In the first match of the Men's Asian Champions Trophy India was held to a draw against South Korea. The Korean defence proved to be a tough one as India managed to earn only one point from the game. However, the second game was far different from the men in blue. They thrashed the debutant Bangladesh by 9 goals in their second match of the tournament.
Along with those two, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Mor and Harmanpreet Singh were among the goalscorers list as well.
The scoreline would have been worse for the home team if it was not for their goalkeeper Abu Nippon. In the first quarter, Abu saved seven penalty corners from India and managed to make the hope alive for the hosts.
Dilpreet Singh was the first man to open the scoresheet for India as he made a quick turn and shoot it past Abu Nippon. For the second goal, Dilpreet Singh took the advantage of an easy pass back from Ashraful Islam. Later, Lalit Kumar found the net from a penalty corner to finish the first half. India leads 3-0 after the first half.
In the third quarter, Jarmanpreet Singh scored from two penalty corners. Meanwhile, Dilpreet completed his hat-trick to make it 6-0 for the visitors.
In the last quarter, the whole Bangladesh team went down to defend the goal. However, they could not resist Mandeep Mor, Akashdeep Singh and Harmanpreet Singh as they made it 9-0 for India. Mandeep scored his first international goal. In the whole match, Bangladesh only managed to have one shot on target.
India's next match in Men's Asian Champions Trophy is against joint defending champion Pakistan on Friday at 3 pm.
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 League back after 7 years: All you need to know about it
After 7 years, the Hockey India League is making a comeback with a revamped format, with better planning and strong finance, and a dedicated women’s edition.
The two-month span from March onwards is a festival beyond the yearly almanac. TheIndian Premier League blocks all the mundane schedules for seasonal cricket fans. The grandeur it has and the craze and hype it injects into the audience are unmatched. The cash-rich league managed to get a brother in 2013, in Indian Hockey—The Hockey Indian League (HIL). Their motto was the same: popularizing the sport in the country.
The long-run execution fell short of finance and ceased in 2017. After seven long years, HIL is set to make a comeback. On Friday, October 4, Hockey India will inaugurate their HIL 2.0, having Women's Hockey their first HIL!
Hockey India League 2.0
It is a resurgence, rather than a revamp of the previous edition of the Hockey Premier League, with better planning and steady finance.
The IPL started after the 2007 T-20 World Cup win. This version of HIL is nothing but a by-product of two back-to-back Olympic bronzes and a gold in the Asian Games. HI has announced that the HIL will start with initially 8 teams in the men's and 6 in the women's edition.
A total of 10 franchise owners have come on board.
For the men's event, franchises that came forward are:
Chennai- Charles Group,
Lucknow- Yadu Sports,
Punjab- JSW Sports,
WestBengal- Shrachi Sports,
Delhi- SG Sports and Entertainment (team name: Delhi SG Pipers)
Each franchise will build a 24-player (men and women each) squad. Each team will have a mix of 16 Indian players, a mandatory inclusion of four junior players, and a maximum of eight international players.
To make the pre-tournament phases more scintillating, the auction procedure has been added to it. Three categories have been induced according to the ranks of each player: Rs 2 lakh (for juniors), Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh.
The auction will take place between Oct 13 and 15.
However, the tournament will be restricted to venues only. 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.
Photo credit: TOI
The main reason behind limiting it to two stadiums is finance and the craze.
Finance
According to the Times of India, a huge sum of Rs 3,640 crore will be invested for Hockey Indian League purposes for the coming 10 years. HI will chip in some 112 crore each year, mainly on HL's title sponsor and media rights.
A few sources informed that HI has promised to contribute a total of Rs. 1,120 crore for the coming ten years for the swift perpetration of the revamp.
The franchises will lay out around Rs 18 crores on each of the total 14 teams (men and women), each year, which translates into Rs 252 crore for 14 teams.
Thus, for 10 years, franchises will be shelling out Rs 2,520 crore largely on players and coaching support staff’s salaries. The expenditure also includes grants for grassroot development of the sport through their hockey academies.
Thus, considering HI’s contribution of Rs 1,120 crore and franchises’ spending of Rs 2,520 crore, HIL will boast of a total investment purse of Rs 3,640 crore.
Earlier, HO: wasn't limited to just two venues. But HI president Dilip Tirkey clarified that it has been done to reduce the travel and reservation cost of home and away matches. Additionally, the venues have been chosen keeping in mind the popularity of hockey in that place.
