Shamim Khan takes control with a 64 in round three

Shamim Khan

Hyderabad, February 28, 2015: Delhi’s Shamim Khan took a three-shot lead in round three of the Golconda Masters 2015 after he came up with a six-under-64 at the Hyderabad Golf Club on Saturday. Shamim thus took his three-day total to 15-under-195. Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh carded a four-under-66 to be placed second at 12-under-198.

Shamim Khan (63-68-64), who was overnight tied second, put himself in a great position to earn a second straight win on the PGTI after he posted a 64 that featured seven birdies and a bogey. Shamim, who won the last PGTI event played in Noida two weeks back, enjoyed a terrific day with the putter as he sank birdie putts from a range of 15 to 35 feet on the first, seventh, ninth and 18^th.

Shamim almost drove the green on the sixth to set up another birdie. He also capitalized on the par-5 11^th by finding the green in two and making birdie. The three-putt on the 14^th led to his only bogey of the day.

Shamim said, “In the previous rounds just one part of my game seemed to be clicking. But that was not the case today. All aspects of my game, be it hitting, putting or bunker shots, were sharp in round three. I recovered extremely well from the fairway bunkers on two occasions. The best birdie of the day was the 35-feet conversion on the ninth which was a very tough putt.

“I’m carrying the confidence from my win two weeks back. I won’t be looking at any number in the final round but will just go out there and play my own game. It would be great to win the first ever professional event to be staged in Hyderabad,” added Shamim.

Harendra Gupta (67-65-66), who was overnight tied fifth, moved up three places to second position as a result of his third round effort of 66 which featured seven birdies and three bogeys. Gupta had a golden run of five straight birdies from the seventh to the 11^th.

Noida’s Amardip Sinh Malik (69-61-69), the overnight leader slipped to third place at 11-under-199 post his round of 69 on Saturday. Malik, who broke the course record with his 61 in round two, managed four birdies against three bogeys during round three.

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana occupied fourth place at 10-under-200 while Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa was a further two shots back in fifth position.

Gaganjeet Bhullar moved up from his overnight tied 22^nd to tied 14^th at three-under-207 courtesy his third round of 69.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das, the 2014 Rolex Rankings champion, also shot a 69 to join Bhullar in tied 14^th position.

PGTI Press release

Indian women hockey team announced for the upcoming FIH World League Round 2

New Delhi, February 28, 2015: Hockey India today announced the Indian Women Team for FIH World League Round 2 which is scheduled to be played at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi from March 7 to 15. The league featuring eight teams is divided in Pool A and Pool B.

The 18 member squad will be captained by the very proficient midfielder Ritu Rani who has to her credit of 193 International caps. Deepika, who has represented India in 138 matches will be her deputy. Also, to guard the nets under the bar will be goalkeeper Savita who has made several crucial saves for the team in the past.

 India is placed in Pool A with Poland, Ghana and Thailand while Malaysia, Russia, Kazakhistan and Singapore are placed in Pool B. India is slotted against Ghana in its opening match scheduled for 7 March 2015.

Speaking on the announcement of the team, Mr. Mushtaque Ahmad, Secretary General, Hockey India said, “This team is full of confidence and an urge to win. They proved this during the recent Spain tour where they gave Germany a tough time and beat them 2-1. Going by their present form I am sure the girls will continue their good show in the upcoming league and win. I wish them all the best.”

The matches of the FIH World League Round 2 (Women) will be telecast LIVE and exclusive on DD Sports.

List of Indian Women Hockey Team for the FIH World League Round 2, 2015

GOALKEEPERS

1. Savita

2. Rajani Etimarpu

DEFENDERS

3. Deep Grace Ekka

4. Deepika (VC)

5. Namita Toppo

6. Jaspreet Kaur

7. Sunita Lakra

MIDFIELDERS

8. Ritu Rani (C)

9. Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam

10. Lilima Minz

11. Navjot Kaur

12. Monika

FORWARDS

13. Rani

14. Poonam Rani

15. Anupa Barla

16. Soundarya Yendala

17. Amandeep Kaur

18. Vandana Katariya

HI Press release

Amardip Sinh Malik reigns supreme with course record 61

Amardip Sinh Malik

Hyderabad, February 27, 2015: Noida’s Amardip Sinh Malik fired a blistering nine-under-61 to take the lead in round two of the Golconda Masters 2015 and establish a new course record at the Hyderabad Golf Club. Malik led by one stroke at the halfway stage as he totaled 10-under-130. There was a three-way tie for second place at nine-under-131 between Sri Lankan K Prabagaran, Jamshedpur’s Karan Taunk and Shamim Khan of Delhi.

Amardip Sinh Malik (69-61) had a double-bogey start on the first after he hit a poor bunker shot and then missed chip-putt. Malik made up for the early setback as he rallied with birdie conversions from 30 feet and 10 feet on the second and third respectively. There was no looking back for the 29-year-old from there on. Amardip drove the green on the par-4 fifth for his third birdie and picked up two more strokes in quick succession on the sixth and seventh.

The highlight of Malik’s round was the eagle on the par-5 11th where he missed an albatross by a whisker after landing his second shot just a foot from the flag. Amardip, who won his maiden event in December last year, set up four more birdies on the last seven holes by hitting it within six to eight feet of the pin. Malik thus broke the previous course record of 62 set by Prabagaran in round one.

Amardip said, “It was a great recovery after the double-bogey start. I just carried on after the two long conversions on the second and third. I was hitting it close throughout. I enjoyed some good stretches from the fifth to the seventh and again on the 11th and 12thand the last four holes. I could’ve gone lower today had I not missed a few short putts.

“I’m enjoying the conditions here at the HGC and I’ll look to build on this effort in the next two days. The win at the end of last year was a morale-booster and I’ve been playing good golf since then,” added Malik.

Karan Taunk (65-66) moved up two places from his overnight tied fourth after a determined effort of 66. He had two long putts and two good chip-putts. Taunk, the 2014 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year, capitalized on the three par-5s, the eighth, ninth and 11th, by picking up strokes on all three holes. He dropped strokes as a result of finding the trees on the sixth and a couple of missed chip-putts.

“I’ve played the par-5s really well on the first two days. I’ve made birdies on five out of six occasions on the par-5s in the first two rounds. The 20-feet conversion on the seventh was almost a bonus as I wasn’t expecting it. The two unforced errors where I missed chip-putts were the only disappointment. One can’t afford to be on the wrong side of the hole at this course.

“I played well in my rookie season last year but I needed to work on some aspects of my game and so didn’t play the first two events of the season earlier this month. The hard work seems to be paying off,” said Taunk.

K Prabagaran (62-69), the overnight leader, continued to strike it well as he drove three par-4 greens which earned him two birdies. However, his putting let him down, as he three-putted twice. His only bogey was on the 17th where he missed the green.

Shamim Khan (63-68) continued in joint second with a steady 68 that featured three birdies and a bogey. Khan created chances with his iron-play as all his three birdies were tap-ins.

