The Indian Hockey team will take on South Africa tonight at the Hockey FIH Pro League. India began their Hockey FIH Pro League journey by defeating France last night in their season opener with 5-0. The Manpreet Singh-led side will face the host tonight from 09:30 pm IST.

Read also: Hockey FIH Pro League 2022: Full schedule and fixture

This competition is India's first competitive tournament of the year. Indian men's hockey team clinched the bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The chief coach Graham Reid said on the pressure of Olympics medal prior to the tournament, "Realistically, yes, it does add some pressure, but I don't think it is more than the pressure we put on ourselves to perform well. Whenever a team does well at a big event like the Olympics, I think other teams take note of that and there is a target on you. It does add extra pressure, but I think the good part about that is that we tend to play our best when we are in such situations."

Read also: Lakshya Sen, Vandana Katariya in Forbes 30-Under-30

Where to watch the tournament in India?

All the matches will be shown live on Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD channels. The live streaming will be telecasted on Disney+Hotstar.

The Indian Premier League is a high-profile, cash-rich league that not only opened doors for the national limelight but has provided financial stability to many undiscovered talents. Players getting selected and jumping out of their comforting sofas out of joy is a very usual scene each and every time the hammer hits after a high bid.

This league has religiously followed its slogan, "Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi,” which translates to “Where talent meets opportunity.” Talents like Rinku Singh, T. Natarajan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Chetan Sakaria, etc. had received ample financial gain due to IPL participation.

However, there will be another name on the list of rejuvination: Amir Ali. Yes, of course, he is none from cricket but from another sport from India, Hockey, that once used to be popular. The 20-year-old young prodigy Amir, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, the state of Lalit Upadhyay, got his name in the Team Gonasika for a whopping 34 lakhs in the Hockey India League (HIL).

Who is Amir Ali?

When did Amir start his hockey journey? Idealy, it is at the age of 10, when a senior coach, Rashid Aziz Khan, noticed him at the KD Singh Babu Stadium. Khan used to mentor and groom the local young talents. Eventually, Ali resided in the same locality and got spotted. 

Amil Ali, however, has another identity—a helper to his father, Tasawar Ali, in his garage. Senior Ali is a motorcycle mechanic, having a small "tin briefcase" in the name of a garage "outside the main gate of the Jal Nigam office.”

Recently, he has been named as the captain for the 18-member Indian junior team in the 12th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup. The team coached by PR Sreejesh will tour Malaysia as the tournament will start on October 19.

India will begin their campaign against Japan on Oct 19, followed by matches against Great Britain (October 20), host Malaysia (October 22), Australia (October 23), and New Zealand (October 25). The top 2 teams will fight for the title on October 26th. 

Not only that, he is a promising face and is present regularly in the senior camp as a face in the team rebuilding plan.

The father-son partnership; the understanding between "hunar" and passion.

Amir Ali, the eldest of five sibling, had to join his father's business. May be it was a career option to him, or out of responsibility as a son, he stood by his father, believing it was "not one man's job."

Like the engines, his schedule was heavy too. He juggled between three roles a day—a student in the morning, a mechanic in the afternoon, and a hockey player in the evening. 

Like his hockey training started in 10, he started servicing bikes when he was just 12 years old. His father strongly believes, ‘yeh hunar hona chahiye.' The brothers must possess the skill, and they do so as all of them worked in the garage, as Amir does whenever he is at home. 

However, Tasawar never forced Amir to simply stick with education and garage. Rather, he arranged money for Amir's training. There were times when senior Ali borrowed money to meet Amir's sporting needs, while Amir skipped training to help his father in the garage.

But then he got selected in Saifai's Major Dhyan Chand Sports College. This not only facilitated his training but also eased the burden of his father in terms of providing hockey supplies.

Once a fan, now a colleague to Manpreet Singh

Thanks to Amir Ali for letting the fans know that craze has no limitations when it comes to sport. Yes, cricket dominating the Indian periphery is an undisputed truth, but there are lads like Amir Ali who won't think twice before 12 killometers, at the age of 10, just to watch Manpreet Singh playing for Ranchi!

The young Manpreet Singh was a part of the Ranchi Rhinos in the first phase of the Hockey India League. Amir looked upon him like an idol and never missed any HIL match where Manpreet played.

The former captain and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Manpreet, however, is now a teammate to the young Amir Ali. The Visakhapatnam franchise had stolen Manpreet for Rs 42 lakh, with Amir at 34 lakhs next to him.

The Ray of Hope

Leagues are often criticized as an open platform of commercialization. And there is no point of denying the fact. But what's wrong if commercialization lets art get exposed?

