Asian Champions Trophy 2024: India bags their 5th title after defeating China 1-0
When no one was able to score any goal from both the teams, Jugraj Singh did wonders and scored a goal for India. Because of this goal, the Indian team was successful in winning the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 title.
In this match, initially, no one was able to score any goal from both the teams. Then just a few minutes before the end of the match, Jugraj Singh did wonders and scored a goal for India. Because of this goal, the Indian team was successful in winning the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 title. India had won the Asian Champions Trophy title for the fifth time. China had made it to the finals for the first time and had already lost in the first round.
Players from both the teams failed to score goals in the first quarter. India created chances to score goals, but the team was not successful to do it. They also got a penalty corner but the team could not capitalize on it.
There was no goal scored by both the teams in the second quarter as well. In this quarter, China's defense performed well and kept the Indian players in check. In the third quarter, China made several attacks to score, but they failed to reach Indian goalkeeper Krishna Pathak.
Jugraj Singh scored a powerful goal
No goals were scored between the two teams till the third quarter. In such a situation, it seemed that the match would go to penalty shootout. But after this, Jugraj Singh scored an excellent field goal and gave the team a 1-0 lead in the match. This increased the hopes of the Indian hockey team to win. After this, India did not give any chance to China to score a goal. Jugraj's goal in the final proved important in the team winning the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 trophy.
The Indian hockey team has performed amazingly in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and has not lost a single match till the final. The team had defeated South Korea 4-1 in the semi-finals. Harmanpreet Singh (C), Uttam Singh, and Jarmanpreet Singh had scored goals against the Korean team.
This is India's fifth Asian Champions Trophy title. Earlier, India had won the trophy in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners with Pakistan) and 2023. Harmanpreet Singh has received the Player of the Tournament award for his strong performance throughout the tournament.
Full list of nominations of Hockey India Annual Awards 2024
Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Sangita Kumari and Savita Punia have been nominated for the Hockey India Best Player Award in the Hockey India Annual Awards 2024.
Deepika has been nominated for the Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year. Image | Hockey India
Hockey India have announced all the nominations for the 7th Hockey India Annual Awards 2024. The award ceremony will take place on 15th March in New Delhi with a record prize pool of approx INR 12 crores.
A total of 32 players have been nominated across eight categories for the award ceremony this year. Among all the awards, the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year will be under the spotlight which will honour the best male and female hockey players of India.
PR Sreejesh has been nominated for the Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2024. Image | Hockey India
During the ceremony, India’s Olympic bronze medal-winning team will be felicitated, along with the Men’s and Women’s teams that won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2024. The Junior Asia Cup-winning Men’s and Women’s teams will also be honoured during the award ceremony.
The award ceremony will also celebrate 50th anniversary of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s historic World Cup victory on the same date in 1975—their first and only title to date.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024: Full Winners List
The Khel Ratna Award 2024 was conferred upon four distinguished athletes: Harmanpreet Singh, Manu Bhaker, Gukesh D, and Praveen Kumar. The award ceremony will take place on January 17, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Four players, including Manu Bhaker, who won two Olympic medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, and World Chess Championship winner Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh will be honored with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024. The National Sports Award 2024 has been announced by the Sports Ministry on Thursday.
Apart from Manu and Gukesh, Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar will also be given the Khel Ratna Award 2024.
The award ceremony will take place on January 17, 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Khel Ratna Award 2024: Winners List
S. No.
Sportperson
Discipline
1
Shri Gukesh Dommaraju
Chess
2
Shri Harmanpreet Singh
Hockey
3
Shri Praveen Kumar
Para-Athletics
4
Ms. Manu Bhaker
Shooting
Manu won double medal in Paris Olympics
Manu Bhaker, 22, became the first player from independent India to win two medals in the same Olympics when she won bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events at the Paris Games in August. On the basis of his two medals, India won a total of 6 medals in the Paris.
18 year old Gukesh is the new youngest world champion
18-year-old Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world champion and was also instrumental in the Indian team's historic gold medal in the Chess Olympiad last year. He defeated defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final.
Gukesh has become the first player in the world to win the title at such a young age. Earlier in 1985, Russia's Garry Kasparov had won this title at the age of 22.
Harmanpreet-led India won bronze in Paris
Under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian hockey team won a medal for the second consecutive Olympics. They won the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics and the gold medal in the Asian Games 2022. At the same time, Harmanpreet has won the title of Player of the Year at FIH Awards three times.
Praveen won Paralympic gold with a record in high jump
Para high jumper Praveen Kumar surprised everyone by winning the gold medal with an Asian record in the men's high jump at the Paris Paralympics. Praveen, who won a silver medal in the Tokyo Paralympics, gave the best performance of his career in the T64 event and registered his name in history by clearing a height of 2.08 meters.
Hockey India League Auction Starts Today With Over 1,000 Players; Here are the Details
Hockey India League auction kicks off today with 1,000+ players, including legends across men's and women's teams. Here are all the details you need to know.