On an eventful day, Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja fired aces during their rounds of 65 and 66 respectively. While Chikka made hole-in-one on the 10th, Thangaraja achieved the feat on the seventh.

Chikka was placed seventh at seven-under-133 and Thangaraja ended the day in tied 13th at four-under-136. Thangaraja closed his round by picking up five strokes on the last four holes as he made birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie from the sixth through the ninth.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, one of the pre-tournament favourites, followed up his opening round of 70 with a 68 on day two to be placed tied 22nd at two-under-138. The Kapurthala golfer’s second round featured an eagle-two on the fifth, four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey. Bhullar was five-under through 16 holes but dropped three strokes on the last two holes after a double-bogey and bogey finish.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das, the 2014 Rolex Rankings champion, shot a 70 on Friday to join Bhullar in tied 22nd position.

The cut was declared at four-over-144. Sixty professionals made the cut.

PGTI Press release

Prabagaran fires sublime 62 for round one lead at Golconda Masters

Hyderabad, February 26, 2015: The Golconda Masters Golf Championship 2015, the first ever men’s professional event to be staged in Hyderabad, got off to a cracking start at the Hyderabad Golf Club, as K Prabagaran of Sri Lanka fired a sublime eight-under-62 to sit atop the leaderboard. Anura Rohana, another Sri Lankan, occupied joint second place along with Delhi’s Shamim Khan at seven-under-63 at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

K Prabagaran, a tournament winner on the PGTI last year, began the day with an early birdie on the 11th where he got out of trouble thanks to a good chip-putt. A bogey followed on the 13th as he three-putted. The 34-year-old picked up the pace as he holed putts from six to seven feet for birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18th.

Prabagaran, who hails from the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club in Sri Lanka, then turned on the heat with an unbelievable run of consecutive eagles on the fifth and sixth. He drove the green on both the par-4 holes before converting the putts from 20 feet and three feet respectively. Prabagaran ended the day with another birdie on the eighth courtesy a chip-putt from over the green.

“It was an outstanding round. My driving and approach shots were brilliant. I also got myself out of trouble on a couple of occasions after hitting it over the green. It’s the first time I’ve made two consecutive eagles. This round has really lifted my confidence for the rest of the week,” said Prabagaran, who finished 10th in the 2014 Rolex Rankings with a win and eight other top10 finishes.

He added, “One needs to be very accurate on certain stretches of this course which are narrow. The fourth in particular is a very challenging hole. There are times when you can’t see the fairways from the tees so judging the distance well is the key here. I had a good 2014 season on the PGTI which has done wonders to my confidence. I want to perform a few notches higher this year.”

Shamim Khan too enjoyed his outing in round one. He sank a 20-footer for eagle on the sixth and chipped-in for birdie on the 11th. He also landed it within three feet on three occasions to set up tap-in birdies.

Anura Rohana joined Khan in tied second as he came up with an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.

Ashbeer Saini of Kapurthala and Jamshedpur’s Karan Taunk shared the fourth spot at five-under-65. Saini had a terrific run of four straight birdies from the second to the fifth on Thursday.

Chikkarangappa of Bangalore and Kolkata’s Shankar Das, the reigning Rolex Rankings champion, were tied 12th at two-under-68.

Gaganjeet Bhullar occupied tied 26th position at even-par-70. Bhullar, who made double-bogey on the 17th and bogey on the third, came back well with an eagle-birdie finish, on the eighth and ninth.

PGTI Press release

India gears up to play host in the upcoming FIH World League Round 2 Women Tournament

New Delhi, February 27, 2015: The FIH World League Round – 2 (Women) is all set to make a start on the  March 7 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here. The turf will witness eight women hockey teams from eight different countries take on each other in some exciting and gripping games of hockey with the sole objective to win and advance to the semi finals of the League.

The League holds importance as each team will look at winning and going on to play the World League Round 3 which is the final stage of qualification for the 2016 RIO Olympics. The Indian team, post their great show at Spain will look at winning and proceeding to the next round of the League.

Divided into two pools of four teams each, Indian eves are placed in Pool A with women from Poland, Ghana and Thailand, while Malaysia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Singapore are placed in Pool B. The women will lock horns with each other in the Pool matches starting March 7th as they will bring into play the best of their strategies and the finest tricks of the trade to defeat their opponent and move forward to the quarter finals. The inaugural match of the League will see Malaysia clashing with Kazakhstan while the Indian eves will begin their campaign in the League by taking on Ghana on the opening day at 20:00 HRS IST.

Speaking on the upcoming League, Mr. Mushtaque Ahmad, Secretary General, Hockey India, said, “It’s an honour to host yet another International tournament of this stature and we look forward to exhilarating hockey to be played in the upcoming League between the eight participating teams. Each team will be vying for the win and entering the next round and good wishes to each team”

The matches of the FIH World League Round 2 (Women) will be telecast LIVE and exclusive on DD Sports.

HI Press release

Digvijay Singh’s team wins Pro-Am event of Golconda Masters Golf Championship

Hyderabad, February 25, 2015: The Pro-Am event of the inaugural Golconda Masters Golf Championship 2015 played at the Hyderabad Golf Club on Wednesday was won by professional Digvijay Singh’s team.

The Pro-Am was played in the Team Scramble format where the team’s best ball was chosen on every shot including the putting green. After the best ball was chosen all other players were to place their ball within one score card length before continuing play.

PGTI member Digvijay Singh led his team to victory with a score of 51 points. Digvijay’s team comprised of amateurs Mr. Vikram Dev Rao, Mr. Srikanth Rao and Mr. O P Modi.

PGTI member Mukesh Kumar’s team was second with a score of 51.1 points. Vinod’s team comprised of amateurs Mr. Gouse Mohiuddin, Mr. Mohan Tayel and Mr. Amit Khaitan.

The prize for the longest drive on hole no. 3 was won by Mr. Arjun Pradipak whose drive landed at a distance of 286 yards.

The prize for the closest to the pin on hole no. 10 was won by Mr. Gouse Mohiuddin who made a hole-in-one.

The prize for the straightest drive on hole no. 15 was won by Mr. Navjay Jaiswal who landed it at a distance of one foot and four inches from the centre of the fairway.

A PGTI Press release

Ranchi Rays crowned Champions of Hockey India League 2015

New Delhi, February 22, 2015: Ranchi Rays emerged the Champions of Hero Hockey India League 2015 post an exciting and intense game of hockey. They were successful in keeping their nerves intact to beat Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the penalty shoot-out and emerge as the winners to lift the glittering trophy at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi today.

The Grand Finale of Hero Hockey India League 2015 witnessed the presence of many eminent dignitaries. Mr. Arun Jaitley, Member Governing Council, Hero Hockey India League and Minister of Finance, Minister of Corporate Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Mr Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General, IOA, Mr. Jan Albers, President of the Royal Dutch Hockey and Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, Secreatary General, Hockey India.

Ranchi Rays rode on goalkeeper Lovell Tyler’s brilliant show under the bar to earn a hard-fought 3-2 win over Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the shoot-out after the two teams ended the regulation time locked at 2-2.