There are thousands and lakhs of Amir Ali's who have restricted themselves within the garage. A heavy pay check will encourage many young talents to take up this sport as a means of profession. Even if they do not break out into the national team, the bench won't stay empty.

League will provide them with the required limelight needed for being the talk of the town, as seen in cricket and other sports. Unlimited competition will come into the scene, hoping talents like Amir Ali can cope with it.

Restraining IPL-like criticisms

At certain point, things look exaggerating when people will bring huge and heavy names like Dhyan Chand or his son Ashok Kumar; KD Singh Babu or Mohammad Shahid; Zafar Iqbal or RP Singh behind young Amir's name.

Critiques will try to put him in their shoes, ignoring his beautifully crafted cut with the stick while beating the opposition's press. They will set aside his tacking skills but will remind him about Lalit and other names his state gifted to the Indian Hockey.

That's what critics do—forcefully trying to fit a Rishabh Pant in M.S. Dhoni's shoes, not letting him be himself, and definitely crashing the self-confidence!

Or bringing back flashbacks of his family struggles—how a basic smartphone was beyond his prescribed luxary—similar to how every time someone drags Jaiswal's struggles every time he smashes a good fifty or a century!

Let Amir's talents prevail. Let his stick do the talking, not his upbringing or the whatever legacy his state holds.  

There are only a few days left for Paris Olympics 2024 to start. Veteran players from all over the world are now making final preparations to win medals for their country. A total of 117 athletes will be seen representing India in the Olympics. The contingent has some young faces who will be making their debut while some players will be playing in their last Olympics. So, let's take a look at the 6 Indian players who will be featuring in their last Olympics in Paris.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

#1 Achanta Sharath Kamal

Achanta Sharath Kamal is arguably the greatest table tennis player to have graced the court representing the Indian tri-color. He will be featured in his fifth and likely his last Olympic games as he takes charge at the Paris Olympics 2024. Sharath Kamal has been selected as the flag bearer along with PV Sindhu by the Indian Olympic Committee. Born on July 12, 1982, Sharath Kamal has just recently turned 42 and will be one of the oldest athletes to participate in the Olympics. 

In his 22-year-long career, Sharath Kamal has won eight gold, three silver, and three bronze medals in Commonwealth Games. Apart from CWG's success, Sharath Kamal boasts the record of being the only player to have won the Senior National Championships for a total of 10 times. Sharath Kamal has also won two bronze medals at the Asian Games and three bronze medals at the Asian Championships.

Despite his tremendous record at the National level and in Asia, Sharath Kamal has yet to win a medal at the Olympic Games.

#2 Rohan Bopanna

Tennis superstar Rohan Bopanna will be participating in men's doubles alongside Sriram Balaji at the Paris Olympics 2024. He recently became the oldest player to be ranked number one in men's doubles. This will be Bopanna's last Olympics as the 44-year-old is the oldest member of the Indian contingent with the table tennis player Sharath Kamal being the closest as the 42-year-old. 

Since turning pro in 2003 Bopanna has been one of the flag-bearers of Indian tennis. Bopanna also has won the French Open (mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski). Recently Bopanna won the Australian Open Grand Slam in January and reached the semi-finals at the French Open in June. He represented India at the London 2012 Games and Rio 2016 but an injury denied him the chance to feature at the Tokyo Olympics.

Also Read: Top 10 Indian athletes who can win a medal at Paris Olympics 2024

#3 HS Prannoy

HS Prannoy, who will be making his first appearance at the Olympics, is determined to fulfill his dream of competing on the Olympics stage, even though it has come later in his career than he might have hoped.

At 32, an age when many badminton players consider retirement, Prannoy put together his best year on the circuit to become India’s No.1 shuttler, a feat he had never achieved previously. The man from Kerala is known to be one of the best Indian players to pick up the racquet. A world championship and Asian Games medalist, HS Prannoy was a crucial part of the Thomas Cup-winning Indian team in 2022. In 2023, he ended India's wait of 41 years to win a medal in the men's singles category at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He also won the silver medal at the inaugural edition of the Youth Olympics in 2010 in Singapore.

#4 PR Sreejesh

A veteran of three Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Cups, PR Sreejesh will be playing his fourth Olympic Games and probably his last, joining legends like Dhanraj Pillay who have represented the Indian team four times at the Olympic Games.

Having made his debut at the 2010 World Cup, Sreejesh has been part of various memorable wins for India, which include a Bronze medal in Jakarta-Palembang, joint winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, Gold medal winning team of the 2019 FIH Men's Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and Silver medal winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 36-year-old goalie was one of the main architects of India's historic Bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics.