The inaugural women's event
From 2013 to 2017, the women's version of the Hockey Premier League wasn't available. For the first time, female hockey players in India will have a dedicated platform to showcase their skills on a large scale.
The women's team has been an absolute spectacle in the Tokyo Olympics. Savita Punia was no short in fame when compared to PR Sreejesh in terms of skill. The windy Vandana Kataria, hopefully, won't be a name to those fans, but in all households.
It's not about promoting gender equality in a sport when a section of it is yet to rise its head in India. It's more about breaking taboos about women wearing skirts, like what Rani Rampal faced in her childhood. It is more about providing a well-structured hockey stick to the budding players instead of a mere bamboo stick!
Drawbacks that got corrected
The 2013–2017 version of the Hockey Indian League had its financial drawbacks. But other than that, it had clashes of schedule,
A league that could have been as big as a festival, to the fans, couldn't manage to get an uninterrupted vacant place in the FIH calendar. The Hockey Pro League came into being, which ate up whatever space was remaining.
However, this year, President Tirkey and Secretary Bhola Nath Singh have assured that such disruptions won't happen from now on. Both have revealed that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has granted the window from December 28 to February 5 for the next 10 years.
HIL winners till 2017
2013- Ranchi Rhinos
2014- Delhi Waveriders
2015- Ranchi Rays
2016- Punjab Warriors
2017: Kalinga Lancers
Game recognizes Game
Sreejesh named Director of Hockey in Delhi franchise for upcoming HIL-PTI
Athletes investing in franchises is not new. So does hockey. Mahesh Bhupathi, the Indian tennis legend, has invested in the Delhi SG Pipers franchise
Adding further excitement, former Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who was freshly appointed as the coach for the junior hockey team, is now the mentor for the Delhi franchise.
Hockey Indian League: Opening new doors to talent
Say, for example, the Indian Premier League! It is a cash-rich league because of the unwavering fan support, definitely due to the monetization of the league.
But it has more efficacy due to its role in nurturing young talents. HIL is nothing short of that. The international players will not be just teammates but leaders and seniors whom the rookies will look up to.
This will increase the pace of the game, adding more skills and perfection to the drags and flicks.
An Indian fan probably won't be expecting some foul on the body to get a penalty corner so that some Amit Rohidas or Harmanpreet Singh convert it into a goal. A basic wish to see a ball in play before hitting the net, just as Australians do, will be fulfilled hopefully.
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.
Yo-Yo Test: Hardik Singh’s Revelation Sparks Debate Between Fitness of Cricketers and Hockey Players
In a recent podcast, Hardik Singh, Indian men's Hockey Vice-Captain claimed hockey players have more Yo-Yo Test scores than cricketers. This article has an overview of the test, as a whole.
Hardik Singh's statements that Indian hockey players are "scoring more" in the Yo-Yo Test routinely, even compared to cricketers, had been a surprise factor for many sports fans. Players in the game of hockey regularly exceed 23 on the Yo-Yo Test, he said and even the fittest cricketers like Virat Kohli stopped at about 17 to 18, Singh added.
Not only that, the jaw dropped when Hardik claimed that the junior women's hockey team's Yo-Yo test scores are equal to that of Kohli's. This sparked questions. So what is this Yo-Yo Test, and why is everybody, especially cricketers, making so much hoo-hah about it along with the Hockey team?
The Yo-Yo Test: From Danish Soccer Fields to Indian Cricket Camps
The Yo-Yo Test isn't just a quirky name. In the early 1990s, Danish soccer physiologist Jens Bangsbo first introduced the 3200-meter test as a measure of fitness evolution. The term yo-yo originates from the way that a yo-yo is testing, back-and-forth.
The Bangsbo test replicated the activity pattern of soccer. This includes short bursts of high-intensity activity interspersed with brief recovery periods. And thus, it became soccer-friendly within days. It then quickly spread amongst athletes from sports such as basketball, tennis, and even handball. All these games require sprints followed by short rest periods.
It was a breakthrough test. It includes moving from the previous steady aerobic fitness tests like the 12-minute run that did not reflect the stop-start nature of these sports. This Test just replicated the realities—having to accelerate and stop quickly or run hard for a short period followed by an intense recovery.
The Indian Cricket Connection: Enters Shankar Basu
Young Virat Kohli with "Basu Sir"
The Yo-Yo Test gained popularity in European soccer. Later, it emigrated to the courts of other team sports. The Indian Cricket team took a long time.