Playing without Captain Jamie Dwyer, Jaypee Punjab Warriors gave a tough fight to Ranchi Rays before the latter came out winners for the Hero Hockey India League 2015.

The first half of the Finale match witnessed the defence of both the teams winning over the attack of the opponents as each was determined to avert every danger and not allow the other to have the better of them. Trying to convert the chances both the teams were seen continuously trying to put pressure on each other but the scorecard was left untouched in the entire two sessions and the second half score read 0-0.

In the 19th minute Jaypee Punjab Warriors finally earned the first penalty corner of the game and Sandeep Singh was rearing to go. While he was bang on, Lovell Tyler made a one handed save and cleared the ball from the D. Same minute Malak Singh from the right flank hit hard at the D but unfortunately the ball did not find any of the Jaypee player to deflect it to the nets. 39th minute and a cross from Jake Whetton to Kieran Govers in the D was slapped into the nets and Lovell Tyler just could see the ball passing between his legs. 

In the 42nd minute Ranchi Rays looking at equalizing got their first penalty corner and all eyes were on Ashley Jackson to convert the opportunity. While Ashely was on target but Jaap Stockmann saved and Stanli Minz scored on the counter attack giving his team the much required equalizer goal. The third quarter ended with 1-1 on the board.

Right into the fourth quarter, Ranchi Rays trying to put pressure on Jaypee Punjab Warriors got another penalty corner to their name but this time Jaap Stockmann did no mistake in averting the danger. Satbir Singh making a solo run towards the D with the defender behind him was stopped by Lovell and in the process Jaypee Punjab Warriors got a penalty corner in the 56th minute. Christopher Ciriello taking the flick made no mistake in finding the nets and took the score to 2-1. 

Next minute Ranchi Rays attacked and scored the equalizer goal as Barry Middleton put the ball past Jaap Stockmann. With the scores tied 2-2 it was game on and ensuring a nail biting finish to the Hero Hockey India League 2015. 

Three minutes left for the game to end Jaypee Punjab Warriors earned a penalty corner, but Robert Hammond could not take the ball cleanly and giving away the chance to take the lead in the game. Same minute Jaypee Punjab Warriors having another penalty corner in their name was saved brilliantly by Lovell Tyler. With the scores tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time the game entered the shoot-out phase.

In the shoot-out, Jaypee Punjab Warriors failed to get past an agile Lovell Tyler in the very first attempt when Simon Orchard failed to convert. While Christopher Ciriello and Dharamvir Singh scored easily in the next two attempts, SV Sunil and Robert Hammond’s consecutive misses allowed Ranchi Rays to win and lift the glittering trophy.

With the win Ranchi Rays takes home Rs. 2.50crore, while Jaypee Punjab Warriors will pocket Rs. 1.25crore for finishing in the second position.

Speaking post the match a very happy Harendra Singh, Head Coach, Ranchi Rays said, “The team had good unity and combination that led us to this victory. Anytime there was confusion we came together to sort it and better ourselves. Lovell Tyler with his experience has got us here today and helped us lift the trophy today. The boys followed the C formula which is being Cool, Calm and Competitive that was showcased in all our matches”.

Speaking post the match, Head Coach for Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Barry Dancer said, “We did not play our best hockey in the first half, resulting in this disappointing loss. Our game has potency but consistency was a problem. We led the tournament from the early stages as we played a strong game throughout but did not keep up to the mark today as compared to our run up to the Finale today."

Hero Goal of the Match Award – Barry Middleton (Ranchi Rays)

Man of the Match – Tyler Lovell (Ranchi Rays)

TOURNAMENT AWARDS:

AWARD NAME      AWARD AMOUNT    AWARDEE

Winners 2015 (Team Award)       Rs 2.50 Crores and Trophy       Ranchi Rays

Runner Up 2015 (Team Award)     Rs 1.25 Crores  Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Third Place 2015 (Team Award)   Rs 75.00 Lakhs  Delhi Waveriders

Hero Most Valuable Player of the Tournament (Individual Award)  Rs 25.00 Lakhs and Trophy   Ashley Jackson

Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament (Individual Award)       Rs 20.00 Lakhs and Trophy      Harmanpreet Singh

Dhruv Batra Motivator of the Tournament (Individual Award)      Rs 20.00 Lakhs and Trophy       PR Sreejesh

Airtel Maximum Goals of the Tournament (Team Award)     Rs 10.00 Lakhs and Trophy       Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Star Sports Fair Play (Team Award)      Trophy  Uttar Pradesh Wizards

TOTAL PRIZE POOL        Rs 5.25 Crores  Rs 5.25 Crores

HIL Press release

Delhi Waveriders finish third in Hockey India League

New Delhi, February 22, 2015: Playing for the third position, Delhi Waveriders and Uttar Pradesh Wizards met in the third place playoff match of the Hero Hockey India League 2015. Having missed the Finale berth, both the teams were determined to win and claim the position in the League. With the scores locked at 1-1 the second half was the decider session for both the teams. It was Delhi Waveriders who successfully kept the pressure on the opponents and won the match 2-1, taking home Rs. 75,00,000.

Eminent dignitaries Mr. Rajeev Shukla, Member of Parliament and Cam Vale, Hockey Australia seen enjoying the tough tussle between both the teams for the win.

Getting into their business side of the field, Uttar Pradesh Wizards were on the attack immediately as the match started, but the defence of Delhi Waveriders were more determined and cleared the danger. Delhi Waveriders earning their first penalty corner in the sixth minute missed converting, but Rupinder Pal Singh counter attacked by entering the D and scored a brilliant field goal, giving Delhi Waveriders their first goal in the match. Seconds left for the first quarter to end, Bob de Voogd standing in D got a clean pass but missed hitting the ball completely, giving the Delhi defenders a chance to save again for the team.

 Right into the second quarter a back hand stroke by Nikkin Thimmaiah in the 18th minute helped UPW to equalize the game. With both teams attacking and trying to create openings and a chance to capitalize, the session did not yield any further goals leaving the second half scores locked at 1-1.

Three minutes into the third quarter Delhi Waveriders earned another penalty corner. Opting for a variation Andrew Hayward passed the ball to Rupindre Pal Singh who hit the ball towards the nets but was cleared by the defence. Next minute again Delhi got one more penalty corner to their name but this time Rupinder hit wide of the goal. 

In its bid to double their score, Delhi Waveriders just seconds away for the quarter to end, saw Akashdeep Singh making a desperate attempt to put the ball past the Uttar Pradesh goalie, but Sreejesh saved and Talwinder Singh counter attacked and tried to convert but Sreejesh was too good for him too and saved for the second consecutive time. The third quarter ended goalless with the scores still reading 1-1.

Delhi Waveriders in the last quarter finally took one up in the game. 50th minute and it was Talwinder Singh who passed the ball to Simon Child standing in the D. He saw Yuvraj Walmiki having a clear chance to put the ball in the nets and passed him the ball. Walmiki on his part, deflected it easily in the nets. With the score 2-1, Uttar Pradesh saw the game slipping from their hands and they increased the tempo of their attack in a bid to equalize the game again. But Delhi Waveriders high on confidence kept the Wizards at bay by not allowing them to score. 

