trainer on board. The diet is prescribed by the nutritionist, after taking into consideration the individual needs based on regular health checkups and after observing the performance on the field. The nutritionist also conducts regular workshops with the cooks on the right kind of preparation needed to give required nutrition to the girls. She also conducts workshops for the girls to make them understand the importance of healthy eating habits," Neelam Babardesai – Head of Sports, Tata Trusts told WION. "Just like we have a strength and conditioning expert - who is generally termed as a Physical trainer - one who is responsible to keep one's body fit and strong, we have a mental trainer who is responsible for the player’s mental wellbeing and improving their mental strength. Just as regular exercises and drills are required to be physically fit, it’s important to regularly do some mental exercises to improve mental strength. This is a practice which we have to inculcate from a young age. It may range from breathing techniques to yoga. We believe that if we regularly work on the mental training of the players to improve their confidence and make them more responsible for themselves, we will be able to extract better performances. A sports psychologist is generally only required at a later elite stage - when the athlete may have to address performance-related issues. "The mental trainer conducts regular sessions with the girls in our academy to assess the personality of the children, map their fears and apprehensions and help them develop more confidence. Since our current trainer is well versed with the Odia language, it was easier for her to gain the trust and thus connect with them. With tutors helping the children to improve their learning levels, the trainer also counsels them on different career options, preparing them for a future beyond being a player," she added. Setting up a programme and to carry it without a hitch amid a pandemic and lockdown has its own set of challenges. "First and foremost is to find centres which have the basic infrastructure to run the programme – and then to collaborate with the local bodies to get permission to run the centres there. The centres also needed to be monitored, so the accessibility of these centres also needed to be looked at. The biggest challenge, however, is to find the right kind of coaches, locally, to teach in the programme and also to manage it. However strong a program we have, ultimately the children will improve their quality of play only if they get good coaches," Babardesai said. "We were very clear that we wanted to give career opportunities to the erstwhile players from the region – who may or may not have played competitively – but really had a passion towards the sport. So having a strong coach development program was imperative to the success of the program. At times the local players did have the basic skills right, but the communication skills required to teach the children was what needed developing. Majority of the tribal people are very shy and soft-spoken, so we really had to work hard with them to get them to open up on the field. We also supported them with travel allowances in case they had to travel long distances to reach the centres," she added. When asked about the risks of players picking up injuries after getting less or no physical exercise during the lockdown, Babardesai said that a full-time physiotherapist helped in cutting down the number of injuries by focusing on prevention of niggles. "The full-time physiotherapist not only helps post injuries but also focusses on prevention of injuries – by ensuring that their bodies are strong and that form of the exercises is correct. Based on physical tests and fitness assessments, an exercise schedule is defined detailing the kind of exercises and the repetitions along with an emphasis on the right amount of recovery. Even during the course of the pandemic, when in-person training was not possible, the children followed their exercise schedules diligently, which helped prepare the bodies correctly to resume the training without any injuries. The right kind of diet was also maintained throughout which also worked in preventing injuries and helped them get back to play," she explained.

Floris Jan Bovelander: Trying to produce next-gen Indian hockey stars

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics came as a blow to fans of Indian hockey with the men's team starting the year brightly in the FIH pro league. The wait for an Olympic medal in hockey has been going on since 1980 but goalkeeper and former captain PR Sreejesh believes the initial disappointment has now been replaced by the belief that a further 15 months can help the team emerge as genuine medal contenders at the Tokyo games.

WION exclusive conversation with PR Sreejesh | Indian Hockey Goalkeeper | Lockdown

Manpreet Singh has become the first Indian to win the international hockey federation's player of the year award.

The captain of the Indian men's team won 35.2 per cent of the combined votes and beat Belgium's Arthur van Doren and Lucas Vila of Argentina to the coveted honour.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congratulations to 2019 FIH Player of the year (Men) - <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> 
 
Vote results: 
Manpreet Singh (IND) -35.2% of combined votes 
Arthur Van Doren (BEL) -19.7% of combined votes 
Lucas Vila (ARG) -11.7 % of combined votes 
 
Breakdown: <a href="https://t.co/xmsM0jS82C">https://t.co/xmsM0jS82C</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyStarsAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyStarsAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zvq3TiPzcg">pic.twitter.com/Zvq3TiPzcg</a>
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey/status/1227932345950445569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The 27-year-old Singh had a stellar year in 2019, he led the team to victory in the FIH series finals and subsequent Olympic qualifiers against Russia where India secured a spot at the Tokyo 2020 games.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
2019 FIH Player of the Year (Men) - Goes to... <a href="https://t.co/4kWFttbIVl">pic.twitter.com/4kWFttbIVl</a>
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey/status/1227926753957613568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Singh made his senior debut in 2011 and he has been a mainstay in the team since&nbsp;winning 263 international caps.