The most anticipated Hockey India League auction will start today, October 13th, at New Delhi and will continue till October 15th. More than 1,000 players have registered for the auction. This includes more than 400 domestic players. and over 150 international players. Apart from the playing hockey players in India, retired stalwarts like Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra.
The women's league has more than 250 domestic players and 70+ overseas players registered for the tournament.
Earlier, Hockey India had already mentioned the limited venues assigned for the tournament. These are: Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Ranchi will host all the women's matches while the men's matches will take place in Rourkela.
Irespective of the men's and women's teams, each team can have a maximum of 24 players. Each team cannot bag more than 8 overseas players and should have 24 indigenous players that include at least 4 juniors.
How many teams will play the tournament?
The men's league will play 8 teams this year. The inaugural women's league will play 6 teams. The franchises that have confirmed their investment are:
Charles Group,
Yadu Sports,
JSW Sports,
Shrachi Sports,
SG Sports and Entertainment,
Vedanta Limited,
Resolute Sports,
Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited
Purse details:
Each of the eight men's team will have a budget of 4 crores, while the women's tean will have 2 crore for the procedure.
As per the auction procedure, there is no upper limit of expenditure on a particular player, but accumulating the required number of players must be done within the purse.
Base price:
Three categories have been induced according to the ranks of each player: Rs 2 lakh (for juniors), Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh.
Where to watch the auction?
Hockey India League has initiated their own Hockey India League Youtube channel where they will live stream the entire lauction procedure.
Other than that, DD Sports will broadcast the auction live, from Sunday.
On the first day, ie, 13th October, the auction will start from 2 pm. On the next two days, the auction procedure will commence on and from 9:30 am. in the morning.
Hockey India names 40-member Indian Men's Hockey Team squad for the upcoming test series against Germany
The Indian Men's Hockey Team won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 and retained the title at the Asian Champions Trophy in China. The team will head into this camp following these recent successes.
Hockey India, on Tuesday has selected 40 probable players for the coaching camp of the Indian Men's Hockey Team in Bengaluru in preparation for the two-match series against world champions Germany here later this month.
Two matches will be played against Germany on the 23rd and 24th October at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium. The camp will run from October 1 to 19. The focus of the camp will be on honing the skills of the players and developing strategies during matches.
The Indian Men's Hockey Team won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 and retained the title at the Asian Champions Trophy in China. The team will head into this camp following these recent successes.
'This camp will allow us to improve our strategies'
India captain Harmanpreet Singh said the camp will help in ensuring that the team is well-prepared and in peak condition before facing Germany. "Playing against the world champions is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase our abilities, and having an exciting mix of players in this camp will allow us to improve our strategies and build the cohesion needed,"
"Each player in this core group brings unique strengths and varying levels of experience and we'll be focusing on how to harness these individual talents and help us grow as players. Our objective is to create an environment where everyone pushes each other and by the end of this camp, we want to be an even stronger and better coordinated team." Harmanpreet added.
Indian hockey players Varun Kumar and Karthi Selvam will return to the national camp.
A Bronze costs just USD 100: Trembling Future of Pakistan Hockey Team
Pakistan Hockey Federation has rewarded Rs 8300 to their Men's Hockey Team, for sealing the bronze, after defeating Korea by 5-2. H.I. has announced 3 lakhs per player and 1.5 to the support staffs each, for the gold.
The kids that grew grey once considered Pakistan as the powerhouse of hockey. The history encrypted, however, contradicts the present scenario. The hard-earned bronze medal in the Asian Hockey Championship can somehow act as a consolation for the Pakistan Men’s Hockey team. But, the “reward” from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) raised eyebrows- just USD 100 to each player! The amount calculates around RS 8300, and just 28,000 in Pakistan’s currency!
Pakistan and its financial struggles are nothing too new. But the once glorified sport receiving such a reward has raised various questions, including PHF’s (Pakistan Hockey Federation) approach towards the future.
Pakistan Hockey Team- A “Golden Era” Overshadowed by Present Struggles
Once tagged as the “King of Grass”, the country has three Olympic golds and four World Cup titles in its bag. The team once dominated the sport in the Asian circumference, alongside India. Pakistan Hockey team has produced legends like goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed, who captained Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1994. It had Brigadier Abdul Hamid, who scored Pakistan's first-ever Olympic goal in 1948, immortalized in the country’s sports history.
Pakistan defeated India by 1-0, in the finals, clinching the gold medal at the Rome Olympics.
However, the tables trembled in the 1980s. Artificial watered turfs started replacing the grass courts. The “King of Grass” struggled to adapt to the newly given conditions and the dynamics of the game. Currently, a struggling Pakistan Hockey Team has hit rock bottom.