With 2-1 on the board, Delhi Waveriders won the match and settled for the third position in the Hero Hockey India League 2015 and took home a prize money of Rs, 75,00,000 lakhs.

Speaking post the match, Man of the Match, PR Sreejesh, UP Wizards said “The team played well today but missed a couple of matches which costed us the game. Overall the tournament was good for us but we could not end it well”.

Post the match, Cedric D’Souza, Head Coach, Delhi Waveriders, said “The tournament ends only once the last match has been played. We lost the semi final match against a better team who converted many of their opportunities into goals. The game is all about control and I am glad that we did better with our control in the game today. I had asked the boys to play as a unit and enjoy the game as this is the last game that we were playing and I am happy we ended the League with a win"

Hero Goal of the Match Award – Nikkin Thimmaiah

Man of the Match –P R Sreejesh

HIL Press release

Anirban Lahiri etches his name on Indian Open trophy with playoff win over SSP Chawrasia

New Delhi, February 22, 2015: India's Anirban Lahiri sealed his second European Tour title in three weeks as he defeated compatriot SSP Chawrasia in a playoff at the Delhi Golf Club to etch his name on the coveted Indian Open trophy. Anirban came home the winner after sinking a long birdie putt during the playoff. Lahiri and Chawrasia had earlier ended the regulation 72 holes with identical totals of seven-under-277.

Anirban's win, the first by an Indian at the Indian Open in six years, is likely to propel him from his current world ranking of 39 to somewhere close to the top-30. The prolific Lahiri became the eighth Indian winner of the Indian Open and it was the 11th occasion that the tournament was won by an Indian. It was also the 68th international title won by an Indian.

Lahiri (73-65-70-69), who was overnight tied sixth, posted a tenacious two-under-69 on a high-scoring day even as overnight leader Chawrasia (65-67-69-76) struggled in the blustery conditions to return with a disappointing five-over-76.

Lahiri, who started the day seven shots behind Chawrasia, took advantage of the latter’s stuttering form when he turned in 34 before trading one birdie against one bogey on the back nine. But it was a magical chip-in par on the 17th hole which kept him in the title race.

Chawrasia scrambled through the day as a result of the blustery conditions. He found the bushes on two occasions and also missed the greens a few times that led to his five bogeys and a double-bogey. He could only manage two birdies in the final round.

Both players finished on seven-under-277 in regulation play and returned to the 18th hole for the playoff where Lahiri sealed the win with a birdie from inside 10-feet. Chawrasia’s title hopes faded when his tee shot landed under thick branches.

The victory accounted for Lahiri’s seventh Asian Tour title and second European Tour win. The 27-year-old from Bangalore playing in his rookie season on the European Tour, who had just two weeks back lifted the Maybank Malaysian Open trophy, is now ranked second in the European Tour Race to Dubai. Anirban’s 15th career title also made him the second Indian to record multiple victories in the same European Tour season following Jeev Milkha Singh in 2006.

“The new Hero Indian Open winner? That has a nice ring to it. I’m shocked. I really didn’t think that I will be in this position considering the way S.S.P. and Siddikur have been playing. I thought all of us were playing for third,” said Lahiri, who registered his fourth playoff win at the DGC.

“This has been a childhood dream so it is very special to keep the Indian Open trophy at home. Every Indian puts winning the Indian Open on their bucket list. I couldn’t have asked for a better day,” smiled Lahiri, who is the first local to win the Indian Open since C Muniyappa’s victory in 2009.

“It was a tough day with the wind switching its direction and the tricky pin positions. But that chip-in was crucial. I didn’t want to come down 18, needing to eagle it. Even when I played 18 in regulation play, I thought I needed to birdie it. That chip-in was easily the shot of the day. It was magical when it went in,” said Lahiri.

He added, “This win will boost my world ranking and open a lot of doors for me. I have a very good chance of playing The Masters now.”

Chawrasia, a two-time European Tour winner, was gracious in defeat despite finishing second for the fourth time in his National Open. He settled for runner-up in 1999, 2006 and 2013.

“It’s been a great week and I played well for three days and had some bad shots in the final round but it’s ok. The problem today was the wind. It was gusting a lot and made it very difficult,” he explained.

“I am proud of myself for hanging in there to make the playoff and there is always a next time. Anirban is a great friend and he played well to win the playoff. I’m playing well and hopefully it continues like this.”

PGTI member Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka enjoyed his best result in 2015 when he posted a 69 to share third place alongside Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng (71), Marcus Fraser (72) of Australia and Joakim Lagergren (69) of Sweden at six-under-278.

Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh made it four PGTI members in the top-10 as he claimed tied seventh place at five-under-279. He had a final round of five-over-76.

Among the other Indians in the field, Shubhankar Sharma and Jyoti Randhawa finished tied 17th at one-under-283, while Rashid Khan, Manav Jaini and Jeev Milkha Singh were a further shot back in tied 24th.

Arjun Atwal and Chikkarangappa shared 31st place at one-over-285. Mukesh Kumar was in joint 35th at two-over-286 and Amardip Sinh Malik, Kapil Kumar and Chiragh Kumar were a shot behind in tied 39th.

Om Prakash Chouhan was tied 50th at five-over-289, Angad Cheema was tied 63rd at eight-over-292 and Shiv Kapur ended in 68th place at 10-over-294.

PGTI Press release

Jaypee Punjab Warriors beat Delhi Waveriders 2-0 to enter final

New Delhi, February 21, 2015: Playing for the second spot of the Finale berth, Jaypee Punjab Warriors met Delhi Waveriders today in the second semi-final clash for the day. It was Jaypee Punjab Warriors who kept their nerves and dominated the entire match giving no chance to Delhi Waveriders to bounce back. With two goals to nil, Jaypee Punjab Warriors enter the Finals of Hero Hockey India League and will play Ranchi Rays tomorrow.

Just two minutes into the game Punjab Warriors looking at scoring the initial goal got their first penalty corner and a chance to score. Taking the flick Sandeep Singh was wide of the goal and missed the opportunity. The next minute getting their second penalty corner, Sandeep Singh ensured he beat the Delhi goalie and find the net to score for his team. Not allowing pressure to get the better of them, Delhi Waveriders attacked and earned their first penalty corner. Rupinder Singh looking at equalizing but missed converting it as Jaap had no difficulty in clearing. Continuing their attack on Delhi, the Warrriors bagged their third penalty corner of the game in the 13th minute but they missed in doubling the lead. With the quarter ending Jaypee Punjab Warriors was leading 1-0.

The second quarter witnessed the defence of both the teams giving a tough time to the attacks of the opponents. While both teams attacked and penetrated, the quarter ended goalless and Jaypee Punjab Warriors was leading 1-0 at the end of first half.