Also Read: India at Olympics: India's Olympic medal tally by every edition

#5 Vinesh Phogat

Making a strong comeback to the international arena after leading a prolonged protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat locked the Paris Olympics quota. The 29-year-old Vinesh has secured her third straight Olympic quota, having featured in the 2016 Rio Games and the 2020 edition Tokyo.

The road to Paris was not easy for Vinesh Phogat. The Indian wrestler had to drop down from the 53 kg to the 50 kg weight category to compete in the event, as Antim Panghal had already secured a berth in the former category. Vinesh also underwent knee surgery, which could affect her performance in the relatively unfamiliar category she has opted for in the Paris Olympics.

#6 Manpreet Singh

India midfielder Manpreet Singh has hinted that the Paris Olympics could end up being his last one as India looks for another medal in men's hockey. 32-year-old Manpreet, who will be playing his 4th Olympics, captained the side when they broke a 41-year-old Olympic medal drought in Tokyo by bagging the bronze. Besides, Manpreet has been a member of the team that won the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games gold medals.

But the journey from Mithapur village in Jalandhar to Paris has not been smooth sailing for Manpreet. He had to fight poverty, false allegations and witness mother’s struggles to make a mark in his career. After the Tokyo Olympics, Manpreet had to endure the worst phase of his career when former coach Sjoerd Marijne leveled serious allegations against him.

Manpreet is no longer captain of the side with Harmanpreet Singh taking over the responsibility, but the star mid-fielder knows his role in the team as one of the senior-most member.

Harmanpreet Singh will lead the 24-member Indian Men's Hockey Team in the Europe leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 starting on May 22 in Antwerp, Belgium and London, England.  Hockey India announced on Thursday.

Also Read: Hockey India names Indian junior men's hockey team for Europe tour

India will play a total of eight matches in the Europe leg. The team will play two matches each against Argentina, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain in the two-phase tournament. 

The first leg will be played in Antwerp, Belgium from 22 to 30 May while the second leg will be played in London from 1 to 12 June.

FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 will be a crucial competition for India's preparation for the Paris Olympics 2024 starting on July 26 and will give head coach Craig Fulton an opportunity to prepare the team for the Paris Games.

The Indian team will participate in FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 after a 0-5 defeat in the five-Test series against Australia on its own soil. 

India is currently at third place in the Pro League table with 15 points from eight matches. Netherlands is on top with 26 points from 12 matches while Australia has 20 points from eight matches.

Meanwhile, midfielder Hardik Singh has been made Harmanpreet's deputy. The responsibility of goalkeeping will be on PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak.

The defensive line-up includes Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh and Vishnukant Singh. 

The midfield section will have dynamic players like Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Hardik Singh, Rajkumar Pal and Mohd. Raheel Mouseen.  

The forward line consists of Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Boby Singh Dhami.

Also Read: Salima Tete becomes new captain of Indian women's hockey team for the upcoming FIH Pro League 2023-24

FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24: Indian Squad 

Goalkeepers:

• Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
• Krishan Bahadur Pathak

Defenders:

• Jarmanpreet Singh 
• Amit Rohidas
• Harmanpreet Singh      
• Sumit
• Sanjay
• Jugraj Singh
• Vishnukant Singh

 Midfielders:

• Vivek Sagar Prasad    
• Nilakanta Sharma
• Manpreet Singh
• Shamsher Singh
• Hardik Singh     
• Rajkumar Pal
• Mohd. Raheel Mouseen

 Forwards:

• Mandeep Singh
• Abhishek
• Sukhjeet Singh    
• Lalit Kumar Upadhyay
• Gurjant Singh
• Akashdeep Singh
• Araijeet Singh Hundal
• Boby Singh Dhami

The Indian men's hockey team defeated Great Britain 4-2 in a very exciting match through penalty shootout in the FIH Pro League 2022-23 tie at the Lee Valley Hockey Centre in London on Saturday.

Also Read: "The focus is on our defence:" Indian Hockey team captain in preparation for the Asian Games

Abhishek, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Harmanpreet Singh, and former captain Manpreet Singh scored goals for India in the shootout to ensure victory for their team. The match ended in a 4-4 draw. After this Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak made two saves in the penalty shoot-out to help India win the bonus point. For the Indian men's hockey team, Harmanpreet Singh (7'), Mandeep Singh (19'), Sukhjeet Singh (28') and Abhishek (50') scored goals. On the other hand, Sam Ward from Great Britain scored four goals for his team in the 8th, 39th, 46th, and 52nd minutes.

