The Indian hockey team that won a second successive Olympic bronze for the country here on Thursday featured 11 players, who will come back as two-time medallists from the quadrennial showpiece.
'This game against Tottenham will be important for us... to be (around) the top of the league.'
Indian finally tasted some success in the FIH men's World League Round 3 when they defeated lower-ranked France 6-2 to qualify for the fifth-sixth positions play-off, in Rotterdam, on Friday.
Sreejesh, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, believes India have the potential to finish on the podium in the upcoming junior World Cup to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 till December 10.
Harmanpreet, Sreejesh shortlisted for FIH Hockey Stars Awards
Sreejesh accepted that there are a few grey areas which came to light during the recent runners-up finish at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia.
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.
While India will play host to the men's tournament, Spain and the Netherlands have been named as the co-host of the 2022 Women's World Cup scheduled to be held from July 1 to 22.
Indian men beat Argentina 5-4 in shootout of FIH Pro League
The FIH also stated that the draw of the Men's Hockey World Cup, to be hosted jointly by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29 next year, will take place as per schedule on September 8.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh's brace went in vain as the Indian men's hockey team conceded three goals in the final quarter to lose 4-6 to Australia in a FIH Pro League match in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey said Pakistan have pulled out of the upcoming Hockey Asia Cup 2025 due to security reasons.
The Indian women's team, however, had a bad day in office, losing both its matches against Uruguay (3-4) and Poland (1-3).
Hockey India's situation is expected to be reviewed again in FIH's next executive board meeting.
Shilanand finally made his way back into the national team and on Thursday, not only provided a superb assist but also scored a goal with a lovely deflection in India's 4-1 win over Malaysia in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup.
The Indian men's hockey team outclassed South Korea 4-1 in the final to win the Asia Cup trophy and qualify for next year's World Cup.
Malaysia came from a goal down to crush lower-ranked Bangladesh 4-1 before title holders Korea thrashed Chinese Taipei 7-0 in Pool B matches of the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament
Penalty corners have been the Indian women's hockey team's Achilles heel for a while but it could well turn a corner in the upcoming FIH Olympic Qualifiers
The airline demanded more than a thousand rupees for him to carry 41 inch hockey stick
The country comes first for us. Asia Cup is happening in India, and whatever the government advises us, we will abide by tha
Amandeep Lakra, the spirited defender of the Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team, is elated about making the cut to represent the nation at the upcoming FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup in Malaysia next month.
Both the Indian men's and women's teams will play against Spain on February 26 and 27 in a two-legged tie, followed by matches (both men's and women's) against Germany on March 12 and 13.
The Congress was scheduled to begin in New Delhi on October 28, later this year. The decision to postpone the Congress was taken at an online meeting of the FIH Executive Board.
India had earlier lost 1-2 against the Netherlands on Saturday.
India go down to Germany 1-7 in Four-Nation junior hockey
Foreign teams that will land in India for next month's FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar have been exempted from quarantine and will only be required to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms during the stay.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
While the men's matches were deferred, the international governing body said that the women's matches between India and Germany will go on as planned this weekend at the Kalinga Stadium.
Currently, the hockey players draw salaries from the departments and organisations that they are employed with even though a proposal to have a graded contract system by Hockey India has been in the deliberation stage for past few years.
Former India captain Jude Felix has been appointed coach of the senior men's hockey team. The Olympian will work under chief coach Terry Walsh, Hockey India said on Wednesday.
Defending champions Belgium found the equaliser with six minutes left in the match to play out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Germany and keep themselves in the hunt for a direct quarter-final berth in the FIH Men's World Cup, in Bhubaneswar, on Tuesday.
Indian junior women's hockey team goes down against Germany
Harmanpreet Singh had also captained the side in the recent series against Australia, where the side fought hard before losing the five-match rubber 1-4.
The Indian men's hockey team's FIH Pro League title hopes went up in smoke after suffering a hard-fought 1-2 defeat against the Netherlands
Erstwhile hockey powerhouse India are languishing at the 10th position in the men's category, while the women's team is further down at 13th spot in the recently-released FIH world rankings.
The squad includes goalkeepers PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, and defenders Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Gurinder Singh.
But India were resolute in defence to thwart Germany's offensive forays.
The Netherlands struck the winning goal two minutes from the final whistle through Van Dam Thijs (58th minute), who also scored the equalising goal in the 25th minute.
The Indian men's hockey team ended the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League on a high, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over England.
Hockey: India seek World Cup berth through Asia Cup triumph; up against China in opener