Entering the third quarter Jaypee Punjab Warriors continued their pressure on Delhi Waveriders, by doubling their score in the 35th minute which came from the stick of Agustin Mazzilli leaving Nicolas Jacobi stunned. Delhi Waveriders going on the attack got their second penalty corner in the 38th minute but Rupinder Singh failed to control the ball and in the process giving time to the defence to save easily. Continuing their pressure on the defence of Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors bagged another penalty corner just five minute for the quarter to end but missed to capitalize.

Right into the fourth quarter Delhi Waveriders looking at opening their score penetrated the D of Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Matt Gohdes trying to convert hit hard, but was cleared by Jaap Stockmann. Looking at adding one more goal to the team’s tally, speed demon SV Sunil made a solo run with the ball towards the semicircle of Delhi Waveriders but Rupinder Pal Singh defended well, ensuring that the former doesn’t get the opportunity to score. Just two minutes left in the game to end, Delhi Waveriders looking at accelerating their attack replaced Nicolas Jacobi with an extra player, but unfortunately for them they were unable to open the score resulting in Jaypee Punjab Warriors winning the match 2-0 and will be playing Ranchi Rays tomorrow at the Finals.

Man of the Match for the game, Jaap Stockmann, Jaypee Punjab Warriors said “I give my best when I am under the bar and the great efforts from my team made the job easier today. The focus from here is to put up a winning strategy for tomorrow’s game. We are hopeful of winning the title tomorrow.”

Speaking on the performance Head Coach Cedric D’Souza said “Jaypee Punjab Warriors were a better team today as they controlled the play throughout. Though we had our opportunities but Jaap Stockmann stood tall and restricted us. For tomorrow we will look at ending the League with a win.”


Hero Goal of the Match – Agustin Mazzilli, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Man of the Match – Jaap Stockmann, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Finals - February 22, 2015, New Delhi

Play Off – 16:30hrs IST – Uttar Pradesh Wizards vs Delhi Waveriders

Finals – 19:00hrs IST – Ranchi Rays vs Jaypee Punjab Warriors

HIL Press release

Ranchi Rays beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards to enter Hockey India League final

New Delhi, February 21, 2015: The first Semi Final of the Hero Hockey India League 2015 saw intense competition between Uttar Pradesh Wizards and Ranchi Rays as they fought hard for the Finale berth to be played tomorrow. At the end of the game the scores were tied 1-1 resulting in a penalty shootout. The audience witnessed spectacular hockey as both the teams ensured that they did not give the other the chance to walk away with the game. The tie-breaker had two full sessions and in the third session finally Ranchi Rays outwitted the Wizards to come out winners and the first Finalist of the League 2015. The final score for the match is 1-1 (9-8 SO).

The first quarter saw both teams trying to penetrate the circle and create opportunities and get the initial goal to their name. But failing to capitalize in the entire session the quarter ended with 0-0 on the scoreboard.

Immediately into the second quarter Uttar Pradesh Wizards was seen increasing the momentum of attack and trying to put pressure on the opponents. Just minutes into the quarter it was Ranchi Rays who got the first penalty corner of the day and a chance for Ashley Jackson to add another goal to his personal tally. But a brilliant save by Sreejesh denied Ranchi the goal. The same minute Uttar Pradesh Wizards had a clean chance to put the ball in the nets but the ball was hit wide of the goal much to the relief of Tyler Lovell. Next minute Ranchi got another go at the penalty corner and going for a variation Ashley passed the ball to Austin Smith who made no mistake in trying to get the ball to the nets, but Sreejesh was again waiting to clean the danger. Same minute Ranchi had another penalty corner in their name but Sreejesh saved it, leaving Ranchi Rays frustrated. With no goals score the second half ended with 0-0. 

Uttar Pradesh Wizards got their first penalty corner in the 34th minute and Raghunath did not do any mistake in getting the ball past Tyler Lovell giving him no chance to stop the goal. With the goal Uttar Pradesh Wizards opened the scorecard 1-0. In the 41st minute Mandeep Singh entering the D with the ball was pushed because of which Ranchi Rays were awarded a penalty stroke. Taking the strike, Ashley scored effortlessly without giving his team the equalizer goal. Just a minute away from the end of quarter, Uttar Pradesh Wizards bagged their second penalty corner in but this time Raghunath missed the opportunity to go one up in the game. At the end of the quarter both teams were tied 1-1.

The fourth quarter also saw good stick work and good defence by both the teams in the entire session not yielding a single goal. But just two minutes left for the match to end, Ranchi were awarded with a penalty corner and a chance to take the lead and win the match, but was saved by the Wizards strong defence. Just seconds left in the match Ramandeep Singh passed the ball to Bob De Voogd who hit hard towards the goal but was blocked by Lovell Tyler. With the scores tied at 1-1 the match entered the Penalty Shootout.

The Tie-breaker saw George Bazeley come forward to take guard under the bar for the Uttar Pradesh Wizards. With many twists and turns the first tie-breaker having got tied resulted in the second tie-breaker. The second tie-breaker yielded the same results and the scored were again tied. Resulting in the third tie-breaker the first two strikes by Jeroen Hertzberger and Ashley Jackson successfully scored for their teams. It was Uttar Pradesh Wizards that missed the second strike when Alexander Baart was unsuccessful in converting. Coming in to take the next strike it was important for Daniel Beale to score for Ranchi Rays to reach the finals. He made no mistake as he intelligently put the ball past George Bazeley, resulting in Ranchi Rays winning the match 1-1 (9-8 SO).

Post the match, Jolie Wouter, Captain, Uttar Pradesh Wizards said “We played really good today and it was tough competition. We were very close to the finals and we are very disappointed. Bazeley defended very well in the penalty shootout but unfortunately we lost.”

Speaking on the win Ashley Jackson, Ranchi Rays said “We are happy that we finally won. We played very well. We had many chances but we could not capitalise. But at the end of the day we won and it is a happy feeling. Being on the top of the goal table doesn’t matter to me what matters is that we won.”

Hero Goal of the Match –  Daniel Beale, Ranchi Rays

Man of the Match – Ashely Jackson, Ranchi Rays

HIL Press release

Chawrasia maintains lead in Indian Open Golf

New Delhi, February 21, 2015: India's SSP Chawrasia is staring at his maiden Indian Open title and thrid European Tour win as he heads into the final round of the Indian Open 2015 with a two-shot lead. Chawrasia carded a two-under-69 in round three at the Delhi Golf Club to take his total to 12-under-201. SSP's nearest challenger on the final day will be PGTI member and defending champion Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh who ended day three with a 10-under-203 total thanks to his third round effort of one-under-70.

SSP Chawrasia (65-67-69), the overnight leader by one shot, had a brilliant start on day three as he birdied the first two holes from four feet and 12 feet respectively. The 36-year-old, who posted bogey-free rounds on the first two days, kept a firm grip on the lead with pars on the next 10 holes. He cemented his place at the top with another birdie on the 13th after he landed his approach within four feet of the pin.

SSP enjoyed a stroke of luck to stay in the lead when his tee shot on the eighth hole, which was headed into the jungle, bounced off a tree branch onto the fairway. He also saved a crucial par on 16 from thick rough. 

