The Indian men's hockey team put up a spirited performance in their opening match of the London Olympics 2012 against Netherlands on Monday, but the Dutch proved to be the better team on the day, prevailing in a tense finish to win the match 3-2. India were clearly the second-best team on the park in the first 35 minutes after Robert van der Horst (20th min) and Roderick Weusthof (29th...
10:11 PM, Jul 30, 2012
India boosted their chances of playing for the championship match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 win over hosts Malaysia on Monday that made them joint second alongside Argentina in the points table. Danish Mujtaba and Shivendra Singh put India 2-0 ahead with just 11 minutes into the game, which put Malaysia on the back foot for the remainder of the first half which ended at...
07:42 PM, May 28, 2012
India got off to a shoddy beginning at the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, conceding a 5-1 defeat to New Zealand as the Indian defence faltered tamely and the forwards failed to capitalise on a number of opportunities - which allowed the Black Sticks to run away with a comfortable victory. Playing on a blue pitch and with yellow balls - similar to what will be on...
05:18 PM, May 24, 2012
New Delhi: Even before Indias big boys had set off in search of an Olympic return, coach Michael Nobbs brain waves had started mapping his opponents. Singapore proved a far cry, Italy a rookie, Canada talented and Poland hostile. But in Frances case, Nobbs words have proved prophetic. They are the dark horses, he had said. And here they are " the Frenchmen " standing in Indias path of redemption....
08:30 AM, Feb 26, 2012
New Delhi: The lift that Indian hockey needs may arrive this weekend in the form of both the men and women teams qualifying for the Olympics. But when the summit is in sight, the last climb is the hardest. That's where India are going to be tested, and tested hard. A week ago when it all began, the men started as favourites and the women second best. With two days...
11:38 AM, Feb 25, 2012
New Delhi: The Indian men's hockey team faces its sternest test against Canada on Wednesday but the incentive of getting close to the final of the Olympic qualifiers should spur on Michael Nobbs' boys to go for the kill. And like their male colleagues, the Indian women also play a tough match against South Africa, where a win will more or less take them through to the finals. Nobbs' team...
11:27 AM, Feb 22, 2012
New Delhi: India coach Michael Nobbs termed his team's comprehensive 6-2 win over France on Tuesday as "clinical and almost perfect," and said the hosts will look to play slightly different hockey against Canada on Wednesday. "It was almost perfect and a clinical performance, we showed a lot of intensity and I am happy. It is roughly the score I was looking for before the match. Of course we could...
12:20 AM, Feb 22, 2012
New Delhi: Penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh continued to torment India's opponents in the Olympic hockey qualifiers by scoring a hat-trick that helped the hosts beat France 6-2 here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Tuesday. Contrary to expectations, India's third victory in as many matches turned out to be another one-sided affair even though France were expected to put up stiff resistance. But the pace of the...
09:38 PM, Feb 21, 2012
New Delhi: Indian men continued to storm towards an Olympic qualification as they registered their second consecutive big win of the hockey qualifiers with three goals from star drag-flicker Sandeep Singh, which helped India rout Italy 8-1 here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday. India converted four of the five penalty corners (PC) they got, with Sandeep beating the Italian goalkeeper Fabrizio Federici thrice and VR Raghunath...
09:54 PM, Feb 19, 2012
New Delhi: India might have routed a lowly Singapore by a massive margin of 15-1, but coach Michael Nobbs is still not satisfied with his wards and said the team is yet to reach its peak. "Our passing was good but I am not satisfied with the performance. I am never satisfied actually, we are not even close to where we want to be, we haven't peaked yet and neither...
11:01 PM, Feb 18, 2012
New Delhi: Ruthless stick-work by the Indian men saw them hammer a hapless Singapore team 15-1 in the Olympic qualifiers for hockey, which began here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday. India, who led 6-0 at half-time, were expected to score heavily against the Singapore team, which is ranked 41st in the world and got a lucky entry into the qualifiers after USA withdrew at the eleventh...
09:46 PM, Feb 18, 2012
New Delhi: A seven-goal extravaganza on Friday saw India beat South Africa 4-3 in the fourth hockey Test to take a winning lead in the five-match series being played here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. After conceding a 0-1 lead at the stroke of half-time, the hosts went on a goal splurge in the second half, scoring four goals in 13 minutes of an attacking hockey display. However,...
09:57 PM, Jan 20, 2012
New Delhi: Indias mens team began its preparation for the Olympic hockey qualifiers with an emphatic 4-0 win in first match of the five-Test series against South Africa here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Monday. India, who are taking this series as selection trials for the Olympic qualifiers in February, displayed the brand of attacking hockey associated with them. South Africa, who did show some teeth using...
08:58 PM, Jan 16, 2012