The midfielder was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian games.

<h6><img alt="Manpreet Singh | AFP" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4fb7d9aa-df06-484d-b302-ed7b23175540" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%287%29_26.jpg" /> 
Manpreet Singh | AFP</h6>

Singh- who was named captain in &nbsp;2017 has also represented the country at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

He will now turn his focus on this year's games where India will be looking to win their first medal since 1980.

Meanwhile, Eva de Goede of the Netherlands was awarded the women's prize for the second year in a row.

Manpreet Singh has become the first Indian to win the international hockey federation's player of the year award. The captain of the Indian men's team won 35.2 per cent of the combined votes and beat Belgium's Arthur van Doren and Lucas Vila of Argentina to the coveted honour.

Manpreet Singh has become the first Indian to win the international hockey federation's player of the year award. The captain of the Indian men's team won 35.2 per cent of the combined votes and beat Belgium's Arthur van Doren and Lucas Vila of Argentina to the coveted honour. Congratulations to 2019 FIH Player of the year (Men) - @manpreetpawar07 Vote results: Manpreet Singh (IND) -35.2% of combined votes Arthur Van Doren (BEL) -19.7% of combined votes Lucas Vila (ARG) -11.7 % of combined votes Breakdown: https://t.co/xmsM0jS82C#HockeyStarsAwards pic.twitter.com/Zvq3TiPzcg — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) February 13, 2020 × The 27-year-old Singh had a stellar year in 2019, he led the team to victory in the FIH series finals and subsequent Olympic qualifiers against Russia where India secured a spot at the Tokyo 2020 games. 2019 FIH Player of the Year (Men) - Goes to... pic.twitter.com/4kWFttbIVl — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) February 13, 2020 × Singh made his senior debut in 2011 and he has been a mainstay in the team since winning 263 international caps. The midfielder was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian games. Manpreet Singh | AFP Singh- who was named captain in 2017 has also represented the country at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He will now turn his focus on this year's games where India will be looking to win their first medal since 1980. Meanwhile, Eva de Goede of the Netherlands was awarded the women's prize for the second year in a row.

Manpreet Singh becomes first Indian to win FIH hockey Player of the Year award

Hockey India on Thursday congratulated Indian women hockey team's captain Rani Rampal for winning the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 award. 
Rampal, who was among the 25 athletes was nominated for this award from 25 sports, received a massive 199,477 votes.

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SHE'S DONE IT!🙌🥳<a href="https://twitter.com/imranirampal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imranirampal</a> is the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019! 
 
We congratulate our skipper and wish her more success along the way and thank all the supporters for making this possible! 🇮🇳🏑<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/WCETKIWS6G">pic.twitter.com/WCETKIWS6G</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1222892548806471683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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With this, she became the first Indian athlete to win the award.

This was the 6th edition of the IWGA (International World Games Association) initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour.

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Huge congratulations to The World Games Athlete of the Year: Hockey star Rani 🇮🇳! Rani won the race with a massive number of votes: 199,477! She will receive a trophy &amp; a prize from the official sponsor <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtectiveLife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProtectiveLife</a>🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheWorldGamesAOTY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheWorldGamesAOTY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hockeyindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hockeyindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/imranirampal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imranirampal</a> <a href="https://t.co/gNfbpMq2Ze">pic.twitter.com/gNfbpMq2Ze</a>
— The World Games (@TheWorldGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWorldGames/status/1222889891354144779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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International Hockey Federation (FIH) had recommended Rampal's name for the award. She was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back Olympic Games.

Rampal thanked all her supporters, who voted for her, and also credited her teammates.

"I thank each and everyone for supporting me and ensuring they voted for me. I am overwhelmed with the number of people, Indian sports Icons and also celebrities who urged everyone to vote for me and in return ensured the focus remained on Indian Women's Hockey," Hockey India's official website quoted Rampal as saying.