Just as Chawrasia looked all set to go bogey-free for the third straight day, a poor tee shot followed by a missed chip-putt on the 17th resulted in his first bogey of the tournament.

Chawrasia said, “I feel great. I missed a few putts but I’m still happy. I missed my eight-iron on the 17th hole or else, I would have still been bogey-free. My tee shot on the 16th landed in the trees but it wasn’t as bad as it looked. I hit a low shot and I was able to save par.

“I want to think and play positive on the final day. The final round is always special so I will play aggressively. The wind changed today and it was totally different from the last two days. I just kept playing low ball flights.

“I played my own game and didn’t bother too much about the leaderboard. That’s how I play. If anyone is coming close, let them. I just want to focus on my own game. Even if I am disappointed with a shot, I try not to show it and stay calm on the outside.”

Defending champion Md Siddikur Rahman (65-68-70) stayed in touch with the leader as a result of his birdies on the first and 13th. Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to play and win on the Asian Tour, then double bogeyed the 15th from the trees but holed a close range birdie on 18 to stay in the hunt to win back-to-back Indian Open titles.

Siddikur said, “It was a good day. I had a nice rhythm and picked up a couple of shots until the double bogey. But I managed to recover well and made a great par save on 17 and then managed to birdie the last. Overall, I’m happy with one-under today. The birdie on the closing hole was very crucial. 

“Anything can happen in this game. I’m looking forward to round four and hopefully I can play the way I did on Thursday. 

“I tried not to think too much about what SSP was doing today. I tried to focus on my own game and looked at hitting maximum greens in regulation and making some birdie putts.”

Anirban Lahiri (73-65-70), who was overnight tied seventh, moved up one place to tied sixth as he posted a 70 in round three. Lahiri looked in fine form as he mounted a charge on the front-nine with four birdies against a lone bogey. The highest-ranked Indian in the world then lost momentum with a bogey on the 10thand a double-bogey on the 13th where he lost his ball in the jungle on the 13th. Anirban managed to pull one shot back with a birdie on the 16th.

The Indian trio of Chikkarangappa (68), Jeev Milkha Singh (68) and Jyoti Randhawa (69) were in tied 21st place at one-under-212.

Mukesh Kumar, Chiragh Kumar, Manav Jaini and Angad Cheema occupied tied 32nd place at even-par-213.

Kapil Kumar, Rashid Khan and Shubhankar Sharma were a further shot back in joint 38th position.

Amardip Sinh Malik, Shiv Kapur and Arjun Atwal were tied 50th at two-over-215 while Om Prakash Chouhan was in tied 64th place at four-over-217.

PGTI Press release

Shiva Keshavan makes it 3 out of 3 in Luge World cup Finals in 2014-15 Season

Altenberg, Germany, February 20, 2015: The final race for India at the International Luge circuit is underway in Altenberg, Germany and it is already the most successful season yet for the country’s sole entrant, Shiva Keshavan, who clocked 55.423 seconds at the 1500 meter long “Ice-canal” with a speed of 120.26 kmph. He finished in 17th Place at the Nations Cup, 1.64 seconds and 4 kmph behind the local favourite Ralf Palik from Germany.

This race marks the end of a successful World Cup Season for Shiva with a 14th, 15th and 17th place, all three national records. Earlier this winter Shiva won a silver medal at the Asian Championship - another feather in the cap for the only Indian to medal consistently in international winter sports.

Despite the results, the going has not been easy for Team India. A severe crash in Lillehammer, Norway in January wrecked both blades of the new sled with propriety Team India technology that is being developed under Coach Kennedy. Although Shiva was seemingly unhurt after the crash, he was later diagnosed with a neck injury that he will attend to during the post season break. The team also suffered during the subsequent World Championships in Latvia, as they were not able to efficiently setup the spare blades after the crash and had to be content with a participatory role in the race.

Shiva, and his American coach Duncan Kennedy are upbeat and satisfied with the results of this year. “We had set out with a clear goal of making the finals at the World Cup and we did that” says Shiva. “I have been riding a new prototype sled that Duncan has manufactured. I feel comfortable on it and was able to post consistent times, which is important. We have built a good base for next Season and we plan to target the top 10 in the Nations Cup for sure.”

The team is already setting their sights on future races, and while Shiva does his athletic training, coach Kennedy will be working on the technical aspects. “With all the training and testing this winter, I will be able to build a new sled around Shiva based on the current prototype. We are also getting technological help from Clarkson University in New York for aerodynamics. A new pod is being designed which will allow us to shave off considerable time next season”, said Kennedy from Germany.

“The biggest challenge for us is funding”, says Shiva. ”The Sports Ministry has totally ignored our requests this year. They have not paid for any of the expenses for us to represent our country, not even my Coach Salary. We have only come so far due to the generosity of my corporate sponsors MTS and Coca-Cola (India). I will approach other potential sponsors to support us through funding or technical support in our mission for India.”

Press release

Dutch Hockey Club HDM JA 1 beats Indian eves 10-2 in Valencia

Valencia (Spain), February 20, 2015:  A clinical all-round display helped the men team of Dutch Hockey Club HDM JA 1 winning over Indian eves 10-2 at Valencia, Spain today.  The matches are in preparation for the FIH World League Round 2, to be held in New Delhi from 07 - 15 March, 2015.

While, the Indian Women Hockey Team looked determined to display their best of the stick works throughout the entire game, the Dutch men were in no mood to give away the scoring to the Indian eves and took away the ball from them reflecting great speed and counter skills. This took them to a much deserved win with 10-2 on the scoreboards.

The game was expected to be played at good pace but the Indian eves could not match to the speed of the brawny men of HDM JA 1. However, it did not deter the Indian eves to get into action and attack and it was Poonam Rani who was successful in the 32nd minute of the game when she penetrated the defence of the Dutch men through a penalty corner deflection and scored for her team. Another fine field goal was scored by Poonam Rani in the 52nd minute of the play by a good exchange of ball between Anupa Barla and Poonam Barla which gave the team a motivation to score further but went in vain. On the other hand, HDM JA 1 men scored ten goals out of which seven were field goals and the three very well converted penalty corners which benefited the team and gave them a much desired win over Indian eves by 10-2.

The Dutch team also comprised of the U-19 National Players who showcased brilliant stick skills and continued to give the much required strength to their side throughout the game.

HI Press release

Chawrasia shoots 67 to emerge sole leader in round two, Siddikur a close second

New Delhi, February 20, 2015: India's SSP Chawrasia emerged sole leader in round two of the Indian Open 2015 as he shot a determined four-under-67 to take his total to 10-under-132. Defending champion and PGTI member Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh is on the leader's tail at nine-under-133.

Indian star and world no. 39 Anirban Lahiri shot the day’s best score, a blistering six-under-65, to climb from overnight tied 80th spot to tied seventh.

The halfway cut was declared at two-over-144. Sixty-nine players made the cut which included 16 Indians.

SSP Chawrasia (65-67), the overnight joint leader, continued from where he left in round one as he posted a second successive bogey-free round. He was quick off the blocks with a birdie on the first. Chawrasia’s superb hitting saw him pick up two more birdies on the 10th and 11th. He finally overtook Siddikur to grab the sole lead after converting a long birdie putt on the 16th.

