Eleven Olympic medals in all, eight gold, unbeaten from 1928 to 1956, a podium finish until 1972 and back in possession of the gold in 1980. A fairytale! Now hear about the nightmare. Medal-less since 1980, not even part of the Beijing Games in 2008 and once again set to experience the jitters of uncertainty in a qualification tournament. Indian hockey's fall from grace defies logic, but it's time to...
03:27 PM, Feb 17, 2012
New Delhi: The well-oiled sticks of Indian men's hockey team are ready for the Olympic qualifiers. The magic that the world associates with Indian hockey will once again, hopefully, be woven at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here. But that's not possible without the support that the national game yearns for, and coach Michael Nobbs confirms that notion. "Come out and support us, yell and scream for us. Support...
03:04 PM, Feb 17, 2012
New Delhi: Chief coach Michael Nobbs on Thursday said there is no fixed starting eleven in the Indian men's hockey team and all 18 players are good enough to start in the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers here on Feb 18-26. The Australian said he has full faith in the 18-man squad and the players are capable of taking each other's place. "We don't have a fixed starting first XI. I...
04:59 PM, Feb 16, 2012
New Delhi: Call it over confidence or complacency, India captain Bharat Chetri on Thursday made it amply clear that he is treating the Olympic qualifying matches against minnows Singapore and Italy as mere "practice games" ahead of tough opponents like France and Canada. Asked whether lack of practice matches would be an impediment ahead of the tournament, Chetri didn't seem to be on the same page with coach Michael Nobbs....
03:30 PM, Feb 16, 2012
The men's and women's teams of India aim to seal Olympic berths in the Feb 18-26 qualification tournament in New Delhi. ...
12:33 PM, Feb 16, 2012
New Delhi: In less than three days' time, India will begin their quest to return to the Olympics after facing the ignominy of missing the bus to Beijing four years ago. The qualification tournament for London 2012 begins here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, with both the men and women teams from India fighting for an Olympics berth. But while the men are almost certain to book themselves...
12:32 PM, Feb 16, 2012
New Delhi: With just three days left for the start of the hockey Olympic qualifiers, India coach CR Kumar is concerned about his wards' performance in the initial stages of a match, as the home team came from a goal down to beat Canada 5-2 in a practice game here on Tuesday. The Indian eves, placed 13th in the world rankings, were in for a rude shock when Hannah Haughn...
06:24 PM, Feb 14, 2012
New Delhi: Part of the team that failed to make the Olympics four years ago in Chile, Indian striker Shivendra Singh knows the importance of the upcoming qualifiers for the quadrennial event as he feels London is probably his last chance to become an Olympian. Shivendra was just 24 when India, for the first time in 80 years, failed to qualify for the Olympics after losing to Great Britain in...
04:02 PM, Feb 14, 2012
New Delhi: The Ukraine women's hockey team has brought a surprise to the Olympic hockey qualifiers, and it's India's former men's hockey coach Jose Brasa, who is back in the country as an advisor to the Ukraine team. The moment Brasa entered the practice arena, all eyes were on the Spaniard, who had a forgettable tenure in India before being replaced by the Australian Michael Nobbs. But as a true...
03:28 PM, Feb 14, 2012
New Delhi: The aura is long gone and recent performances have been inconsistent, but Indian hockey's former technical adviser Ric Charlesworth, who had a controversial stint with the team, still expects his former wards to qualify for the London Olympics during the qualifiers starting in New Delhi on Saturday. "India still have some very exciting players and can play some fabulous hockey, but perhaps they are not consistent enough and...
10:40 AM, Feb 14, 2012
India hockey coach Michael Nobbs is positive about the team's chances in the Olympic qualifiers starting in New Delhi from February 17. ...
11:23 AM, Feb 13, 2012
New Delhi: Drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, now 28, would have been at the peak of his international hockey career had it not been for a life-threatening accident that put him out of competitive hockey in 2003. He is still a part of the national team but as a key figure in the support staff, fine-tuning the skills of the present lot of drag-flickers. A freak road accident in Jalandhar eight years...
05:53 PM, Feb 12, 2012
Chief coach Michael Nobbs feels that Indian hockey team needs to be as ruthless as World champions Australia if they have to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. ...
08:34 PM, Feb 10, 2012
New Delhi: The void of missing the Beijing Olympics may never be fulfilled for Indian hockey but watching the team at practice instils the belief that India's return to the Olympics is on the cards. And the coach of the mens team, Michael Nobbs, fully endorses it. "I want to make sure that everything we do is perfect. I just want to keep winning. If you win, everybody's happy, the...
05:08 PM, Feb 10, 2012
New Delhi: Michael Nobbs, the national men's hockey team coach, feels France could pose some problems to India's hopes of making a comeback into the Olympics as the team gets ready to run a final check on its preparation for the qualifiers, which begin here from February 18. India, Canada, France, Singapore, Poland and Italy will vie for a solitary spot for the London Games, which begin later this year....
03:55 PM, Feb 10, 2012
New Delhi: With just 11 days left for the London Olympic qualifiers, Indian hockey coach Michael Nobbs is busy finetuning the minute aspects, which according to him should help the players avoid the mistakes that cost the team dearly in the recent past. "The training is going on really well. There are no injury issues and we are now just finetuning. We are focussing on every little detail, every little...
04:24 PM, Feb 07, 2012
Mumbai: Former captain Rajpal Singh has taken his axing from the Indian team in his stride and is confident he will be recalled to the national squad after the London Olympic Qualifiers in Delhi later this month. The 27-year-old Chandigarh player is also aiming to use the upcoming World Series Hockey to get the much needed match practise if and when he gets a call-up for national duty. "I have...
04:02 PM, Feb 03, 2012
Former captains, Rajpal Singh and Arjun Halappa have been dropped from the Indian squad for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers. ...
10:39 AM, Feb 01, 2012
New Delhi: Hockey India on Tuesday announced a 18-member women's squad for the London Olympic qualifiers, to be held at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium from February 18. Led by midfielder Asunta Lakra, the team features most of the players who played in the four-Test series against Azerbaijan early this month. Joydeep Kaur, who made a comeback in the 32-men probable after recovering from an injury sustained during the...
07:16 PM, Jan 31, 2012
New Delhi: India's men's hockey coach, Michael Nobbs, said on Tuesday that the turf at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium has no issues with it, putting aside reports in the media that suggested the coach was not happy with the uneven bounce on top of one of the striking circles during the recently concluded Test series between India and South Africa. "There are no issues with the pitch. It just...
06:36 PM, Jan 31, 2012