They touched the 30th block in the FIH standing- their lowest-ever rank. However, the ACT Bronze medal has pushed them five blocks upward- to the 15th rank. The road to regaining the past glory seems steep, but is it impossible? Question prevails!
Financial Woes and Federation Mismanagement
At the heart of Pakistan's hockey decline is financial instability. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has faced multiple allegations that includes mismanagement and the misuse of government funds. Moreover, complaints from different corners do come, regarding involvement of senior “legends” of Pakistan Hockey Team. Them, as complained, often resisted to the idea of employing foreign coaches. However, when seniors got the responsibility, they failed miserably too, as coaches.
Speaking of foreign coaches, they need a longer spell to get adapted to the situations. They need ample time to get under the nerves and train the player- to detect the pros and cons and work on them. But the financial condition of PHF has prevented the longevity of such coaching tenures.
Situations turned this worse that board started hiring event- based coaches. Notably, former coach Roelant Oltmans, who accompanied the Pakistan Hockey team to Poland for the Nation’s Cup, had to leave midway through his tenure due to unpaid fees.
Criticisms came on the way, with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) being apathetic to the Pakistan Hockey Federation. The Imran Khan tenure has seen PSB providing the lowest grants. A lot of government federations depends solely on PSB grants for their curriculum. PSB, however, published a report where it said that an amount of 1000 million rupees has been allotted for different federations including PHF.
The 2019/2020 Fiscal year, PSB distributed only 25 million rupees. Its aim was to set up training camps and to support participation in international and national events. The 2020/21 fiscal year had its amount increased to 42 million rupees. The PSB has notably raised its funding over the past two fiscal years. That includes 2023/24, allocating a total expenditure of around 920 million rupees to federations.
PSB, over the past five years, has given PHF only 103 million rupees in grants. On the contrary, the athletics federation received over 100 million rupees, for the sake of Arshad Nadeem's Olympic preparations. The disparity is glaring, especially considering hockey's status as Pakistan's national sport.
Arshad Nadeem receives Pakistan's first Gold medal in Paris Olympics, with a record throw of 92.97m.
A New Coach, Old Problems
Pakistan’s other major problem is exposure. The financial drawbacks have limited the international tours for the team. The last time Pakistan Men’s Hockey Team had a tour, was for the Nations Cup at Netherlands and Poland. It was a qualification for the pro league. Pakistan there finished fourth, behind New Zealand, France, South Africa.
With Oltman’s departure, Tahir Zaman, stepped in as head coach just before the Asian Champions Trophy. He, with over 20 years of coaching experience, has acknowledged the deep-rooted challenges, is cautiously optimistic.
He aims to push for a Pakistan Hockey League to nurture young talent and provide players with much-needed exposure. But even Zaman admits that reviving Pakistan hockey will be a long process.
The Asian Championship Trophy bronze somehow looks like a slight consolation to the overall struggling team. Even though it offered a glimmer of hope, the announcement of a meagre USD 100 reward for each player has sparked widespread outrage. Placing it by the side of Hockey India awarded ₹3 lakh (around USD 3,600) to each of its players, Pakistan Hockey team looks awfully dull. and this absolutely not a welcoming sign for any hockey enthusiast around the world.
The financial challenges facing Pakistan's hockey players are not only demoralizing but are also driving them to desperate measures. Earlier this year, In August, three players—Murtaza Yakoob, Ihtesham Aslam, and Abdur Rahman—along with physiotherapist Waqas, escaped from a training camp in Poland during the Nations Cup.
It was the pre-Asian Champions trophy training cup, when they were summoned, they informed of them not being available due to personal issues. However, later it became clear that they fled away seeking asylum in Europe. PHF subsequently banned them for life.
PHF secretary general Rana Mujahid feared that this escape may create complications in getting visa for any tour in Europe. With the present complications in the financial conditions, this move wasn't apt for the team, according to Rana.
However, many doubts this move by the players and the physio was a result of delays in PHF doing delays in travel and other allowances.
When Mujahid blames the players, the critiques blamed the financial coundidion of the boards for the athletes to choose this desperation.
The Future Calls: Will Hockey Survive?
The present day situation of the Pakistan Hockey team has divided the fans in two groups. One believes the team has been burried. However, the other one is optimistic, byt to a certain level, believing this phase to be the "ventilator" ohase.
The only head to believe Pakistan Hockey team as the Phoenix shortly is its present coach, Tahir Zaman, the 55-year-old with almost 20 years of experience, who still believes his boys can regain the glory. He has his plan already set in his mind, where nourishing the domestic hockey comes first.
Asian Champions Trophy is not a so called important trophy in the Hockey arena. But a bronze medal in this struggling situation, should be enough to draw attention for the betterement. But again, the idiocy PSB showed, by giving the miminimal value to the medal, questions the future of the Hockey.
Is it actually having a bright future, with the "new generation?" Will the Pakistani kids choose emotion and past glories over wages while opting for national hockey? The answer is unknown for an eternity!
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