Hockey is struggling to survive in the country because of lack of sponsors owing to the national team's poor show at the international stage.
Three years ago, India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris.
Germany might be the twice Olympic champions defending their title in men's field hockey but top-ranked Australia will be the team to beat at next month's Rio Games.
The ad-hoc panel announced that it will host the senior national championships in Jaipur from February 2-5.
The big names who will be bidding for a podium finish before bidding farewell...
Asian Games gold medallist Pakistan and South Korea were on Friday handed wildcard entries for next year's Champions Trophy hockey tournament, scheduled to be held in India.
Viren Rasquinha said it was up to the hockey federation to decide when to select him in the Indian team.
Teams for the hockey World Cup and SAFF Games would be announced on August 16.
Pakistan's retired hockey international Rehan Butt, who was appointed coach of the national team taking part in the 12th South Asian Games, turned out as a player in the team's first two matches, including Monday's victory over hosts India.
Former captain Dhanraj Pillay said the Indian hockey team was lacking on all fronts.
India's chief coach Harendra Singh blamed poor umpiring for his team's early ouster from the ongoing men's hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
The ace midfielder rubbished reports that he was dropped from the Asian Games squad for lack of fitness.
The experienced midfielder was a surprise omission from the 16-member Indian men's hockey team for the Doha Asian Games.
Gagan Ajit Singh and Vikram Pillay failed to find a place in the list of probables for the Doha Asian Games.
Koreans decided to give a miss to the tournament, to be held in December, in the wake of Tuesday's twin blasts in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Friday said the training of its team for the Junior World Cup in the Indian city of Lucknow is in full swing, even as it awaited clearance from the government. Shahbaz Ahmed, Secretary of the PHF, said an unnecessary controversy had been created in the media whether Pakistan would participate in the Junior World Cup, to be played December 8-18 in India.
The 59-year-old Batra is one of the few sports administrators to head a national Olympic committee while heading an important international sports federation.
Prabodh Tirkey will lead the 16-member Indian hockey team at the seven-nation junior Challenger tournament starting in Poland.
India failed to make it to the elite six-nation hockey tournament after finishing at the bottom in the last edition in Chennai.
Former hockey Olympian Vece Paes says winning the Asian Games' tournament could kick-start a revival in the team's fortunes.
The Pakistan Wrestling Federation on Tuesday claimed that its national team has been denied visa by the Indian High Commission for the upcoming Asian Championship scheduled to be held in New Delhi from May 10-14.
The India hockey captain said it will provide younger players an opportunity to showcase their skills at the highest level.
The Manipur girl will captain the women's hockey team for the Afro-Asian Games and Asia Cup.
The Railway player has been named captain of the Indian women;s hockey team for the Test series against Russia.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation will not bid for the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy, which was shifted from India due to the administrative row over the governance of the game there.
Hockey India on Saturday sacked national coach Roelant Oltmans after a string of unimpressive outings at the international level.
IHF president K P S Gill said they will look at the possibility after assessing the team's performance at the Asian Games.\n
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
'The way we are playing now, if we continue to play the same hockey, no one can stop us from standing on the podium in Tokyo.'
Hockey India president Narinder Batra on Monday ruled out Pakistani players participation in future editions of Hockey India League saying they will not be considered until they apologise for their 'unacceptable behaviour' during last year's Champions Trophy.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
India's hockey coach said the team will try to sort out "certain weaknesses" during the Afro-Asian Games.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan has refused to follow in the footsteps of Pakistan Hockey Federation which announced this week that it would boycott future international events in India.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation dropped Mohammad Saqlain, Sohail Abbas, Waseem Ahmad, Ghazanfar Ali and Dilawar Hussain for failing to report for a preparatory camp.
Six Indian men's team players -- skipper Manpreet Singh, striker Mandeep Singh, defenders SurenderKumar, Jaskaran Singh, drag-flicker Varun Kumar and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak -- have tested positive after reaching Bengaluru for the national camp, scheduled to start on August 20.
In an encouraging development for the Indian women's hockey team, all the squad members are set to be included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) when the review committee will identify a core group for the government-funded programme, next month.
They will take part in a procession in New Delhi to protest against the functioning of the Indian Hockey Federation.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
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