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Tag: FIH

  • Four video games involving India nominated for FIH Favourite Match of the Year 2021 award

    Four video games involving the Indian hockey groups, together with the boys’s facet’s historic Olympic bronze medal-winning contest in Tokyo, have been nominated by the world physique (FIH) for the Favourite Match of the Year 2021.
    The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is conducting a ballot to provide followers an opportunity to vote for his or her favorite match of final 12 months. The India males’s staff scripted historical past on the Tokyo Games beating Germany 5-4 in an exhilarating contest to win bronze after 41 years. That match has been short-listed for the award.
    Besides, two matches involving the Indian girls’s staff have additionally discovered nominations for the award. The matches involving the ladies’s facet which have been chosen are India’s 1-0 upset win over world quantity 2 Australia within the quarterfinals on the Tokyo Olympics and the staff’s heartbreaking 3-4 loss to Great Britain within the bronze medal play-off.

    The different sport involving India, which has been short-listed, is the junior staff’s courageous efficiency in opposition to France within the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup opener final 12 months, which it misplaced 4-5.
    The voting might be closed on January 10 and the winners might be introduced on subsequent days.

  • Hockey rankings: Indian males to complete 2021 in third spot, ladies drop to ninth

    Olympic bronze profitable Indian males’s hockey group will finish the yr in third spot, its highest-ever, as per the International Hockey Federation (FIH) rankings launched on Thursday.
    The Manpreet Singh-led Indian group gained the bronze in Tokyo Games earlier this yr to finish a 41-year medal watch for the nation.
    India, who completed third within the just-concluded Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka, will finish the yr with 2296.038 factors behind Olympic champions Belgium and toppers Australia.
    Australia have leapfrogged Belgium within the newest chart following the Red Lions’ current FIH Hockey Pro League draw and defeat by the hands of the Netherlands.
    Australia will shut the yr with 2642.25 factors, simply 10 factors forward of FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic champions Belgium, who’ve 2632.12.
    Netherlands (2234.33) and Germany (2038.71) are positioned in fourth and fifth positions respectively. The high ten is accomplished by England (sixth – 1990.62), Argentina (seventh – 1826.11), New Zealand (eighth – 1598.24), Spain (ninth – 1532.33) and Malaysia (tenth – 1427.18).

    The Asian Champions Trophy noticed numerous exchanges of rating factors between the competing groups, though there was little when it comes to motion. Champions South Korea stay sixteenth with runners up Japan nonetheless in seventeenth place. Fourth positioned finishers Pakistan proceed to carry onto 18th place, whereas fifth positioned Bangladesh have dropped two locations to 40.
    Among ladies, India have dropped a rung to ninth spot from the final replace.
    The Indian ladies’s group, which completed a historic fourth within the Tokyo Olympics, will finish the yr with 1810.32 factors.
    Netherlands ladies will end the yr on the high of the FIH world rankings.
    The Oranje finish 2021 with 3015.35 factors, over 600 rating factors forward of second positioned England (2375.78). Olympic silver medallists Argentina will start 2022 within the third spot, being simply 14 factors behind England with 2361.28.
    Australia (2334.04) will end the yr in fourth place, with Germany (2126.15) and Spain (1959.62) fifth and sixth positions respectively. Belgium (seventh place – 1939.88), New Zealand (eighth place – 1821.11), India (ninth place – 1810.32) and China (tenth place – 1677.96) full the highest ten.

  • Hockey’s French evolution begins

    If there was any proof wanted that France may very well be worldwide hockey’s massive story of this decade, considerably like Belgium did within the decade that glided by, it got here on a breezy Wednesday night time in Bhubaneswar. Never thoughts that it got here at India’s value.
    In December 2011, a youthful Belgium group defeated India for the primary time, a consequence that introduced their arrival on the world stage. France’s gorgeous 5-4 win over India within the opening match of their Pool B encounter of the Junior World Cup won’t look like an identical watershed second proper now. But it factors to the European facet’s fixed enchancment, to the purpose that they’ll not be thought of minnows going ahead.
    France’s upswing began on the similar venue on the 2018 World Cup, the place a ragtag bunch of gamers reached the quarterfinals. Timothee Clement, the youngest participant of that group, was certainly one of their heroes again then. Clement, the oldest participant on this facet, was their hero on Wednesday as effectively. The 21-year-old put up a heroic efficiency, scoring a hat-trick and making essential clearances, together with an unbelievable goal-line save, to guide his facet to this well-known win.
    But greater than the consequence, it was the way in which France went about it that was extra spectacular. And Graham Reid had seen it coming.

