"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.
A 'versatile' and 'speedy' Gurbaj Singh will be key to the Indian hockey team's success in the upcoming 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, feels the national side's vice-captain and goalkeeper P R Sreejesh.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is planning to have India and Pakistan play their home and away matches in Europe if the arch-rivals face off in the Olympic qualifying tournament for a berth at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper P R Sreejesh are among a few senior India players rested for next month's Olympic hockey test event in Tokyo. Besides Manpreet and Sreejesh, defender Surender Kumar was also rested.
The match was stopped in the fourth quarter due to heavy rains with around eight minutes left in the match.
The Indian men's hockey team has started their training session in Auckland for the upcoming series, which commences on October 2. The series is in preparation for the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015.
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.
Akashdeep Singh scored twice as Indian men's hockey team stunned world champions Australia 3-1 in the fourth and final Test to register a historic 3-1 series win over the mighty Kookaburras in their home soil in Perth.
Acknowledging the supreme sacrifice made by Indian soldiers at the borders, national hockey captain P R Sreejesh, on Wednesday, vowed that his team will give its all to beat Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy in Malaysia next month.
India's chef-de-mission at the Games, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, said in Jakarta that the athletes will be updated on the safety status of their families after seeking the home ministry's assistance.
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.
India hockey captain P R Sreejesh on Tuesday dedicated the Asian Championship Trophy triumph to the Indian soldiers martyred in the Uri attack and their families, saying it's a Diwali gift to those who lost their lives while safeguarding the country.
Tributes pour in for Hockey great Balbir Singh Sr.
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.
'Whatever happened at the Asian Games, that's a big learning curve for the players, coach and the staff.'
The huge gulf between the two sides was evident as India bettered its 86-year-old record when it defeated USA with a 24-1 margin in Olympics.
India's biggest sporting legends Sachin Tendulkar, Abhinav Bindra and Vishwanathan Anand hailed PV Sindhu for her valiant performance in the Olympic final against world number one Carolina Marin. Abhinav Bindra in his message for Sindhu said that he wasn't as heartbroken after missing out on a medal himself as he is today (Saturday). India's only individual Olympic gold medallist tweeted: "I think I'm more heartbroken today (after Sindhu's loss in final) than I was a week ago! Well played @Pvsindhu1 you are an inspiration to me!"
The Indian hockey team finished sixth at the FIH World League after losing a tense play-off match on penalties to higher-ranked Spain, in Rotterdam on Sunday.
Having achieved the goal of a podium finish at the recently-concluded Champions Trophy in London, the Indian men's hockey team chief coach Roelant Oltmans has now set his eyes on his next big target -- the Rio Olympics.
India's leading table tennis player Sharath Kamal, who was ignored for Padma Shri, feels the existing awards application system makes the athletes beg for the honour.
Former captain Sardar Singh has been included in a 13-member Hockey India selection committee, to be headed by B P Govinda, a member of the 1975 World Cup winning team.
Going into the title clash, World no. 5 India were clear favourites to lift their sixth Azlan Shah title against the 17th ranked Koreans.
A last minute goal by Gonzalo Peillat helped Uttar Pradesh Wizards hold Kalinga Lancers to a 2-2 draw in a thrilling match of the Hockey India League in Lucknow on Friday.
India were outclassed 0-4 by hosts Belgium in a lop-sided last-four clash, with Florent Van Aubel's fine hat-trick playing a pivotal role in the side's passage to the final of the FIH Hockey World League semi-finals in Antwerp.
India crashed to their second defeat in the men's hockey World Cup by conceding a late goal yet again to go down 1-2 against England at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague on Monday.
Defender Harmanpreet Singh converted two penalty corners as India stamped their authority over New Zealand with an assertive 3-0 victory in the 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh, on Sunday.
Riding high on confidence after their 5-1 win over Spain in the third match of the Tour of Belgium, the Indian men's hockey team started on an attacking note against the hosts and earned a penalty corner in the 10th minute, which was duly converted by Rohidas to give his side the lead.
The Indians will have to be at their best in all departments to get the better of the ever-improving Red Lions, who will be out to prove a point after a not-so-impressive opener.
India wasted as many as five penalty-corners seconds from the final hooter and went down 1-2 to reigning silver medallists the Netherlands in the Rio Olympics' hockey tournament on Thursday. The defeat saw the eight-time Olympic gold medallists slump to their second defeat in the competition.
India made a spirited fightback in the second half but failed to earn a direct berth in next year's hockey World Cup as they lost the high-scoring summit clash 3-4 to defending champions South Korea, in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Monday.
India showed urgency but it was too little, too late as they suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in their FIH World League Round 3 match in Rotterdam on Saturday.
Indian men's hockey team fired in a goal two minutes from the final hooter through Ramandeep Singh to pull off a 3-2 win over France and begin their FIH World League semi-finals campaign on a winning note in Antwerp.
As the curtains come down at the Tokyo Olympics, here's a glance at the medallists and those who came within touching distance of glory.
It was an unprecedented challenge that required meticulous planning, innovative solutions and quick action.
Having squandered the early lead provided by a penalty corner conversion from Rupinderpal Singh, India were trailing when Mandeep got into his goal-scoring act in the second half. Having squandered the early lead provided by a penalty corner conversion from Rupinderpal Singh, India were trailing when Mandeep got into his goal-scoring act in the second half.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
India would look to seal a direct quarterfinal berth with a win against Canada in their final Pool C match of the men's hockey World Cup on Saturday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Virtually assured of a quarterfinal spot after their morale-boosting win against Argentina, a buoyant India will face world number two side the Netherlands in a tough pool B clash in the Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. After a close 3-2 win over Ireland in their opening match, India suffered a disappointing 1-2 loss against the reigning Olympic champions Germany but bounced back to notch up a 2-1 win against Argentina to remain among the top four in the six-team pool. The target now will be to finish the league stages as high as possible in the points table so as to avoid the world number one Australia in the last eight fixture.
Jasjit Singh sent two rasping penalty corner drag flicks into the net as India edged past hosts Malaysia 3-2 to move to the semifinals of the Hockey World League semi-finals in Antwerp.
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