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India's proud moment! Indian Women's Hockey Team captain <a href="https://twitter.com/imranirampal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imranirampal</a> become the first-ever hockey player to win the prestigious 'WORLD GAMES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR' award. I on behalf the Govt and people of India extend a hearty congratulations to our Champion Rani! <a href="https://t.co/oM6NtDebb2">pic.twitter.com/oM6NtDebb2</a>
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju/status/1222924055948513280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"If I have been able to come this far in the sport then it is because of my teammates too. I dedicate this award to Women's Hockey and all those young aspiring women who want to chase their dreams, nothing is impossible if you believe in it," she added.

Hockey India President, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, said Rampal winning the award is a 'very proud moment for all of us'.

"I congratulate Rani for winning the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 Award. This is a very proud moment for all of us. She is the first Indian athlete to win this award and through her achievements, Rani has been able to draw a lot of attention towards women's hockey. Many people are aware of the team's recent accomplishments and I am confident this team is capable of winning larger goals and I wish Rani and the team best of luck this Olympic Year," he said.

Rampal has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Padma Shri award.

Last year, the Acrobatic Gymnastics couple Mariia Chernova and Georgii Pataraia (Russia) won the title with 159,348 votes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hockey India on Thursday congratulated Indian women hockey team's captain Rani Rampal for winning the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 award. Rampal, who was among the 25 athletes was nominated for this award from 25 sports, received a massive 199,477 votes.

Hockey India on Thursday congratulated Indian women hockey team's captain Rani Rampal for winning the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 award. Rampal, who was among the 25 athletes was nominated for this award from 25 sports, received a massive 199,477 votes. SHE'S DONE IT!🙌🥳@imranirampal is the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019! We congratulate our skipper and wish her more success along the way and thank all the supporters for making this possible! 🇮🇳🏑#IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/WCETKIWS6G — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 30, 2020 × With this, she became the first Indian athlete to win the award. This was the 6th edition of the IWGA (International World Games Association) initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour. Huge congratulations to The World Games Athlete of the Year: Hockey star Rani 🇮🇳! Rani won the race with a massive number of votes: 199,477! She will receive a trophy & a prize from the official sponsor @ProtectiveLife🏆 #TheWorldGamesAOTY @FIH_Hockey @hockeyindia @imranirampal pic.twitter.com/gNfbpMq2Ze — The World Games (@TheWorldGames) January 30, 2020 × International Hockey Federation (FIH) had recommended Rampal's name for the award. She was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back Olympic Games. Rampal thanked all her supporters, who voted for her, and also credited her teammates. "I thank each and everyone for supporting me and ensuring they voted for me. I am overwhelmed with the number of people, Indian sports Icons and also celebrities who urged everyone to vote for me and in return ensured the focus remained on Indian Women's Hockey," Hockey India's official website quoted Rampal as saying. India's proud moment! Indian Women's Hockey Team captain @imranirampal become the first-ever hockey player to win the prestigious 'WORLD GAMES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR' award. I on behalf the Govt and people of India extend a hearty congratulations to our Champion Rani! pic.twitter.com/oM6NtDebb2 — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) January 30, 2020 × "If I have been able to come this far in the sport then it is because of my teammates too. I dedicate this award to Women's Hockey and all those young aspiring women who want to chase their dreams, nothing is impossible if you believe in it," she added. Hockey India President, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, said Rampal winning the award is a 'very proud moment for all of us'. "I congratulate Rani for winning the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 Award. This is a very proud moment for all of us. She is the first Indian athlete to win this award and through her achievements, Rani has been able to draw a lot of attention towards women's hockey. Many people are aware of the team's recent accomplishments and I am confident this team is capable of winning larger goals and I wish Rani and the team best of luck this Olympic Year," he said. Rampal has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Padma Shri award. Last year, the Acrobatic Gymnastics couple Mariia Chernova and Georgii Pataraia (Russia) won the title with 159,348 votes.

