R K Roy Academy joins Hockey India family as new Academy member
The Academy is committed to promoting excellence in hockey across various age groups, providing structured training programs, and providing opportunities for young athletes to develop their skills and compete at a high level.
R K Roy Hockey Academy was on Tuesday inducted as a new member of the Hockey India family.
RK Roy Hockey Academy, located in Patna, Bihar, was founded by Abhishek Kumar and Arunima Roy, who are passionate about growing the game of hockey in their region.
This new provision is expected to boost the growth of hockey in Bihar
The Academy is committed to promoting excellence in Indian hockey across various age groups, providing structured training programs, and providing opportunities for young athletes to develop their skills and compete at a high level.
This new provision is expected to boost the growth of hockey in Bihar, thereby contributing to the overall growth of the game in India.
Hockey India has 27 Permanent Members
With the induction of new members, Hockey India currently has 27 Permanent Members, 34 Associate Members, 52 Academy Members, and 2 Hockey India Members.
'this partnership will yield exceptional players'
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his excitement over the addition of the new Academy member and said, "We are thrilled to welcome the R K Roy Hockey Academy into our family. Their commitment to nurturing young talent aligns perfectly with our vision of promoting hockey at the grassroots level. We are confident that this partnership will yield exceptional players who will make a mark in the national and international arenas."
Hockey India General Secretary Bhola Nath Singh said, "The induction of the R K Roy Hockey Academy is a significant step towards strengthening the foundation of hockey in Bihar. The academy's dedication to excellence and structured approach to training young athletes is commendable. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on the sport and the community."
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.
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!
Hockey India announces 33-member core probable squad for National Women's Coaching Camp ahead of Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024
The camp will be the beginning of the team's preparation for the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024 to be played at the newly constructed Rajgir Stadium in Bihar from 11 to 20 November.
Hockey India on Saturday announced the 33-member Indian women's hockey team for the national coaching camp to be held from September 15 to October 9. This camp will be held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus in Bengaluru.
The camp will be the beginning of the team's preparation for the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024 to be played at the newly constructed Rajgir Stadium in Bihar from 11 to 20 November. This prestigious tournament, a joint initiative between Hockey India and the Bihar Government.
India last played in FIH Hockey Pro League
The Indian Women's Hockey Team last participated in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 season in which they faced teams like Argentina, Belgium, Germany and Britain. Under the leadership of captain Salima Tete and vice-captain Navneet Kaur and the guidance of Harendra Singh, the team had performed brilliantly throughout the tournament.
The Indian Women's Hockey squad shortlisted for the camp includes goalkeepers Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Bansari Solanki, and Madhuri Kindo. The defenders selected are Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Monika, Ropni Kumari, Mahima Choudhary, Jyoti Chhatri, and Preeti.
In the midfield, the team features Salima Tete, Marina Lalramnghaki, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Neha, Jyoti, Edula Jyoti, Baljeet Kaur, Manisha Chauhan, Akshata Abaso Dhekale, and Ajmina Kujur. Also, the forward line includes Sunelita Toppo, Mumtaz Khan, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Deepika Soreng, Preeti Dubey, Vandana Katariya, and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal.
'This camp will allow us to refine our strategies'
Indian Women's Hockey Team head coach, Harendra Singh said, "The upcoming National Women’s Coaching Camp is a crucial step in our preparations for the Women's Asian Champions Trophy. This camp will allow us to refine our strategies, work on specific areas that need improvement, and build on the strengths we displayed during the FIH Pro League. With the Asian Champions Trophy being held in Rajgir for the first time, it is a unique opportunity for our team to perform at their best on home soil. We are focused on enhancing our skills, fitness, and teamwork, and this camp will lay the foundation for a successful tournament."
Asian Champions Trophy 2024: India beats Pakistan 2-1; qualifies for semis after fifth consecutive win
The Indian Men's Hockey Team is leading the points table after winning all 5 matches in this Asian Champions Trophy 2024. Whereas Pakistan is second after India after winning 2 out of 5 matches. Both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals.
Defending champion Indian Men's Hockey Team defeated arch-rival Pakistan 2-1 in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China on Saturday.
After winning the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics 2024, the excellent form of the Indian hockey team is also visible in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 as well. The team has registered its fifth consecutive win of the tournament in the last round-robin match played today. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored both the goals for India. In contrast, Nadeem Ahmed scored the goal for Pakistan.
The Indian team is leading the points table after winning all 5 matches in this Asian Champions Trophy. Whereas Pakistan is second after India after winning 2 out of 5 matches. Both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals.
India's 8th win over Pakistan
This is India's 8th win over Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy. This was the 12th match between the two teams. During this period, Pakistan has been able to win only 2 matches. There have been 2 matches drawn.
India took lead after falling behind in the beginning
The Indian team started the first quarter of the match aggressively but then went into defense. Pakistan tried to score a goal in the 5th minute but failed. However, Pakistan got success in the 7th minute and took a 1-0 lead by scoring a field goal. Nadeem Ahmed scored a goal for Pakistan. Due to this India remained under pressure for some time. But they got its first penalty corner in the 12th minute and captain Harmanpreet Singh leveled the match without any mistake.
Captain Harmanpreet gave the winning lead
India started aggressively in the second quarter. They soon won a penalty corner and captain Harmanpreet Singh made no mistakes to give India a 2-1 lead. Pakistan got the first penalty corner, but the team could not take advantage and India did not suffer any loss. India maintained a 2-1 lead till the first half which lasted till the end of the match.
A total of six teams including India are participating in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024. In the group stage, all the teams have to play five matches each. The semi-finals and final will be played on 16 and 17 September respectively.
India is a strong contender to become champion in this tournament. India had won the title on home soil last year, making them the team with the most titles in the tournament's history, winning 4 titles.
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