'I don't know how long cinema will survive.'
With their eyes firmly set on a berth in next year's World Cup, Indian eves started the eighth Asia Cup hockery tournament campaign on a rollicking note, spanking minnows Hong Kong 13-0 in their opening Pool A match in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Sports Ministry confirms Satwik, Chirag for Khel Ratna, Shami and 25 others for Arjuna award
Under tremendous pressure to win the tournament opener against India, Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf on Friday said fans back home will even excuse a flop show in the hockey World Cup if his team beats the traditional rivals in Sunday's much-hyped encounter.
A semi-final spot virtually out of their grasp after back-to-back defeats, India brace up for another tough battle when they take on a European champions England in their next pool B match of the hockey World Cup in New Delhi on Saturday.
In an encouraging development for the Indian women's hockey team, all the squad members are set to be included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) when the review committee will identify a core group for the government-funded programme, next month.
The Indian women's hockey team suffered a 1-6 humiliation from Australia in their third outing at the Rio Olympics on Wednesday.
'If he is being spoken in the same breath as Dhyan Chand, then you can image how good he was.'
Images from the fifth day's play at the 12th men's hockey world cup in New Delhi on Thursday.
Meet India's top athletes at Olympics 2024.
Hockey is struggling to survive in the country because of lack of sponsors owing to the national team's poor show at the international stage.
India's hopes of clinching a berth in next year's World Cup were dashed after a 1-2 defeat by defending champions Korea in the semi-finals of the eighth women's Asia Cup hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur.
Mumtaz edged Belgium's Charlotte Englebert for the Player of the Year award by a margin of just three points after votes cast by experts (40%), teams (20%), fans (20%) and media (20%) were tallied finishing with a total of 32.9 points.
Pargat Singh played a key role in Michael Nobbs' appointment as India's chief hockey coach but the former captain now says it is high time the under-performing Australian is given the "marching orders".
The Dutchman, who guided the Netherlands to the 1996 Olympic title, will be in charge of the team till December 2004.
Olympians, internationals and Arjuna awardees will discuss ways to arrest the sliding fortunes of the national team.
VR Raghunath thinks that the current team is better prepared for the Olympics than the side which finished eighth in the previous edition in Rio
India suffered their first defeat in the Punjab Gold Cup hockey, going down 2-4 to World champions Germany in Chandigarh on Friday night.
An IHF official claimed that seven players that represented India in the junior hockey World Cup were overage
India lost 1-4 to Korea in a play-off for the 9-12 places at the women's field hockey World Cup in Madrid.
You don't prep for 2028 but for 2040, or even 2044. Sustained sporting excellence is based on mass support, grassroots development, and funding - and it is this trifecta India needs to work on, systematically, asserts Prem Panicker.
The ongoing hockey World Cup proved India is perfectly safe for visitors and Australian cricketers should put aside their security apprehensions and play in the Indian Premier League, star Kookaburra player Jamie Dwyer said in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Indians had to settle for a 2-2 draw in the women's Junior World Cup hockey tournament.
'Huge disappointment that we did not qualify for our third consecutive Olympics'
Having failed to adapt to the blue turf during the Olympic hockey test event in London recently, India hockey team is keen to play more on the surface to get adjusted to it ahead of the Games, says ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh.
India has always been a difficult place to work for foreign hockey coaches due to difference of opinion with national federations and bureaucratic hurdles.
Indian hockey plunged into a fresh crisis on Friday with revolting hockey players deciding to boycott the ongoing World Cup preparatory camp in Pune for an indefinite period in protest against non-payment of their dues.
Former India hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay today said that the legendary Dhyan Chand should be bestowed with the Bharat Ratna as soon as possible.
The midfield will be spearheaded by Olympic bronze medal-winning former skipper Manpreet Singh, current vice-captain Hardik Singh and young Vivek Sagar Prasad, while India also boasts of a strong, attacking forwardline in Shamsher Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh.
India went on a goal-scoring spree and thrashed Japan 7-2 in their first Pool G play-off match for 9 to 16 places in the men's Junior Hockey World Cup in Singapore on Sunday.
The hosts will face Australia in the semi-final on Friday.
Former South African Olympian Gregg Clark has been appointed head coach of India's junior men's hockey side to prepare them for the World Cup to be held in New Delhi later this year.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, on Wednesday announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 crore for the national hockey players and also offered to sponsor the team for the next two years.
After a dismal eighth place finish in Rio Games, much is expected from the Manpreet-led side.
Anelle van Deventer had to make three strong saves at the start of the second quarter to keep India away from stretching their lead in the match.
It will take India at least a decade compete with the world's best, says former hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay.
Maartje Paumen scored her second hat-trick of the women's hockey World Cup as favourites Netherlands beat Australia 4-1 in Pool A on Friday.
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.
Barely five months into the job, uncertainty looms large over Paul van Ass continuing as chief coach of India's men's hockey team.