Indian Women's hockey captain Rani Rampal wins World Games Athlete of the Year award

Indian skipper Manpreet Singh has been honoured with the 2018 Player of the Year award by the Asian Hockey Federation while women's team striker Lalremsiami bagged the Rising Player of The Year prize.&nbsp;

Manpreet led the Indian team to an unbeaten streak at the Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat where the team was declared joint winners with Pakistan.&nbsp;

He also contributed to the team's silver medal win at the FIH Champions Trophy in Breda and continues to remain instrumental in the Indian midfield.&nbsp;

The 18-year-old Lalremsiami, on the other hand, has shown remarkable progress in the women's team with her impressive performance as a striker at the 2018 World Cup, the Asian Games where the team won a historic silver.&nbsp;

She was also a part of the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires where the under-18 team won a silver.&nbsp;

The Indian men's team was awarded the Best Performance of The Year for being the only Asian side to have reached the top eight at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar.&nbsp;

The team also came up with a historic silver medal feat at the FIH Champions Trophy in Breda, repeating its success from the 2016 edition.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Manpreet Singh has been honoured with the 2018 Player of the Year award by the Asian Hockey Federation while women's team striker Lalremsiami bagged the Rising Player of The Year prize.

Indian skipper Manpreet Singh has been honoured with the 2018 Player of the Year award by the Asian Hockey Federation while women's team striker Lalremsiami bagged the Rising Player of The Year prize. Manpreet led the Indian team to an unbeaten streak at the Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat where the team was declared joint winners with Pakistan. He also contributed to the team's silver medal win at the FIH Champions Trophy in Breda and continues to remain instrumental in the Indian midfield. The 18-year-old Lalremsiami, on the other hand, has shown remarkable progress in the women's team with her impressive performance as a striker at the 2018 World Cup, the Asian Games where the team won a historic silver. She was also a part of the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires where the under-18 team won a silver. The Indian men's team was awarded the Best Performance of The Year for being the only Asian side to have reached the top eight at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar. The team also came up with a historic silver medal feat at the FIH Champions Trophy in Breda, repeating its success from the 2016 edition.

Manpreet Singh named 2018 Player of the Year by Asian hockey body

WION Sports Special: Hockey Comes Home

Pakistan hockey coach Hassan Sardar has sounded out a warning to his players, saying indiscipline will not be tolerated during the World Cup in India.&nbsp;

Pakistan players are gearing up to play in India for the first time after the unsavoury incident during the Champions trophy when they took off their shirts and made obscene gestures after winning their semi-final clash against India.

The FIH had suspended two players, Muhammad Tousiq and Ali Amjad, while Shafqat Rasool was let off with a warning.&nbsp;

Hockey India had ruled out Pakistani players' participation in future editions of Hockey India League (HIL) after the incident.

"Behavioural aspect is very important for me and I have told the players that there will be straight action if any incident of indiscipline happens.&nbsp;

I hope their behaviour will be exemplary this time," Sardar told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Karachi.

"I am told that players were provoked by the spectators otherwise they would not have done that. I am sure my players will not repeat it and will be remembered for their performance. In 2014 also we have had good memories on field when we beat India and Netherlands, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and&nbsp;1982 Asiad gold medallist said.

Sardar, who scored a hat-trick in Pakistan's 7-1 win in the Asian Games final in New Delhi in 1982, said that his experience of playing in India has been extraordinary.

"I have very fond memories of playing in India. We beat India in Asiad final in 1982 but the next day when we went for shopping, not a single shopkeeper took money from us. We have got so much love in India and Indian cricketers and hockey players will say the same for Pakistan. We must continue this tradition of mutual love and respect," he said.

India and Pakistan were declared joint winner in the just concluded Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat after the final was called off due to heavy rains. There were reports quoting Hassan that Pakistan was willing to play but India denied.

When asked about this, he said that his team wanted to play the final but he never blamed India.

"It's not like that. I only said that we wanted to play the final against India and I am sure Indians would have been feeling the same. No player in the world would like to see the final getting washed away like this but realistically play was not possible in such circumstances, said the former captain.

Sardar said India will be among the favourites while Pakistan are also capable of springing surprises in the World Cup.

"India is in good form and reached the final of Champions trophy. They are playing on their home ground which does make a lot of difference. They are practising in Bhubaneshwar and it will also help them, he said.

"We have a tough pool where we will be playing against Netherlands, Malaysia and Germany. We are targeting Germany who have not played international hockey for the last one year. We have beaten Malaysia and can beat Netherlands on our day, said the coach.

He also called for the revival of Indo-Pak bilateral Hockey.