India's Harmanpreet Singh scored the first goal of the match, converting a penalty corner in the sixth minute. In response, Sam Ward of Great Britain scored the first goal for his team. He scored a goal in the 7th minute of the match. He also made the score 1-1 by opening the account for his team through the penalty corner. After that, there were no more goals in the first quarter of the game. At the same time, there was no goal for 17 minutes in the second quarter. In the 18th minute, India's Mandeep Singh scored a brilliant field goal to give his team the lead. Sukhjeet Singh then scored a field goal in the 27th minute to make it 3-1. Great Britain did not score a single goal in the second quarter.

India's score was 3-1 at half-time, after which Sam Ward scored his team's second goal in the 39th minute of the match, converting a penalty corner. There was not a single goal from India in the third quarter. By the time the third quarter ended, the score was now 3–2. Still, the Indian team was ahead by 1 goal. The final quarter saw Great Britain play aggressively. Sam Ward completed his hat-trick in the match by scoring from a penalty corner in the 46th minute. By this goal, Great Britain equalized with India. Now the score was tied at 3-3. After this, the game was on full swing.

Also Read: Women's Junior Asia Cup: India starts with victory over Uzbekistan by 22-0

Then in the 49th minute, India's 23-year-old Abhishek scored a brilliant field goal to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Indian team. But for Great Britain, in-form Sam Ward scored his and his team's fourth goal in the 52nd minute to level the score at 4–4. The match ended 4-4 in regulation time. After that, the match was decided through a penalty shoot-out, in which the Indian team won the match by scoring four goals against two.

The Indian men's hockey team will travel to the Netherlands to play the hosts and Argentina next week. The team will now play their next FIH Pro League 2022-23 match against the Netherlands on Wednesday, June 7. The match will start at 11:10 PM IST.

Hockey India on Monday named a strong 24-member Indian Men's Hockey Team for the next leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023 in Europe starting 26th May.

Also Read: ISSF Shooting World Cup Baku: Indian rifle and pistol shooters finished with four medals

Meanwhile, drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh has been named captain of the team for the Europe phase of, which will be new coach Craig Fulton's first tournament. Earlier, in the previous edition of the FIH Pro League at home, the Indian team remained unbeaten against world champions Germany and Australia.

In Europe, the team would like to maintain this momentum where they will face Belgium and the United Kingdom in London while they will play Argentina and Netherlands in the Netherlands. Goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, who was ruled out of the domestic matches due to his marriage, is back in the team along with the experienced PR Sreejesh. Moreover, the team has five penalty corner specialists Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, and Mandeep Mor. Manpreet Singh will now join Sumit and Gurinder Singh in the backline instead of midfield.

While the midfield consists of vice-captain Hardik Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad. The forward line sees the return of Simranjeet Singh who last played in the Asia Cup in Jakarta. He will also be accompanied by Abhishek, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, S Karthi, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, and Mandeep Singh.

Also Read: Field hockey vs ice hockey: the ultimate guide to differentiate them

While speaking about the team selection, Fulton said, "I am pleased with the team we have selected for the upcoming Pro League tournament. Our current world ranking of fourth reflects the team's hard work and dedication post the World Cup. This tournament will be a great opportunity for us to compete against top-ranked teams and further improve our overall game. We are looking forward to the challenge and hope to have a strong finish to the pro league tournament."

Hockey Pro League 2023: Indian Men's Squad

Goalkeepers:

• Krishan Bahadur Pathak
• PR Sreejesh

Defenders:

• Harmanpreet Singh (C)
• Amit Rohidas
• Jarmanpreet Singh
• Manpreet Singh
• Sumit, Sanjay
• Mandeep Mor
• Gurinder Singh
• Hardik Singh (VC)
• Dilpreet Singh
• Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh
• Shamsher Singh
• Akashdeep Singh
• Vivek Sagar Prasad

Forwards:

• Abhishek
• Lalit Kumar Upadhyay
• S Karthi
• Gurjant Singh
• Sukhjeet Singh
• Raj Kumar Pal
• Mandeep Singh
• Simranjeet Singh

Hockey Pro League 2023: Match schedule

• May 26: India vs Belgium at 1900 hrs IST
• May 27: India vs Great Britain at 2130 hrs IST
• June 2: India vs Belgium at 1900hrs IST
• June 3: India vs Great Britain at 1700 hrs IST
• June 7: India vs Netherlands at 2300 hrs IST
• June 8: India vs Argentina at 2030 hrs IST
• June 10: India Vs Netherlands at 2100 hrs IST
• June 11: India Vs Argentina at 2100 hrs IST