Australia Olympian Ric Charlesworth's appointment as Technical Adviser/Director of the Indian Hockey Federation, under the IOC Solidarity Programme, will be announced in New Delhi on Friday by the FIH despite the Government of India not clearing it.
Ending the suspense over India's future in international hockey, the game's world governing body FIH on Saturday decided to conduct the Olympic Qualifiers in India next year and continue to recognise Hockey India as the National Federation for the sport.
The FIH is set to conduct the hockey matches of the upcoming London Olympics on blue turf in place of the traditional green, while the balls will be yellow in colour.
The upcoming World Series Hockey might be touted as the next big thing in Indian sport, but Hockey India on Wednesday termed the cash-rich league as a veterans' tournament and said Indian players participating in it will have to sacrifice their national jersey.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, star wrestler Vinesh Phogat, TT player Manika Batra and Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu were on Tuesday picked for this year's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the sports ministry's selection committee.
In the first quarter-final of the day, Germany eked out a narrow 3-1 win over Spain via the shoot-out after both the teams were locked at 2-2 in regulation time. Later, Argentina beat the Netherlands 2-1.
Players being warned by the FIH to stay from the World Series Hockey is a "serious issue", says the event's Delhi franchise coach Roelant Oltmans but he is hopeful that the deadlock will be sorted out soon.
Pakistan Hockey Federation has finally got clearance from the government to send its national junior team to Lucknow, India for the FIH Junior World Cup next month. A reliable source in the PHF said that the ministry of inter-provincial coordination has informed the federation that the government has given the NOC for participating in the December 8-18 Junior World Cup. "The PHF officials were anxious about getting the NOC to send its team to India next month as the FIH event is scheduled from December 8 to 18th and it is an important event for the future of Pakistan hockey. But now the ministry has informed the PHF that the government has given the clearance," the source said.
India is on the stand-by to host the Champions Trophy to be held in December in case the event is shifted from Lahore.
Hockey's premier tournament will be staged over two weeks in February 2010 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium.
The Sports Ministry has given Hockey India clearance to host the 33rd FIH Champions Trophy and next year's Olympic qualifying tournament.
Eight-time champions India have bee clubbed along side Australia, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and hosts Japan in a tough Pool A in the men's competition
Muhammad Saqlain was suspended for three international matches after being found guilty of dangerous conduct by the FIH Judicial Commission.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
India's shooting ace Apurvi Chandela attained the World No 1 position in the women's 10m air rifle event while compatriot Anjum Moudgil rose to second.
Media reports have cited a lack of suitable facilities as the reason behind Birmingham's decision to axe shooting which has featured at every Games since 1966, with the exception of Edinburgh in 1970.
The FIH warned the Pakistan hockey team over an incident involving their captain Muhammad Saqlain
The KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation is all set to merge with the Indian Women's Hockey Federation on Thursday to strengthen its claim to being the sole representative body for the sport in the country.
Former South Africa player David Staniforth has been appointed goalkeeping coach and strategic analyst of India's senior and junior men's hockey teams.
The Azlan Shah Cup is the latest sporting event to be hit by the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed more than 3,000 lives and infected 86,000 people across the world.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday reduced the three-match ban on Indian forward Shivendra Singh.
If you don't have power in a game you are masters of, the world will walk all over you, notes Shekhar Gupta.
After missing its November 20 deadline, Hockey India on Friday have been given one last chance to clear its mess before next year's World Cup with the FIH granting an extension upto first week of February to complete the national hockey body's election process.
'It can be my last Olympic Games so, for me, it's about what more I can achieve as an athlete, what I can get from this Olympics? That can only be a medal. That's a dream and that is helping me to sacrifice everything.'
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has confirmed on Tuesday an amendment to the 'Rules of Hockey' to clarify rule 13.2 in relation to free hits within five metres of the circle. Following the amendment, the rule now states that at an attacking free hit within five metres of the circle, the ball cannot be played into the circle until it has travelled at least five metres or been touched by a defending player. This amendment, to be introduced with immediate effect, removes the possibility for the attacker to touch the free hit for a teammate to run on to and play the ball into the circle. One additional piece of guidance has also been added in relation to the amendment. Following a time stoppage after the award of an attacking free hit inside the 23 metres area, upon the re-start, all players other than the player taking the free hit must be at least five metres from the ball.
Satinder Kumar and Raghu Prasad are the two Indian umpires who would officiate in the 12-nation Hero Honda FIH Hockey World Cup to be held at New Delhi's National Stadium in February-March 2010.
Eight-time champions India have been clubbed alongside title holders Germany and World No 2 Netherlands in Pool B at the men's hockey competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
After the Sports Ministry withdrew the recognition of 54 National Sports Federations (NSFs), Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra raised concerns saying that if things will continue to go ahead like this then India should not be hoping for any medal in the Tokyo Olympics next year. Following a High Court order, the Sports Ministry withdrew the recognition of 54 NSFs, including the All India Football Federation, Hockey India, and Athletics Federation of India.
The Indian Olympic Association on Monday said it will bid for either the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games while also agreeing to withdraw its boycott call for the 2022 Birmingham edition over shooting's exclusion. The country hosted the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
'Due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, we the sports bodies are unlikely to get any sponsorship and hence we may find it very difficult to restart our activities effectively'
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday announced that India will host the 2010 hockey World Cup. After the FIH board meeting in Hyderabad on Friday, a decision was made that the 2010 World Cup will be held in New Delhi.
The tournament will be played at the National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, from November 29 to December 9.
In a strongly-worded message, the International Hockey Federation on Monday warned India that it may lose the right to host the 2010 World Cup for men if satisfactory progress is not made in FIH-backed developmental project and preparations for the mega event.
Argentine Luciana Aymar and Australian Jamie Dwyer were named FIH World Hockey Players of the Year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
A confidential report by an FIH observer lists umpteen ailments that are ruining Indian hockey.
Heavy rain since evening delayed the start of the final and even though the skies relented later, but by then the damage had already been done.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
India would host the venue at Chennai if FIH decides to shift the event from Lahore on security grounds.