Chawrasia said, “I’m played very well on the first two days. I’ve played here many times so I know how to play on this course. As far as I remember, this is the first time I’m bogey free after 36 holes.

“I feel good about my game at the moment. I’m quite pleased to have saved a lot of pars today. It wasn’t easy to keep the bogeys away from my card. I had to make a lot of saves. The hitting was good on the front-nine while the putting wasn’t that great. But I was more consistent with the putter on the back-nine.

“It is tough when the wind changes direction but I know how to handle it here. I played well through the 2014 season. I started well this year as well so I’m feeling very confident. I’m very excited for the next two days and look forward to playing alongside Siddikur in round three. We have played together on a number of occasions in the past.”

Defending champion Md Siddikur Rahman (65-68), who was also the overnight joint leader, put together six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in his round of 68 to stay in contention at second spot.

Siddikur said, “I was a little bit disappointed with my double bogey because I had a good number of birdies. It was good to birdie the eight and nine holes. The ninth hole is very difficult but I hit a good five wood for my second shot and it landed eight feet from the hole. I always play for par on the ninth hole.

“On hole number four, I missed my shot and had to settle for double bogey. It shows that anything can happen on this golf course. I don’t want to think about my back injury. I rather think about my win here in 2013.”

Anirban Lahiri followed up his first round of 73 with a sizzling six-under-65 to rise 73 places from his overnight tied 80th position. Lahiri made two birdie chip-ins on day two on the 10th and 17th.

“Now I’m in with a sniff. I managed to get some rhythm on the greens and made some good putts. I tried to focus on getting back to even-par yesterday and tried to push myself to make a few birdies coming in. I’m happy with the way I fought back.

“You got to keep it on the fairways and it is easier said than done especially when the wind starts to pick up. Whoever can keep the ball in play the most will probably walk away with a big smile.

“I’m happy that I fought back hard after yesterday’s disappointment. I’ve been fighting a very stiff back and sore shoulder. I’m going to continue to fight. It was nice to get my putter hot. I didn’t hit the ball that great. I chipped in a couple of times and holed some nice putts. It is important sometimes when you are not at your best to scrape through.

“I’ve had a long relationship with the DGC. It wasn’t very friendly at the start but that’s turned around in the last three or four years. I’m now in a very positive frame of mind when I play here.

“There’s no pin position on the golf course which we haven’t seen before. There won’t be any surprises here. I’m quite comfortable out there and hopefully I can play well. I would have liked to be at 12 or 13-under at the halfway stage but after yesterday’s round, I will take wherever I am now,” said Anirban.

Arjun Atwal shot a second straight 70 to be tied 13th at two-under-140 while Shubhankar Sharma was a further shot back in tied 18th to make it four Indians in the top-20.

Among the other Indians who made the cut, Angad Cheema, Shiv Kapur and Manav Jaini were in tied 25th at even-par-142, Jyoti Randhawa, Rashid Khan and Chiragh Kumar were a further shot behind in joint 39th, while Om Prakash Chouhan, Mukesh Kumar, Amardip Sinh Malik, Jeev Milkha Singh, Chikkarangappa and Kapil Kumar were tied 51st at two-over-144.

Rahil Gangjee, former Indian Open champions C Muniyappa and Feroz Ali Mollah and five-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar were among the Indians who missed the cut.

Abhinav Lohan, who also missed the cut, fired a hole-in-one on the 17th during his second round of 75.

PGTI Press release

Jaypee Punjab Warriors to take on Delhi Waveriders in the second semifinal of HIL

New Delhi, February 20, 2015: It is a clash which Jaypee Punjab Warriors have been waiting for since the finale of the second season of Hero Hockey India League. The aim is to undo that result and finish the job with a win. On the other hand Delhi Waveriders will aim at making it to the third successive Hero Hockey India League final.

The second semi-final match tomorrow will witness Jaypee Punjab Warriors taking on Delhi Waveriders where both the teams will want to outwit the other and march to the Finals. While Jaypee Punjab Warriors won both their matches against Delhi Waveriders in the league phase but the former are aware that with Delhi, it will still be an uphill task to dominate and win. Delhi Waveriders on the other hand are coming back to form and which they proved in their last match against Uttar Pradesh Wizards where trailing by 2 goals to 0, they bounced back by scoring three consecutive goals leaving the Wizards stunned, though the match ended in a draw. With a form like this and a capability of bouncing back, makes Delhi Waveriders a strong contender for the Finale. But Jaypee Punjab Warriors too will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the tables are in their favour.

In the entire league phase, Barry Dancer coached Jaypee Punjab Warriors were faced with a situation where the team made a slow start, making the team vulnerable and in the process give in the early goals. But the positive aspect is by the second half the team effortlessly bounced back and difficult to beat once they get going. With Sandeep Singh converting the all important penalty corners and Jamie Dywer with his capability of tearing at the heart of the defence, the team will be targeting to attack from the start of the game and ensure Delhi doesn’t have an edge over them. Also all eyes will be on the speed demon SV Sunil who, once he gets in the run, defenders find it difficult to keep upto him and can single handedly enter the D of the opponents.

On the other hand, Cedric D’souza with a team which is the defending champions have finally found form and are clicking as a unit. While initially what the team found difficult was the circle penetrations but gradually the team has worked on their attack and are now easily penetrating the D and getting the all important penalty corners. Also what is working in the team’s favour is with Gurbaj at the back, is playing a great role in ensuring that the opponents forwards do not find it easy in the D plus the fact that he even comes forward and attack which is proving to be a big boost for the team. Also the cool as a cucumber Simon Child along with Lloyd Norris-Jones and Akashdeep Singh are ensuring that they outwit the defence with their stick work and passes.

Anticipating a good semi- final clash tomorrow, Coach of Jaypee Punjab Warriors Barry Dancer said, “It feels great to finish the league matches by being top of the points table. We are playing the semi- finals against Delhi Waveriders on Saturday and I am sure that it will be a tough game tomorrow. They have a good set of players and in order to combat the challenge, we will have to put in extra strength and double our efforts in order to win the match. We are working on our circle penetrations and ball possessions. The team is in full form and ready to put up a good show in the semi- final tomorrow.”

Speaking ahead of the semi-final match against Delhi Waveriders, Captain of Jaypee Punjab Warriors Jamie Dwyer said, “We are excited to play the semi- finals tomorrow against Delhi Waveriders who are equally strong. Although we have won all the matches played against Delhi Waveriders till now, but the challenge is going to be really tough.Tomorrow’s match is important for us as the results will have bearing on finals of the league. Our strategy would be to work on our strengths and  improve upon the problem areas so as to convert maximum scoring opportunities into goals.  We won the last match played against Dabang Mumbai which undoubtedly boost up our morale and confidence. So we need to keep the rhythm going and play a wonderful game.”

