Hockey greats Balbir Singh (Sr) and Ajit Pal Singh hailed India's Asian Games gold medal-winning effort but felt the players still have a mountain to climb to succeed at the World and Olympic level.
Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay has expressed a desire to be the coach of the national hockey team. He claims that if given a free hand he can deliver results within a year.
Former hockey captain Ashok Kumar feels a couple of senior players in the Indian side were off-colour in the ongoing hockey World Cup and injecting young blood in the team is the need of the hour.
Ritu Rani has been named captain of the 8-member Indian women's hockey team that will play the semifinals of the World League Round 3 at Rotterdam, The Netherlands from June 13.
Indian badminton team's chief coach Pullela Gopichand, multiple world title holder cueist Pankaj Advani, former hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay were some of the prominent names who made financial contribution in country's fight against coronavirus pandemic.
'My target is not just to qualify for the Olympics but also do well at Athens and end up in a good position,' says Indian hockey Chief Coach Rajinder Singh.
Former captain Sardar Singh was brought back to bolster the Indian hockey team's mid-field while Birendra Lakra was included to shore up the defence line-up for the upcoming Champions Trophy, beginning on June 23 in Breda, The Netherlands.
India's sportsperson could not perform well in the past due to nepotism and corruption but his government cleaned up the system, he said.
A beaming Amarinder Singh thanked the people of the state for their overwhelming support, saying he was committed to good governance and tackling the drug menace.
Indian Boxing Federation's Secretary General Brig P K Muralidharan Raja will be the deputy Chef-de-Mission of the country's contingent in this year's London Olympics after being nominated for the job by IOA.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
India's only World Cup triumph came in the third edition of the championships way back in 1975, after a 2-1 win over Pakistan at Kuala Lumpur.
Sachin Tendulkar inspired me to make comeback after CWG snub, says Sardar
India hockey star P R Sreejesh feels that goalkeepers are like wine which gets tastier if kept longer, reflecting on his illustrious career from warming the bench to becoming one of the best in the world.
Will ask England to probe India's fixing attempt charge: FIH The complaint was lodged with the FIH after Indian team manager Jugraj Singh asked HI to take up the matter seriously with the FIH in his post-tournament report.
Now both men have made history for their country, leaving a permanent mark on the history books.
Star India grappler Vinesh Phogat bagged her third consecutive gold in the women's 53kg category after winning the Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw.
'He is worried about how best the Punjab crisis can be resolved.'
India has huge expectations from these champions. Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi and Norma Godinho glance at their chances at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
With eight gold medals, Indian men's hockey team has been the most successful side in Olympic history but since the 1980 Moscow Games, the country has not had a podium finish.
The development came to light after HI advertised for the position on its official website Wednesday
Former captain Ajit Pal Singh fears that the ongoing power tussle between Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) may result in the national team not qualifying for the London Olympics.
This past week, the Indian hockey team recorded a rare Test series win against world champions Australia. It was a significant achievement by the men in blue - hockey, not cricket - as it was for the first time in four years that India had beaten Australia.
'Graham Reid's resignation is his personal decision but at the end of the day somebody has to take the blame for this awful show.'
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Former captain Rajpal Singh and veteran midfielder Ignace Tirkey were the notable omissions from an 18-member Indian hockey team announced for the FIH Men's Champions Challenge I from November 26 to December 4 in Johannesburg.
'To the youth, I will say work hard. One minute of work will not get you anything. I have worked hard for the past 20 years, 2002 was the first time I won a gold medal.'
Anything less than the gold medal will be a disappointment for the Indian men's hockey team at the Asian Games in Indonesia, veteran midfielder Sardar Singh said on Friday.
Led by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India will seek to showcase its ascendency as a sporting power at the Asian Games, which opens formally on Saturday after an unprecedented one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PM said many members of the House of Elders would have thought of raising major issues vital to the country before retiring, but were debarred from the opportunity to leave behind their great ideals and legacy.
The camp getting underway in Bengaluru on Sunday will conclude on September 18.
Star para athlete Devendra Jhajharia was named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in the country while Olympic gold winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was among eight sportspersons named for the Padma Shri.
Former captain M M Somaya says the Indian team also needs players with leadership qualifies like Dilip Tirkey.
'Everyone has to recalibrate their plans, preparations, peaking, meaning the tournaments they will play in in the lead-up to the Olympics.'
"The start has been good. In the tournament, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Argentina and Australia are some of the best teams. We have started off well and need to keep the momentum going and continue with same energy," Sardar said on Thursday.
It was a starry night as India's top sports and Bollywood celebrities came out in large numbers to support Yuvraj Singh, who launched his own clothing line YWC in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay on Monday batted for participation of Pakistan's players in the Hockey India League (HIL) tournament and urged Hockey India to take up the issue with politicians to ensure their presence in the future editions of the franchise-based league.
Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has suggested that the national hockey team should be withdrawn from the World Cup in India to protest the "humiliating" treatment meted out to the country's cricketers at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
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.
