For Indian hockey, 2016 was a year in which much was promised and achieved as well. It was also a year where India made significant and visible advancements but deep down somewhere the pain of missing out on an Olympic medal will remain for four more years.
The Pakistan Wrestling Federation on Tuesday claimed that its national team has been denied visa by the Indian High Commission for the upcoming Asian Championship scheduled to be held in New Delhi from May 10-14.
A cracker of a contest is on the cards when a confident India takes on a resurgent Pakistan in the semi-finals of the Hero Champions Trophy hockey tournament, in Bhubaneswar, on Saturday.
India blanked arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to open its campaign on a rousing note in the final edition of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament.
Six medals from a 117-strong contingent is not ideal but India had its moments of joy, hope, frustration, and heartache.
Pakistan's retired hockey international Rehan Butt, who was appointed coach of the national team taking part in the 12th South Asian Games, turned out as a player in the team's first two matches, including Monday's victory over hosts India.
Impressed with the hockey team's showing at the recently-concluded Asian Games, Sports Minister Sarbanada Sonowal said the gold medal triumph could act as a "trigger" for more good things to come.
The seven participants due to represent Pakistan at next month's Games have all been given wildcard entries.
The constant change of captain in the Indian hockey team is in bad taste and defies logic, feels Olympian and former India captain Gurbux Singh.
Tale of two sports shops and unfulfilled dreams of a former hockey player
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Kash Patel, a close confidante, as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This appointment would make Patel the highest-ranking Indian American in Trump's incoming administration. Patel has previously served in various roles in the Trump administration, including Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Trump praised Patel's work in uncovering the "Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax" and his commitment to "bringing back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI." Patel, who has extensive experience in law enforcement and national security, is known for his work on the Russia investigation and his criticism of the "deep state."
PR Sreejesh says his dual role as India hockey captain and goalkeeper is to allow his team mates the freedom to express themselves in Rio but knows he must keep them focused on the medal hunt in the "magic world" of the Olympics. The 30-year-old was second choice at London 2012 behind then captain Bharat Chetri but has since established himself as the clear number one. He was named captain for the recent Champions Trophy in London where India rested some seniors, including regular captain Sardar Singh, ahead of the Rio Games.
Hockey greats Vasudevan Baskaran, M M Somaya and Mervyn Fernandis relive India's gold medal-winning campaign at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Drag flick specialist Sohail Abbas is expected to make his return to international hockey in the proposed Test series against India early next year. The 31-year-old penalty corner specialist holds the record for the highest number of goals scored in international hockey. He has scored 274 goals, surpassing Dutch legend Paul Litjens's record a few years back.
It's only when Gold moves away from Akshay Kumar's blundering Bangla and hockey humbug to become a story of grace among go-getters that it comes close to becoming the movie it should have been, says Sukanya Verma.
Asian champions India have never won the Champions Trophy in its last 36 editions but will be hoping to claim the feat in the tournament's last edition.
The 59-year-old Batra is one of the few sports administrators to head a national Olympic committee while heading an important international sports federation.
Rehan Butt, Pakistan's assistant coach believes that India and Pakistan should play more matches.
Former India hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay today said that the legendary Dhyan Chand should be bestowed with the Bharat Ratna as soon as possible.
Hockey Olympian Joe Antic, who had been hospitalised a few days ago, died here last night, according to family sources.
'An India-Pakistan hockey match still attracts a lot of excitement, but the pressure thing is gone nowadays' 'We rallied after conceding an early goal and took the lead, but could not win due to a very high level of performance by India'
The series was to be played in Malaysia.
Former national coach Joaquim Carvalho has called for Hockey India secretary-general Narinder Batra's head for misleading the nation and vindictively keeping players who took part in the rebel World Series Hockey out of the country's London Olympics team.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 3-2 in an intense match of the Asian Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Tributes poured in for India's former hockey captain Mohammed Shahid who passed into the ages at a Gurgaon hospital following multiple organ failure on Wednesday.
'There were many experts around me,' A Ganesh Nadar discovers at the India-Pakistan hockey game. 'One of them was explaining to his neighbour, that fellow is a good dragger and flicker, that fellow is a penalty corner specialist, that fellow is a penalty specialist, that fellow is a very good defender, etc, freely dispensing with his expert knowledge.'
The Indian Hockey Federation is organising two exhibition matches, featuring top players from India and Pakistanl, and a host of film and television artists, in Chandigarh, on September 11.
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.
India badminton team have been accorded the top seed this time and are clubbed with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Scotland in Group A.
Overall, the record stands 1-1 between the two sides as Pakistan had the last laugh in the 2006 Games in Melbourne.
From what we've caught in a glimpse of its adrenalin-pumping promos, Jawan pays rich ode to SRK's inbuilt feminist. An army of females swarming its multi-heroines star cast screams iron fist in velvet glove in all its mainstream glory.
Pakistan men's team slumped to a new low as it failed to qualify for next year's Rio Olympics.
Defending champions India, with several experienced players in their ranks, have the upper hand in their opening encounter against Japan in the sixth men's Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament, starting in Hyderabad on Friday. India had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan to clinch the title in the last edition of the event at Karachi four years ago.
Hosts India drew curtains to their disastrous campaign at the Hero Junior Men's Hockey World Cup by finishing a disappointing 10th after losing to arch-rivals Pakistan in a classification match at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday.
Skipper Sardara Singh has been rested for third Asian Champions Trophy. In his absence, Hockey India said, midfielder Manpreet Singh will lead India's 18-member squad for the tournament in Kakamigahara, Japan, from November 2-10.
'...they were shocked to learn that just 352 Indian soldiers had made 3 brigadiers, 2 colonels, 170 officers, 290 JCOs and 8,000 troops surrender to the Indian Army.'
India suffered their second straight defeat in the men's hockey World Cup, going down 2-5 to Spain in a fast-paced Pool B encounter at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium in Delhi on Thursday night. It was another humiliating defeat for the hosts after the mauling by Australia by a similar margin.
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.
Jeremy stamps class on CWG debut, India climb to sixth in medal table
India captain Sardar Singh asserted that they have a lot to play for in the ongoing Hockey World League Semifinals.
