European champion England registered the first upset of the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, stunning Olympic silver medallist Australia 3-2 in second Pool B match of the quadrennial event at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday.
Emotions will run high when India, after a tumultuous build-up, will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a potential humdinger of the hockey World Cup, which gets underway amid watertight security at the Dyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday.
From its inception in 1971 till 1978, the World Cup was held every alternate year. Then it was made a once-in-four years affair, beginning with the 1982 edition.
Cyclone 'Titli' did dampen the spirits of hockey fans to some extent but not veterans like Dilip Tirkey and Dhanraj Pillay who were excited about the exhibition match played, in Bhubaneswar, on Wednesday.
Pakistan's sports ministry on Thursday issued a No-Objection Certificate to the national hockey team to participate in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, in Delhi from February 28 to March 13.
Putting up a dominating show, India scored in three of the four quarters to outplay Poland 3-1 to clinch the FIH World Hockey League Round 2 at Major Dhyan Chan stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday.
Rising Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh was named the 'Junior Player of the Year' by the Asian Hockey Federation in its Congress held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In what promises a rollicking start to next year's Hero Honda FIH Hockey World Cup, hosts India will take on archrivals Pakistan on the opening day of the mega-event, to be held in New Delhi from February 28 to March 13.
The Indian duo of Prabhjot Singh and Surinder Kaur were named in the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Men and Women World All Star Teams announced on Thursday.
Indian women's hockey team qualified for the Rio Olympic Games .
Hero Honda Motors Ltd, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has been named the title sponsor for the 2010 FIH men's hockey World Cup, to be held in Delhi in March. The announcement was made at a glittering ceremony on Monday, in the presence of International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, Hockey India president A K Mattoo and the 1975 World Cup-winning members of the Indian team.
Playing in his final World Cup, star Australian striker Jamie Dwyer says he is confident of signing off with a title triumph that has eluded his team for the past 24 years.
Going by the teams' past 4-4 win-loss record in World Cups, there is little to separate the two hockey powerhouses. But a win on Thursday will not only earn one of them a spot in the title clash, but also give them the edge when it boils down to rivalry between the two countries in the tournament.
Rajpal Singh on Friday replaced Sandeep Singh as the captain of a 21-member Indian hockey team for the FIH Men's Champions Challenge I tournament in Salta, Argentina from December 6 to 13. Forward Rajpal will lead the Indian side in the eight-nation tournament, the winner of which will qualify for next year's elite Champions Trophy.
New Zealand pulled off the biggest surprise of the ongoing World League Semifinals with a 2-0 win over World Cup silver medalists Australia in the women's preliminary league in Antwerp.
Defending champions Germany toyed with Canada before subjecting them to a 6-0 thrashing in their second Pool A match of the hockey World Cup in Delhi on Wednesday. Playing fast, one-touch hockey, the reigning Olympic champions and world No 1-ranked side dictated terms right through and led 4-0 at the breather.
The hockey World Cup, commencing in Delhi later this month, will allow players to ask for one referral per match from the video umpire, the game's governing body said on Friday.
Pakistan Hockey Federation had sought a loan from the PCB to send the team to Bhubaneswar and clear the outstanding dues of players.
Acceding to a request from the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Premier League has decided to advance the March 13 match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals by an hour to provide a clear window for the hockey World Cup final.
Indian men's hockey team would be eager to ensure that its far-from-convincing campaign finds some footing when it takes on lower-ranked Malaysia
He has led Argentina to the bronze medal in last year's Champions Trophy, but skipper Matias Vila is realistic enough to admit that his team does not stand with a good chance of a podium finish in the forthcoming hockey World Cup to be held New Delhi from February 28 to March 13.
Entrusted the task of reviving Indian hockey, Jose Brasa, the newly-appointed coach of the men's hockey team, on Tuesday said his immediate target is the gold medal at next year's Guangzhou Asian Games. 'My realistic goal is the gold in Asiad, because it will ensure India's place in 2012 London Olympics. Moreover, I love the colour yellow very much,' the Spanish coach said.
Australia hockey captain Jamie Dwyer is looking forward to playing in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup to be held in New Delhi's Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium from February 28 to March 13 next year and reckons defending champions Germany as the team to be most feared.
Apart from hosts India, Canada (winners of the third Pan American Cup), Korea (eighth Asia Cup winners), South Africa (winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, 2009), Australia (winners of the sixth Oceania Cup) have qualified for the event.
Argentina rallied from two goals down to beat Belgium in the final of the qualifying tournament in Quilmes.
Taking a cue from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Hockey India advertised for the position for the first time on its website http://hockeyindia.org.
India frittered away numerous chances and had to settle for a disappointing 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their second opening round group match of the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup at the Seng Kang Sports Complex in Singapore on Tuesday.
Indian men's hockey team lost 0-1 to New Zealand to slump to its its second defeat in the six-nation Invitational tournament and will now face the formidable Argentina in its penultimate round-robin match, in Valencia, on Friday.
Asian champions India have been clubbed along side arch-rivals Pakistan in the same pool in the men's Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Final 2017 to be held in London.
India entered the final of the FIH women's Champions Challenge II after goals from Rani Rampal and Saba Anjum fashioned a 2-1 victory over Ukraine in Kazan on Friday. They meet Belgium, who beat Ireland in the other semi-final.
India went on a goal-scoring spree to trounce Poland 4-0 and finish a lowly ninth in the FIH Men's Junior World Cup in Singapore on Saturday.
A profligate India succumbed to a 2-3 defeat against the Netherlands on Thursday and face an early exit from the FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup in Singapore. Mink Van Der Weerden's hat-trick sunk India in the crucial Pool D encounter and, consequentially, the Diwakar Ram-led side will have to beat Poland in their final pool match on Friday.
The Indian Olympic Association-run ad-hoc committee said Harender Singh will be in-charge of the team till 2010 and a foreign coach will appointed.
Drag-flicker Diwakar Ram will lead an 18-member Indian squad for the FIH men's junior World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Singapore and Malaysia from June 7 to 21. India are drawn in Pool D with Holland, New Zealand, Poland and Singapore.
Argentina's Luciana Aymar and Spain's Pol Amat were crowned as WorldHockey Players of the Year 2008 in Los Angeles, USA on Friday. Both hockey stars received their awards during a special ceremony on the occasion of the FIH Congress Dinner at Universal Studios in the Californian city. Dutch Maartje Paumen and Australian Eddie Ockenden won the WorldHockey Young Player of the Year 2008 awards. All four hockey stars were present in Los Angeles to receive their awards.
'This team can be more than a super power' 'When you have such a system, then you will automatically have politics in cricket and that is our problem now'
A 24-strong team for the men's hockey series against Japan was announced on Thursday, following a week-long preparatory camp held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, that commenced on April 22.
India continued their goal-scoring spree and thrashed Belgium 4-0 in their second Group G play-off match for 9 to 16 positions in the FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup in Singapore on Monday. Captain Diwakar Ram (25 minute), Mohammad Amir Khan (27th), Victo Singh (40th) and Jay Karan (59th) scored a goal each to ensure the facile win for India at the Seng Kang Sports Complex.
The Lal Bahadur Shastri four-nation women's hockey tournament starting in New Delhi is spiked before it could take-off.
The prestigious Champions Trophy, due to be held in Lahore in December, has been moved away from Pakistan due to safety and security concerns.