In 2017, thanks to the strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu, who implemented the Yo-Yo test as the ultimate bar to ensure fitness. The aim was to guarantee players could cope with the demands of modern cricket. The test was the right fit for it, as cricket these days demands explosive sprints between the wickets and rapid fielding movements.
As a result, the test became a requirement for selection into the Indian cricket team. Players had to achieve a minimum score of 16.1. Only those who met this standard were deemed fit for national duty. Suresh Raina, failing to reach the mark in 2017, was left out of the team. Virat Kohli, known for his dedication to fitness, achieved a remarkable score of 17.2 in 2023.
However, Hardik Singh pointed out that this score would barely make a dent in the hockey world.
Cricket vs Hockey: Why the Yo-Yo Test Favors Hockey Players
So, why do hockey players like Hardik Singh say that their scores are far superior to those of cricketers? The nature of hockey requires players to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the game. However, cricket requires athletes to engage in short, intermittent sprints.
In hockey, players are in a constant transition between offence and defence. They are continuously racing up and down the field and quickly recovering. Hockey is a sport that doesn't ensure ball possession to a particular player but demands him/her to be in action throughout.
This type of movement closely resembles and suits the test. Thus it rightly explains why athletes from more physically demanding sports like hockey can achieve impressive Yo-Yo Test scores, sometimes reaching as high as 23.
Hardik’s teammate, PR Sreejesh, the experienced goalkeeper, managed to score an impressive 21 on the test. Funny enough, this guy needs to just move and dive within the 20-meter mark and nothing else!
Graphical representation of Yo Yo Test. Graphic courtesy- ESPN
The test requires athletes to run back and forth between two cones that are 20 meters apart. It may sound easy, but it’s not. Athletes need to reach the cone before the beep. And as they progress through each level, the beeps come more quickly.
This means they have to run faster and faster. After each sprint, they get a brief recovery period of 5 to 10 seconds before the next sprint begins. The test starts at a relatively slow pace, but soon athletes find themselves sprinting at full speed, struggling to catch their breath as the pace becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Courtesy: ESPN
The test concludes when an athlete can no longer reach the cone before the beep. Their score reflects how many levels and shuttles (round trips) they can complete before they have to stop.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness
The Yo-Yo Test is necessary due to its ability to assess both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Aerobic fitness deals with how effectively the body is utilizing oxygen over extended periods. Anaerobic fitness, on the other hand, focuses on your performance during short, intense efforts when oxygen isn't readily available.
In sports such as hockey, soccer, and basketball, athletes rely on both types of fitness to maintain high performance throughout the game. However, cricket involves a short and sudden burst of intense activity. It may be a dive at the slip, a one-handed catch, or diving to save the wicket. This is the reason cricket limits itself to the basic level of the test.
The Four Versions of the Test
The test, however, is not limited to just one type. There are four different types of this test, designed for different levels of fitness. Here, the types are mentioned.
Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1): This is the most common version, focusing on an athlete’s aerobic endurance.
Recovery Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2): A tougher version of IR1, focusing more on anaerobic recovery.
Endurance Level 1 (Yo-Yo IE1): This version is used for sports that require lower intensity over a longer period.
Endurance Level 2 (Yo-Yo IE2): A more intense version of IE1 for athletes who need to perform at a high level for an extended time.
The cricketers use the Yo-Yo IR1 test. However, the Hockey players juggle between IR1 and the tougher version, IR2.
Beyond Fitness
This test is not just a medium to gain fitness. This ensures better stamina with better healing capabilities.
Apparently, it sounds like this enhances the on-field performances. But it has underlying positives. It helps the athletes to improve not just their stamina but also their ability to recover quickly between bursts of activity. As Hardik Singh mentions, hockey players must preserve peak fitness levels because their sport demands constant movement, high stamina, and swift bursts of speed.
A score that looks like a number has a huge amount of resilience and grip underneath it. Every time it feels like running out of breath, it seems like a continuous duel between the mind and the body. The mind pushes an exhausted body to be a better one.
Cricket, even though it is the most popular sport so far, doesn't need continuous body movements, unlike Hockey. Undoubtedly, the second one deserves more physical activities.
When it looks like a "choice" for sports like cricket, it's a necessity for fast-paced games like hockey!
In the end, it's just a question asked to the fans out there: is it high time to not use the term "fittest athlete" for someone for just being popular?
Nevertheless, with a fanbase that ignores the Olympic bronze medalist and puts more emphasis on a mere influencer who has as few contributions, one can't expect more!
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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