"It will be good for both the countries and the game itself. It will generate interest in the game and new talents can be unearthed," he said.&nbsp;

Pakistan hockey coach Hassan Sardar has sounded out a warning to his players, saying indiscipline will not be tolerated during the World Cup in India. Pakistan players are gearing up to play in India for the first time after the unsavoury incident during the Champions trophy when they took off their shirts and made obscene gestures after winning their semi-final clash against India.

Pakistan hockey coach Hassan Sardar has sounded out a warning to his players, saying indiscipline will not be tolerated during the World Cup in India. Pakistan players are gearing up to play in India for the first time after the unsavoury incident during the Champions trophy when they took off their shirts and made obscene gestures after winning their semi-final clash against India. The FIH had suspended two players, Muhammad Tousiq and Ali Amjad, while Shafqat Rasool was let off with a warning. Hockey India had ruled out Pakistani players' participation in future editions of Hockey India League (HIL) after the incident. "Behavioural aspect is very important for me and I have told the players that there will be straight action if any incident of indiscipline happens. I hope their behaviour will be exemplary this time," Sardar told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Karachi. "I am told that players were provoked by the spectators otherwise they would not have done that. I am sure my players will not repeat it and will be remembered for their performance. In 2014 also we have had good memories on field when we beat India and Netherlands, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1982 Asiad gold medallist said. Sardar, who scored a hat-trick in Pakistan's 7-1 win in the Asian Games final in New Delhi in 1982, said that his experience of playing in India has been extraordinary. "I have very fond memories of playing in India. We beat India in Asiad final in 1982 but the next day when we went for shopping, not a single shopkeeper took money from us. We have got so much love in India and Indian cricketers and hockey players will say the same for Pakistan. We must continue this tradition of mutual love and respect," he said. India and Pakistan were declared joint winner in the just concluded Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat after the final was called off due to heavy rains. There were reports quoting Hassan that Pakistan was willing to play but India denied. When asked about this, he said that his team wanted to play the final but he never blamed India. "It's not like that. I only said that we wanted to play the final against India and I am sure Indians would have been feeling the same. No player in the world would like to see the final getting washed away like this but realistically play was not possible in such circumstances, said the former captain. Sardar said India will be among the favourites while Pakistan are also capable of springing surprises in the World Cup. "India is in good form and reached the final of Champions trophy. They are playing on their home ground which does make a lot of difference. They are practising in Bhubaneshwar and it will also help them, he said. "We have a tough pool where we will be playing against Netherlands, Malaysia and Germany. We are targeting Germany who have not played international hockey for the last one year. We have beaten Malaysia and can beat Netherlands on our day, said the coach. He also called for the revival of Indo-Pak bilateral Hockey. "It will be good for both the countries and the game itself. It will generate interest in the game and new talents can be unearthed," he said.

Indiscipline will not be tolerated during WC: Pakistan hockey coach

India will lock horns with Pakistan in the in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final, after the defending champions eked out a close 3-2 win over Asian Games gold medalist Japan, on Saturday.&nbsp;

The two teams will face off in the final, later in the day. The mouth-watering clash will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat.

Pakistan beat Malaysia in the semi-final with a penalty shot, making the score 3-1 to set up the summit clash with the 'Men In Blue'.&nbsp;

The earlier match between the two rivals saw India beat Pakistan 3-1 last Sunday.&nbsp;

India defeated Oman, Japan, South Korea and were held to a goalless draw against Malaysia in their previous round-robin fixtures.

India will lock horns with Pakistan in the in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final, after the defending champions eked out a close 3-2 win over Asian Games gold medalist Japan, on Saturday.

India will lock horns with Pakistan in the in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final, after the defending champions eked out a close 3-2 win over Asian Games gold medalist Japan, on Saturday. The two teams will face off in the final, later in the day. The mouth-watering clash will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat. Pakistan beat Malaysia in the semi-final with a penalty shot, making the score 3-1 to set up the summit clash with the 'Men In Blue'. The earlier match between the two rivals saw India beat Pakistan 3-1 last Sunday. India defeated Oman, Japan, South Korea and were held to a goalless draw against Malaysia in their previous round-robin fixtures.

India, Pakistan face off in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final today

A dominant India continued their unbeaten run in the tournament and thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to sail into the final of the 10th men&#39;s Asia Cup hockey tournament here today.

