The outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus has forced the Indian women's hockey team to cancel its tour of China, leaving the federation with the difficult task of finding an opponent to compete with as part of its preparation for the Olympics. The Indian women's team was scheduled to travel to China from March 14 to 25. However, due to the fast-spreading disease, that has killed over 636 people so far and infected more than 30,000 people, it has been cancelled.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
The International Hockey Federation has confirmed India's withdrawal from its ambitious Pro League, one of FIH's flagship tournaments offering Olympic qualifying berths to the top four teams in both men's and women's events.
Hockey India said it has drawn up a list of competitions both for the senior men and women's teams in the run-up to next year's Tokyo Olympics. The detailed plan involves playing a number of matches against top teams in the world.
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India have won eight gold medals in the past, but their last top finish came way back in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Savita, who was part of the Rio squad, believes the team is much improved now, evident from its recent performances against top sides.
'I'm probably drinking five litres of water in a game and it's still not replacing it. It's pretty big.'
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
After a dismal eighth place finish in Rio Games, much is expected from the Manpreet-led side.
In 2015 when Indian the women's team qualified for the Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years, it was Rani who had played a key role in the decisive victory against Japan.
Title hopes already shattered, defending champions India even failed to finish on the podium as they lost 1-3 to France in the bronze-medal play-off match of the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup, in Bhubaneswar, on Sunday.
Narinder Batra on Saturday became the first Indian to be elected the President of the International Hockey Federation after he was voted to the top post by an overwhelming margin during the penultimate day of the 45th FIH Congress in Dubai. Batra, who is the president of Hockey India, defeated David Balbirnie of Ireland and Australia's Ken Read to become the 12th FIH President -- the first Asian to grab the post.
India men's hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh said it's time to stop basking in the glory of their historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Games and start focussing on qualifying for the Paris Olympics by winning next year's Asian Games.
'Hockey India will not like its hockey athletes to peak 35 days before the Asian Games 2022 and would like the athletes to peak at the right time i.e. during the Asian Games 2022.'
India's newly-appointed men's hockey chief coach Graham Reid took charge of the national camp in Bengaluru and asked his players to put the team first in his maiden address to them.
She said that home support will be a huge boost for them when they compete in the upcoming FIH Olympic Qualifiers.
India secured its place in the final round of Tokyo Olympic qualifiers by beating Chile 4-2 in the semi-finals of the women's FIH Series Finals hockey tournament.
Indian men's hockey captain P R Sreejesh has been named as one of the candidates for 2016 Goalkeeper of the Year award of the FIH while Harmanpreet Singh made the grade as one of the 2016 Rising Men Star of the Year nominees. The nominees for the 2016 Hockey Stars Awards, the annual prizes recognising the best players, goalkeepers, rising stars, coaches and umpires in a given calendar year were announced during the Hockey Revolution Part 2 Conference of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) which is currently taking place in Dubai.
An Indian tennis team will travel to Pakistan after 55 years. The last time they sparred on Pakistan soil was way back in March 1964 in Lahore, where India won 4-0.
The FIH is planning an exhibition tournament of Hockey 5s next year but has ruled out the possibility of the format replacing the traditional 11-a-side contest in the Olympics.
Defending champions India's dream of a second consecutive FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup title was shattered after a 2-4 defeat to six-time winners Germany in the semi-finals, in Bhubaneswar, on Friday. The Germans will take on Argentina in the final.
International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre expects India to be a force to reckon with in the upcoming Junior World Cup, but said it won't be easy for the hosts to win the tournament, in Delhi, from December 6-15.
India has been awarded the 2018 men's hockey World Cup, the second time in a span of eight years the country will be hosting the mega event.
The two-time Olympian (2012 and 2016), from Somwarpet in Coorg, was a key player in the Indian forward line for over a decade with fine performances.
The National Associations of Australia, England, India, Malaysia, and New Zealand have all put up extremely strong cases in an attempt to lure the sport's top properties to their territory, the FIH said.
Mariamma Koshy has taken charge of Hockey India (HI) as president with immediate effect, replacing Narinder Dhruv Batra who was recently elected as the first ever non European chief of the sport's governing body FIH. He is the 15th president of the field hockey's international parent body.
India lead South Africa 2-0 after the first quarter in their opening Pool C match of the 2018 Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga stadium, Bhubaneshwar, on Wednesday.
The team has only one goalkeeper in Sreejesh, which means promising Krishan Bahadur Pathak missed out on an Olympic berth
Two FIH Pro League ties involving the senior men's team, junior men's Asia Cup and senior women's Asian Champions Trophy are among a host of international hockey events, where India was scheduled to take part, that have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
India hockey chief coach Graham Reid has his sights set on the Asian Games, FIH Pro League, Commonwealth Games, Hockey World Cup in 2023 and Paris Olympics the following year.
Pakistan hockey chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh has claimed that there was a conspiracy plotted against his team following the suspension of Mohammad Tousiq and Amjad Ali meted out in the recently held Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.
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 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.'
Two-wheeler manufacturing giant Hero Motocorp Limited announced its association with the Junior Hockey World Cup, to be held next month, as the title sponsor.
While players and teams from other participating nations can venture out as and when they wish, individual outings are a big 'No' for the Pakistani players. They are allowed to visit places in groups only and have to mandatorily inform the security a day in advance.
Soon after the new dates were announced, IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said, "Indian Olympic Association along with the National Sports Federations welcome and support the new dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will be held from 23 July to 8 August, 2021."
Still reeling under the shock of the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy being revoked, Indian hockey faces the ignominy of also losing next year's Olympic qualifiers if a single national federation is not in place, the International Hockey Federation warned on Tuesday.
The International Hockey Federation will allow defenders to wear protective face masks as a precaution while defending penalty-corners.
Belgium won a tense penalty shootout 3-2 against three-times champions Netherlands to win their first men's hockey World Cup title.
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