    An end-to-end encounter at Bhubaneswar resulted in France’s favour, however not earlier than India confirmed nice combating spirit.
    Here are glimpses from our first #JWC2021 match. 🖼️#IndiaKaGame #RisingStars
    1/2 pic.twitter.com/luyJgDuCXD
    — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 24, 2021
    France, he had gathered from the restricted footage that was accessible, performed ‘like a European team’ – held the ball, moved rapidly and attacked from the correct. The India coach couldn’t have been extra correct in studying his opponent’s recreation plan. Yet, the group couldn’t cease them from executing it.
    To be truthful to Reid, he’s solely been with this facet for a month or so. India’s junior group had been coached by BJ Kariappa for the final couple of years after Jude Felix left. Then, as they did simply earlier than the 2016 Junior World Cup the place Roelant Oltmans was given the cost of a group that was coached by Harendra Singh, Reid was requested to take over the group this time, with Kariappa as his assistant.
    Reid had been understanding sufficient to not tinker rather a lot though he admitted earlier than the match that he didn’t actually know rather a lot in regards to the gamers, or the way in which they performed. In reality, only a few knew.
    Limited taking part in time
    Before Wednesday, India’s junior group hadn’t had a aggressive worldwide match for nearly two years. And for the final yr or so, they’d just about turn out to be a simulation machine for the Tokyo-bound group. To assist put together the seniors, who too have been starved of aggressive matches, for the Olympics, the under-21s have been made to play like India’s opponents – Germany sooner or later, Belgium the opposite and so forth.
    Reid didn’t consider the simulation affected their taking part in model – “they were still trying to play their own game,” he mentioned. But juniors lacked co-ordination and made many uncharacteristic errors. Perhaps, they have been simply rusty due to the shortage of match observe.
    There have been mis-traps galore and the lengthy balls weren’t managed. Unlike the senior group, the place a participant holds the ball for 3 to 5 seconds at finest earlier than passing, the colts launched into lengthy, at occasions aimless, runs that spoiled the group’s construction.

    The #JWC2021 kicked off to an excellent begin with objectives aplenty and a few nice hockey abilities on show.
    Here’s a have a look at the outcomes of the day. #IndiaKaGame #RisingStars pic.twitter.com/ba954gQc1b
    — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 24, 2021
    France have been shrewd to benefit from India’s errors. But they didn’t rely solely on that. From the very first minute, France took issues into their very own fingers, launching wave after wave of assaults and being breathtakingly sturdy on the ball – transferring it rapidly to the correct, slicing open India’s defence and raiding the objective. They have been fast off the blocks in every quarter and made that depend – their objectives coming moments after restart every time.
    This win places them in pole place to high the group and get a beneficial draw for the quarterfinals.
    For India, there’s nonetheless sufficient time to show this round. Despite the loss, it wasn’t all doom-and-gloom. There have been just a few brilliant spots.

    Not all gloomy
    Penalty nook specialist Sanjay confirmed why he’s tipped to take the spot vacated by Rupinderpal Singh within the senior facet. He generated loads of tempo in his drag-flicks and was capable of finding corners, making it robust for the goalkeeper to get close to the ball. His hat-trick (15’, 57’, 58’) saved India alive within the match till the final minute.
    The efficiency of the ahead line, too, will encourage Reid. Araijeet Singh Hundal, Sudeep Chirmako and Maninder Singh opened up the French defence fairly simply, and repeatedly. Hundal was spectacular particularly along with his lengthy strides and probing runs however India lacked the sharpness. A few pictures hit the publish and one went throughout, which left the group ruing.
    And lest it’s forgotten that even on the Tokyo Olympics, India scripted a turnaround after shedding 7-1 to Australia early of their marketing campaign. If something, the defeat to France complicates India’s title defence. At the identical time, it asserts France’s standing as world hockey’s subsequent massive factor.

  • Hard hitter, tall ahead and a poacher: the make-up of junior India hockey group

    Key gamers from India’s 18-member squad for the Junior World Cup:
    Hardest hitter, a drag-flicker
    India have three or 4 choices from penalty corners however Sanjay, the group’s vice-captain, is among the many finest drag-flickers on this group. He is taken into account one of many hardest hitters of the ball within the nation, together with the senior gamers. His flicks are power-packed and he’s routinely capable of finding the corners, making it tough to cease. Shardanand Tiwari is one other good possibility for India on set-pieces.
    The maestro in midfield
    India are spoilt for choices in midfield however 19-year-old Vishnu Kant Singh would be the one to be careful for. He is thought for his distinctive stick abilities, has quick arms and has impressed the coaches together with his decision-making abilities on the ball. The midfielder from Uttar Pradesh has been with the group for the final three years and can even play as a centre-half.

