Pak hockey team must play in India and India should reciprocate: Ex-Pak captain Butt
Dennis Meredith, a former Competitions and Events Manager and currently member of the FIH's panel of Tournament Directors, has been appointed Technical Director for the upcoming US $2 million prize-money World Series Hockey.
Even as the ongoing World Series Hockey struggles to make its presence felt in the absence of star Indian players, the Government of India today fully backed the lucrative league, with Sports Minister Ajay Maken even taking a dig at Hockey India for trying to scuttle the event.
Pune Strykers, to be owned by Sai Grace Sports and Events Private Limited (SGSEPL), became the third team to be unveiled for the controversial multi-million dollar World Series Hockey starting from next month.
The second edition of World Series Hockey (WSH), earlier proposed to start next month, has been rescheduled, the organisers said on Friday.
150 Indian players, including top stars from the current national team have signed on and received advanced payments to play in World Series Hockey (WSH).
Eight players from Pakistan, including former captain Rehan Butt, have signed up for the World Series Hockey (WSH), which will be held across eight Indian cities from December 15 to January 22, 2012.
Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay is set to scorch the hockey turf with his lightning speed and magical moves during World Series Hockey (WSH). The mercurial striker has been signed to play in the league that is scheduled to begin on December 17.
Around 176 players from India and across the world will participate in the World Series Hockey tournament, from December 15 to January 22, 2012.
The second season of World Series Hockey, a tournament not recognised by the sport's world governing body FIH, is scheduled to be played from December 15, 2012 to January 20, 2013, it was announced on Thursday.
Delhi Wizards, on Monday, joined Karnataka Lions, Chennai Cheetahs and Pune Strykers as the latest team to take part in the World Series Hockey tournament starting next month in various venues in the country.
Former India player Gagan Ajit Singh will return to competitive hockey after being picked in the second players' draft for the US $2 million World Series Hockey, which commences on February 29. The former India forward was picked by the Sher-e-Punjab franchise during the second round of the player draft in which 27 Indian players, from a pool of 42, were chosen by various franchises.
World Series Hockey has now enlisted the services of the renowned Dutchman as Sports Technical Manager for the prestigious league that gets underway on December 17.
The upcoming World Series Hockey will have a touch of Latin flavour following the signing up of six Argentine and three Spanish players for the US $2 million prize-money tournament in India, from December 15 to January 22, 2012. The Argentina players include the renowned Vila brothers, Lucas, Matias and Rodrigo, forward Callioni Facundo and defenders Pedro Ibarra and Juan Martin Lopez.
Dismissing threats of a possible ban by Hockey India on local players participating in the World Series Hockey (WSH), the organisers of the multi-million dollar tournament on Monday declared that all those who have signed up will certainly play in the upcoming event.
Hockey India's disciplinary panel chairman Pargat Singh on Friday demanded a stern action against the country's top five players, who left the ongoing national camp in Bangalore without permission to attend a function organized by the rival Indian Hockey Federation.
Eight senior Pakistani players have been summoned by the Pakistan Hockey Federation for a disciplinary hearing on May 7 for participating in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey in India.
Chennai Sports Organisers Pvt Ltd (CSO) has been named the franchise owner of the Chennai team in the multi-million dollar World Series Hockey (WSH) league to be played across various cities of the country starting next month.
Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for the Rs 10-crore prize money World Series Hockey tournament, starting on February 29.
According to the report, published on Tuesday, the event's prize money of $4.2 million is much more than the combined prize money of all other sports leagues in the country.
This was the ultimate city rivalry and despite the intense tussle on the field, both teams walked away with honours intact after 70 minutes of scintillating action.
The inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey witnessed yet another sizzler as Pune Strykers got past Karnataka Lions by a slender margin of 3-2, in Pune, on Monday.
Star striker Deepak Thakur regained his form and usually unstoppable Prabhjot Singh helped home side Sher-e-Punjab build a comfortable lead but were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw with the hitherto undefeated Pune Strykers in the Bridgestone World Series Hockey at the Olympian Surjit Hockey stadium in Jalandhar on Sunday.
Hockey India named 48 core probables for the Indian men's hockey team, which is scheduled to take part in the Lanco International Super Series and 34th men's FIH Champions Trophy in Australia later this year.
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.
Gurjinder Singh scored four goals to help Chandigarh Comets crush Karnataka Lions 6-1 in an inconsequential league match of the World Series Hockey in Chandigarh on Thursday. The victory took Chandigarh past table leaders Sher-E-Punjab, who have a game left.
Sher-e-Punjab are known for their attacking hockey while rivals Mumbai Marines are reputed to be one of the toughest team in the Bridgestone World Series Hockey with a very disciplined outfit.
Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA), an affiliate of the Indian Hockey Federation, is in a dilemma after a state Government official sought the use of its stadium for conducting IHF's rival body Hockey India's upcoming League.
The Indian Hockey Federation has questioned the legality of the Indian Olympic Association's move to form a three-member committee to decide whether the IHF or Hockey India is the legal body to run the game, terming the action contempt of the high court order.
Out-of-favour India hockey goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza has tested positive for a banned substance in a random test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) during the inaugural World Series Hockey which concluded early this month.
Over 20 former international players, including several Olympians, have appealed to Sports Minister Ajay Maken to intervene and sort out the dispute between Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India for the smooth conduct of World Series Hockey starting from December 17.
The multi-million dollar World Series Hockey suffered a huge jolt just days before its start, with six top Indian players withdrawing from the league, from December 17. Goalkeepers Bharat Chetri and PR Sreejesh, star drag flicker Sandeep Singh, defender Sardar Singh, and forwards Tushar Khandker and Yuvraj Walmiki have preferred country over the unsanctioned league.
A brilliant display by goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza enabled Mumbai Marines beat Chennai Cheetahs 4-1 and end their campaign on a winning note in the World Series Hockey at MHA stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Chandigarh Comets held their nerve to defeat Delhi Wizards 3-2 in a World Series Hockey match, in Chandigarh, on Tuesday.
Pakistani drag flicker Syed Imran Warsi, the tournaments highest goal scorer, missed chances galore as Chennai Cheetahs suffered a crushing 3-5 defeat against Karnataka Lions in a World Series Hockey match, in Chennai, on Saturday.
The Delhi high court on Monday cleared the way for the players' participation in the World Series Hockey (WSH), a joint initiative of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sport, if the tournament schedule does not clash with international commitments of the national team.
Hockey India lambasted the Indian Hockey Federation for trying to lure players for its unsanctioned World Series Hockey league, saying such efforts by IHF are a 'blatant anti-national campaign' which will lead to 'slow poisoning' of the national game.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has imposed a hefty fine of Rs 10 lakh each on senior hockey players Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi for playing in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey in India.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation, on Monday, threatened to impose five-year bans on players, who opt to play in the unsanctioned tournaments such as much-hyped World Series Hockey, planned in India.