The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in tomorrow&#39;s summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals -- three field strikes and one through penalty corner.

Satbir Singh (39th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (51st), Lalit Upadhyay (52nd) and Gurjant Singh (57th) were the scorers for India.

By virtue of this win, India not only topped the Super 4 stage with seven points, but also continued their domination over Pakistan.

It was India&#39;s fourth win over Pakistan this year, having beaten them twice in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London and once in the pool stages here.

The defeat knocked Pakistan out of the final race and India will now play either Korea or Malaysia, who play later in the day, in the final.

Contrary to the result, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, while Pakistan were the better side in terms of possession in the first two quarters.

Pakistan had three chances via penalty corners to take the lead in the first quarter, but wasted all.

The Indians secured the first penalty corner in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Harmanpreet messed up the opportunity.

After Ramandeep Singh&#39;s shot was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali in the 23rd minute, India defended well to deny their rivals from another short corner.

Minutes later, Harmanpreet hit the cross bar from India&#39;s second penalty corner as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time.

But India looked more organised after the change of ends and dominated the proceedings in the final two quarters.

Satbir gave India the lead in the 39th minute after receiving a fine back stick pass from Lalit.

Minutes later, Harmanpreet&#39;s effort from India&#39;s third set piece was saved by Amjad Ali.

The Indians created chances in the final few minutes of the third quarter but Pakistan custodian Amjad Ali was upto the mark to keep Pakistan in the hunt.

India wasted two more penalty corners in a span of two minutes as Amjad Ali made multiple saves to deny their opponents.

India pressed on the gas in the final 10 minutes and scored three goals in a span of six minutes to run away with the game.

While Harmanpreet Singh scored his seventh goal of the tournament from India&#39;s sixth penalty corner, Lalit made it 3-0 a minute later by pouncing on a loose ball inside the D.

India added salt to Pakistan&#39;s wounds when Gurjant slotted home three minutes from the final hooter after receiving a precision pass from Akshdeep Singh from the right flank.&nbsp;

India will play either Korea or Malaysia in the final

A dominant India continued their unbeaten run in the tournament and thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to sail into the final of the 10th men's Asia Cup hockey tournament here today. The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in tomorrow's summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals -- three field strikes and one through penalty corner. Satbir Singh (39th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (51st), Lalit Upadhyay (52nd) and Gurjant Singh (57th) were the scorers for India. By virtue of this win, India not only topped the Super 4 stage with seven points, but also continued their domination over Pakistan. It was India's fourth win over Pakistan this year, having beaten them twice in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London and once in the pool stages here. The defeat knocked Pakistan out of the final race and India will now play either Korea or Malaysia, who play later in the day, in the final. Contrary to the result, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, while Pakistan were the better side in terms of possession in the first two quarters. Pakistan had three chances via penalty corners to take the lead in the first quarter, but wasted all. The Indians secured the first penalty corner in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Harmanpreet messed up the opportunity. After Ramandeep Singh's shot was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali in the 23rd minute, India defended well to deny their rivals from another short corner. Minutes later, Harmanpreet hit the cross bar from India's second penalty corner as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time. But India looked more organised after the change of ends and dominated the proceedings in the final two quarters. Satbir gave India the lead in the 39th minute after receiving a fine back stick pass from Lalit. Minutes later, Harmanpreet's effort from India's third set piece was saved by Amjad Ali. The Indians created chances in the final few minutes of the third quarter but Pakistan custodian Amjad Ali was upto the mark to keep Pakistan in the hunt. India wasted two more penalty corners in a span of two minutes as Amjad Ali made multiple saves to deny their opponents. India pressed on the gas in the final 10 minutes and scored three goals in a span of six minutes to run away with the game. While Harmanpreet Singh scored his seventh goal of the tournament from India's sixth penalty corner, Lalit made it 3-0 a minute later by pouncing on a loose ball inside the D. India added salt to Pakistan's wounds when Gurjant slotted home three minutes from the final hooter after receiving a precision pass from Akshdeep Singh from the right flank.

India beat Pakistan 4-0 to enter Asia Cup final

A clinical India demolished a hapless Pakistan 7-1 to register their third consecutive victory and seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Hockey World League Semi-Final, here today.