    All the most effective and my honest needs to the jr Indian Men’s Hockey Team for the @FIH_Hockey Junior World Cup which begins from tomorrow. Hope you all make our nation proud.🇮🇳#IndiaKaGame #RisingStars #JWC2021 pic.twitter.com/6Mu4SndWnX
    — Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) November 23, 2021
    Prasad, the artistic outlet
    Vivek Sagar Prasad made his senior group debut at an age when most others battle for a spot within the junior squad. In 2018, aged 17, he grew to become the second-youngest participant to symbolize India. Now, he’ll captain the junior group. The artful centre-half is the group’s artistic outlet. He is consistently on the transfer, creating area and making himself accessible to obtain passes. He’ll be the important thing man for India on this event.
    Hundal, the tall ahead
    At roughly 6-foot-3-inches, Araijeet Singh Hundal is the tallest participant within the ahead line, and one of many tallest strikers to play for India. He has a strong shot each on his forehand and backhand, and his top offers him an enormous benefit by way of attain. India hasn’t had a tall ahead and Hundal can doubtlessly be that participant for the group.
    The poacher
    Partnering Hundal, the towering ahead, is among the tiniest gamers on the sector, Sudeep Chirmako. The striker from Sundergarh proved his price throughout the Youth Olympics, displaying excellent goal-scoring abilities and an excellent hockey mind, with the knack of entering into the best positions on the proper time.

    ***************
    India’s schedule (Pool B):
    November 24: vs France, 8pm
    November 25: vs Canada, 7.30pm
    November 27: vs Poland, 7.30pm
    Knockout rounds:
    Quarterfinals: December 1;
    Semifinals: December 3;
    Finals: December 5
    Group stage matches stay on: https://watch.hockey/
    Knockout matches stay on Star Sports Network

  • Indians sweep FIH’s hockey awards; Olympic champions left empty-handed

    Australia’s Kieran Govers puzzled if this was ‘April Fools in October’. Belgium’s Victor Wegnez referred to as it a ‘joke’. Germany’s captain on the Tokyo Olympics, Tobias Hauke, labeled the choice course of as ‘ridiculous’. Britain’s Zach Wallace stated it was ‘shameless’. Argentina’s Gonzalo Peillat used the hashtag ‘skandal’ whereas 4 Dutch gamers didn’t have any phrases; they only used ‘ROFL’ emojis.
    Belgium males and the Netherlands ladies received the gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics. But India swept all of the awards. And the hockey world is up in arms unanimously, criticizing the voting system deployed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to find out the winners. The sharp reactions have pushed the FIH right into a nook, and the world physique has stated they may assessment their course of.
    The winners
    The FIH, on Wednesday, introduced that India made a clean-sweep of its annual awards. It’s the primary time {that a} nation has received in all eight classes.
    Gurjit Kaur was named as the perfect girl participant whereas Harmanpreet Singh was the perfect male. Savita Punia and PR Sreejesh have been chosen as the perfect goalkeepers on the earth whereas Sharmila Devi and Vivek Sagar Prasad have been elected as the perfect rising stars.

    Here are the reactions of the winners of the Men’s Awards!#HockeyStarsAwards @13harmanpreet @16Sreejesh @VivekSagarpras1 @reidgj @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/kiXCa97pfs
    — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
    Savita was one of many heroes of India’s unprecedented run on the Tokyo Games, making dozens of saves, particularly within the quarterfinals towards Australia. Sreejesh, too, stood out for India in crunch conditions the place he made match-winning interceptions, none extra essential than the save he made within the bronze medal match towards Germany with simply 7 seconds remaining. Harmanpreet and Gurjit scored essential objectives from penalty corners whereas Sharmila and Vivek added to their rising repute with some stellar contributions all through the marketing campaign.
    Graham Reid, who helped India win an Olympic medal after 41 years, and Sjoerd Marijne, whose ladies’s staff completed a creditable fourth, have been named the perfect coaches.
    Marijne, who’s now teaching Dutch membership HC Tilburg, stated the award ‘wouldn’t be potential’ with out Janneke Schopman, who has succeeded him as the ladies’s staff chief coach, power and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, his assist employees and ‘a team which was always willing to push themselves.’

