Real Madrid defender Eder Militao has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their Champions League home game against Inter Milan.
With the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games being postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sardar feels the Indian team will get some time to work on its grey areas and unearth new talent.
The team has only one goalkeeper in Sreejesh, which means promising Krishan Bahadur Pathak missed out on an Olympic berth
India hockey chief coach Graham Reid has his sights set on the Asian Games, FIH Pro League, Commonwealth Games, Hockey World Cup in 2023 and Paris Olympics the following year.
A historic bronze-winning show by the men's team and an outstanding fourth place finish for the women's team infused fresh life into the game which was in danger of slipping into oblivion.
India's men's hockey team chief coach Graham Reid has told his players to keep their emotions in check and avoid cards against a strong opponent like Belgium in the Tokyo Olympics semi-finals on Tuesday.
India swept the International Hockey Federation's annual awards on Wednesday, claiming all the top honours, based on a voting system which was lambasted as a "failure" by men's Olympic champions Belgium, prompting the FIH to say that it would try to figure why some associations did not cast their ballot.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
Harmanpreet Singh won the men's Player of the Year award and Gurjit Kaur was recognised as the best player in the women's section. Veteran P R Sreejesh and Savita Punia won the best goalkeeper awards in the men's and women's section, while young striker Sharmila Devi (women) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (men) were adjudged best rising stars.
'But people shouldn't misunderstand me. It was not that I was disappointed to go back to women's team, I was not happy the way they handled it with men's team because I left on a really good moment.'
International hockey can resume only after COVID-19 vaccine is developed: FIH
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Six Indian men's team players -- skipper Manpreet Singh, striker Mandeep Singh, defenders SurenderKumar, Jaskaran Singh, drag-flicker Varun Kumar and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak -- have tested positive after reaching Bengaluru for the national camp, scheduled to start on August 20.
As per some media reports, Hockey India has informed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that there will be no HIL in 2018 because of financial concerns related to some franchises.
Hockey India said it has drawn up a list of competitions both for the senior men and women's teams in the run-up to next year's Tokyo Olympics. The detailed plan involves playing a number of matches against top teams in the world.
Women have enjoyed some hard-won gains in elite sports in recent years, with pro leagues starting up in a number of countries and growing support for their fight for pay parity.
List of international sports events affected by the coronavirus that has killed over 900 people and infected more than 40,000 in China
'The way we are playing now, if we continue to play the same hockey, no one can stop us from standing on the podium in Tokyo.'
The Indian men's hockey team's biggest gain this year was the emergence of some talented fresh faces.
India, along with 10 other countries, was on Tuesday provisionally cleared to participate in next year's AFC Champions League.
The Goa pro league champions handed the defending champions their first defeat in the league.
Pete Sampras will compete in the World Team Tennis this season more than three years after retiring
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
Jadeja decided against playing upon learning that the International cricket Council did not approve of the Pro League.
Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj is confident he can rediscover the form he displayed in his breakthrough season in 2013-14 and feature more regularly for the club.
Bollywood Actor and owner of the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Abhishek Bachchan said that the inaugural addition of the Pro Kabaddi league has made a huge impact in the world of sports.
It was touted as the year which could herald a change in the fortunes Indian hockey, but 2018 turned out to be yet another saga of missed opportunities for the sport.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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