It was a complete performance by the Indians who dominated their arch-rivals throughout the match to post a facile win and zoom to the top of Pool B ahead of The Netherlands.

Dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh (13th minute, 33rd), Talwinder Singh (21st, 24th), Akashdeep Singh (47th, 59th) and Pradeep Mor (49th) scored for India at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, while Pakistan&#39;s consolation goal came from the stick of Muhammad Umar Bhutta (57th).

India are atop Pool B with three wins from as many games, just ahead of The Netherlands, who are placed second.

Pakistan, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the pool after losing all three matches they have played so far.

India will next play The Netherlands on Tuesday, while Pakistan will face Scotland tomorrow.

Contrary to the result, it was Pakistan who made a bright start but their domination lasted only the first 10 minutes.

Pakistan had the first shot at the goal when they earned a penalty corner but the effort sailed over the bar.

As the match progressed, India started to control the proceedings with Pakistan playing a catch-up game.

Harmanpreet gave India the lead in the 13th minute, converting a penalty corner with a low grounded flick.

India secured another penalty corner four minutes into the second quarter but Harmanpreet&#39;s flick was saved by Amjad Ali in front of Pakistan goal.

Talwinder doubled India&#39;s lead soon after combining well with Satbir Singh and SV Sunil.

Minutes later, Talwinder scored his second goal of the day when he neatly lifted over Amjad a high ball from Satbir and India went into the breather with a comfortable 3-0 cushion.

India continued in the same vein after the change of ends and three minutes into the second half Harmanpreet scored from another set piece to extend the lead.

In between Pakistan had their share of chances but they failed to get past an alert Akash Chikte in front of Indian goal.

After Chinglensana Singh was brilliantly denied by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali, Akashdeep scored a brilliant field goal from the top of the circle after fine one-two with Sardar Singh.

Two minutes later, Pradeep Mor drilled home from a tight angle to beat Amjad Ali at the post.

Umar Bhutta scored a consolation goal late into the match but Akashdeep restored India&#39;s victory margin with yet another fantastic strike just a minute from the hooter.

(PTI)

India are atop Pool B with three wins from as many games, just ahead of The Netherlands, who are placed second

A clinical India demolished a hapless Pakistan 7-1 to register their third consecutive victory and seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Hockey World League Semi-Final, here today. It was a complete performance by the Indians who dominated their arch-rivals throughout the match to post a facile win and zoom to the top of Pool B ahead of The Netherlands. Dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh (13th minute, 33rd), Talwinder Singh (21st, 24th), Akashdeep Singh (47th, 59th) and Pradeep Mor (49th) scored for India at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, while Pakistan's consolation goal came from the stick of Muhammad Umar Bhutta (57th). India are atop Pool B with three wins from as many games, just ahead of The Netherlands, who are placed second. Pakistan, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the pool after losing all three matches they have played so far. India will next play The Netherlands on Tuesday, while Pakistan will face Scotland tomorrow. Contrary to the result, it was Pakistan who made a bright start but their domination lasted only the first 10 minutes. Pakistan had the first shot at the goal when they earned a penalty corner but the effort sailed over the bar. As the match progressed, India started to control the proceedings with Pakistan playing a catch-up game. Harmanpreet gave India the lead in the 13th minute, converting a penalty corner with a low grounded flick. India secured another penalty corner four minutes into the second quarter but Harmanpreet's flick was saved by Amjad Ali in front of Pakistan goal. Talwinder doubled India's lead soon after combining well with Satbir Singh and SV Sunil. Minutes later, Talwinder scored his second goal of the day when he neatly lifted over Amjad a high ball from Satbir and India went into the breather with a comfortable 3-0 cushion. India continued in the same vein after the change of ends and three minutes into the second half Harmanpreet scored from another set piece to extend the lead. In between Pakistan had their share of chances but they failed to get past an alert Akash Chikte in front of Indian goal. After Chinglensana Singh was brilliantly denied by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali, Akashdeep scored a brilliant field goal from the top of the circle after fine one-two with Sardar Singh. Two minutes later, Pradeep Mor drilled home from a tight angle to beat Amjad Ali at the post. Umar Bhutta scored a consolation goal late into the match but Akashdeep restored India's victory margin with yet another fantastic strike just a minute from the hooter. (PTI)

Hockey World League semi-final: India thrash Pakistan 7-1

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