    Congratulations to all winners of the Women’s Awards! #HockeyStarsAwards
    Player of the yr – @gurjit02Goalkeeper of the yr – @savitahockeyRising Star of the yr – Sharmila DeviCoach of the yr – @SjoerdMarijne@TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/RZmYGTLXWB
    — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
    How they have been chosen
    The FIH makes use of a web-based voting system to find out the winners in all classes. As per the world physique, the votes from the nationwide associations, who’re represented by their captains and coaches, counted for 50 % of the general end result. The media had a 25 % share whereas the remaining 25 % was shared between the followers and gamers.

    FIH assertion concerning the FIH #HockeyStarsAwards voting course of pic.twitter.com/6lvgEZHFkO
    — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
    Out of its 137 member associations, 79 participated within the voting course of (11 out of 25 from Africa, 29 out of 33 from Asia, 19 out of 42 from Europe, 3 out of 8 from Oceania, and 17 out of 30 from Pan America). The FIH added {that a} document 300,000 followers forged their votes.
    India’s gamers acquired the utmost vote share from all three sections. Only within the Best Coach class, Belgium’s Shane McLeod and the Netherlands’ Alyson Annan acquired a bigger share of votes from the nationwide associations however acquired overwhelmed within the general rely after including media and fan votes.
    System underneath scanner
    There have been another debatable factors as properly.
    For occasion, Alexander Hendrickx scored 14 objectives on the Tokyo Olympics, essentially the most, together with a hat-trick towards India within the semifinals and a penalty within the tie-breaker towards Australia within the remaining. Eva de Goede, considered essentially the most full participant of her technology, orchestrated Netherlands’ march to the highest of the rostrum; her third Olympic gold after 2008 and 2012, along with a silver at Rio 2016. Both, nonetheless, completed as runners-up of their classes.
    Immediately after the announcement, gamers from all around the world criticised the voting system in a single voice. Hockey Belgium stated on social media that they have been ‘very disappointed with the outcome of the awards’. “A gold winning team with multiple nominees in all categories but doesn’t win a single award demonstrates failure of the voting system. We will work with FIH to ensure a fairer system in the future,” the world and Olympic champions stated, including in one other tweet that this could as a substitute be referred to as ‘Public’s Choice of the Year’.
    Several worldwide gamers, whereas underling that India’s gamers and coaches have been to not be blamed and recognising the progress made in the previous few years, mocked the system used to find out the winners on social media. “FIH, you should think about the system as soon as possible,” Hauke wrote on his Instagram. “It’s ridiculous and does not help us to make sport more professional. Nerveless (Nevertheless), congratulations to all Indian players; Hockey India, you (have) done a great job over the past years – and now bring back the Hockey India League – it is time again!”
    The FIH defended the method saying that the winners would have been the identical even when ‘one or two of these voting groups would not have been involved’. But they added that they ‘will conduct a review of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards and make adjustments wherever deemed necessary.’There was no response from Hockey India, the nationwide staff gamers or males’s coach Reid.

  • FIH president Narinder Batra to contest for a second time period

    Image Source : HOCKEY INDIA File photograph of Narinder Batra.
    Incumbent Narinder Batra has determined to contest for re-election as International Hockey Federation (FIH) president within the governing physique’s polls scheduled in May.
    Batra, who turned FIH president in 2016, confirmed his re-election bid in a letter to the FIH Congress dated February 18.

    “In 2016, you gave me your trust in electing me as the twelfth President of the International Hockey Federation. In the last four years, I have done my best and put all my energy to enable FIH to fulfil its missions – in particular the development of hockey globally — add new objectives and steadily improve its management for the good of hockey,” Batra wrote.
    “…The experience of the last five years, coupled with your numerous encouragements and my strong dedication, have convinced me that I should make myself available to pursue my mission at the helm of the FIH,” mentioned Batra, who’s the president of Indian Olympic Committee and in addition a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    “Therefore, I herewith have the honour and the pleasure to announce my candidacy to continue to be your President beyond the upcoming Congress, should you wish me to do so.”
    The FIH Congress is scheduled to be held right here in May, however there’s a chance the assembly may very well be held just about resulting from journey restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    In truth, the Congress was initially scheduled for final yr however was pressured to be postponed because of the pandemic, handing Batra an prolonged first time period.
    The nominations for the president’s publish was opened on February 12 and is scheduled to finish on March 12. The subsequent president will maintain the workplace till 2024 because the FIH has lowered the time period from 4 to 3 years resulting from deferment of the Congress final yr.