Speaking on the upcoming semi- final clash Coach of Delhi Waveriders Cedric D’ Souza said, “It will be a tough clashtomorrow as both teams have a lot of strengths. Past performances don't mean anything at this point and it is all about performance on the given day. We have done our homework and will do our utmost to follow the plan and win. But it will all boil down to which team can control play and capitalize on the opportunities created."

HIL Press release

Ranchi Rays to play star studded Uttar Pradesh Wizards in semifinal

New Delhi, February 20, 2015: The turf of Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium will witness another nerve-wrecking game of hockey as the impressive Uttar Pradesh Wizards will take on the remarkable Ranchi Rays in the first semi final of the Hero Hockey India League 2015. The two teams will lock horns with each other on 21 February 2015 with a single motive to outdo the other and reach the prestigious finals of the League scheduled to be played on Sunday.

The League till now has seen both the two teams playing with complete fervour as both of them have the knack to turn the tables in their favour at any point in the match. Prior to the semis, the Wizards and Rays have clashed twice in the league games with Ranchi Rays emerging victorious in both the matches as Uttar Pradesh Wizards went down struggling to lose the games by only a whisker.

Roelant coached Uttar Pradesh Wizards has a formidable line up of players who have the competence to defeat any team on any given day. With their star goalkeeper P.R Sreejesh under the bar, defender duo of Wouter Jolie and V.R Raghunath will employ their best skills to convert the penalty corners into the vital goals for their side. The ace drag flicker – Raghunath has led his side to the semi finals of both the previous seasons of Hockey India League and this semi final being the third for the Wizards, the team will be looking to advance to the next stage of the League with a thunderous win over the Ranchi Rays. 

The Wizards also have the strong support of Ramandeep Singh who has made a brilliant comeback this season and is lending a very significant helping hand to Jeroen Hertzberger in further strengthening the forward line. With Bob De Voogd and Pradeep Mor taking care of the midfield in the semis, the entire Uttar Pradesh Wizards will step out on the ground to play with utmost coordination and clarity to ensure a way in into the finals of the League.

Amid an impressive array of foreign and domestic players, Ranchi Rays have dished out some absolutely astounding and beyond belief performances in the league matches as of yet. Striking a dramatic hat-trick in the last pool game, Captain Ashley Jackson shines bright with 11 goals to his name at this time and is perfectly held up by the English midfielder Barry Middleton and Indian defender Birendra Lakra. 

With Tyler Lovell guarding the nets for the side, Birendra Lakra and Justin Reid Ross will take care getting the penalty corners for the team as it will play a pivotal role in Ranchi Rays’ stride towards the finals. It is a team with a great formidable line-up and a team where all departments are delivering. From here the entire unit will look at continuing their form and winning momentum as they would like to repeat the feat of the first edition of the Hero Hockey India League.

Confident of a good show tomorrow, Coach of Uttar Pradesh Wizards said, “It’s a big game tomorrow. We need to perform to our highest level that we have ever performed in the tournament. It’s a clash for the run to the final. We have to perform in the best possible way so that we have a chance to play the final of Hockey India League, this season.”

Speaking ahead of the semi final, Captain of Ranchi Rays Ashley Jackson said, “The team has been in great form in the entire League and from here we have to ensure we continue the same in the knocked out stage also. Each player will have to deliver to beat the Wizards as they with each game have got stronger in all departments. Our focus will be to penetrate the D and create the penalty corners for ourselves as much as possible. Personally i will look at converting the penalty corners that the team gets. We will go on the attack from the start and ensure possession.”

Remarking on the impending match, Coach of Ranchi Rays, Harendra Singh said, “We have entered the knock-out stage and faltering is no option for us. The boys will have to ensure that they attack and do not allow them to put pressure on us. I am confident of a positive result. We will look at continuing our form tomorrow. Penalty corners will be the key tomorrow and the boys are ready for it.”

HIL Press release

Indian eves lose 1-4 against the men team of Dutch hockey club

Valencia (Spain), February 19, 2015: Playing against the men team of Dutch hockey club- Groningsche Cricket en Hockey Club (GCHC), the Indian eves went down struggling 4-1 to the opponent in a hard fought match. The matches are in preparation for the FIH World League Round 2, to be held in New Delhi from March 07 - 15.

Led by Captain Ritu Rani, the Indian women hockey team started off the game against the GCHC men on a high as they employed their finest tactics to create several scoring chances throughout the match. With their fine defensive skills, the eves also posed a tough challenge to the strong and sturdy men of GCHC as the opposite team looked for gaps to sneak in goals for their side. GCHC opened their scoring in the 8th minute through a field goal and took an early lead over the Indian women. The men’s team from Holland doubled their lead in the 21st minute, again through a field goal as the ball swung past the Indian goalie and touched the nets.

In the 28th minute, Yendala Soundarya scored the first goal for India as she beautifully converted a baseline pass from Navjot Kaur. This gave the Indian women a chance to make a comeback in the game against the men from Holland as they continued to take shots at the goal post. GCHC again scored in the 36th and 64th minute, both field goals and gained an insurmountable lead of 4-1 which remained on the scoreboard till the final whistle as it announced a win for GCHC men over the Indian women hockey team.

Coach C.R Kumar was pretty happy with the team’s performance as the eves played a good game against the strong and well-built men’s team and created a number of opportunities for themselves, putting up a good show and missing a couple of them only by a whisker.

Hockey India Press release

Jaypee Punjab Warriors beat Dabang Mumbai 3-2

Mohali, February 19, 2015: A stunning game of hockey was witnessed by hockey enthusiast across India as Jaypee Punjab Warriors took on Dabang Mumbai at Mohali today in the last match of the pool phase before the League enters the semi-finals to be played on February 21. While Dabang Mumbai was leading the game 1-0 at half time, Jaypee Punjab Warriors came back into the game and beat the visiting team 3-2 to top the Pool Standings.

Just five minutes into the game Dabang Mumbai’s, Chinglensana Singh missed out on an opportunity to score the initial goal in the game as he gave enough time to Jaap Stockmann to stop the ball from going to the nets. With both teams looking at opening their account, just three minutes left in the first quarter, SV Sunil intelligently hit the ball at the foot of Jeremy Hayward in the D resulting in Japyee Punjab Warriors getting their first penalty corner. While Sandeep Singh hit hard, it was a good save by the Punjab goalie denying the home team a goal. Moments later Punjab had another opportunity at penalty corner and Gaganpreet Singh taking the flick this time missed as Vikram Pillay averted the danger by flicking the ball away. Going into the two minute break the score stood at 0-0.

Immediately into the second quarter, Nick Catlin scored the first goal for the team marking his first in the League as he hit the ball past Stockmann giving the goalie no chance to stop the goal. With this Dabang Mumbai opened the goal score for the day and was leading 1-0. The rest of the session saw Jaypee Punjab Warriors keeping the pressure on Mumbai by penetrating the circle and had many chances to convert but close misses resulted in Dabang Mumbai leading the game 1-0 at the end of first half.

Entering the second half of the game, Dabang Mumbai was immediately into business as Timothy Deavin charged into the D with the ball, hit towards the nets but Jaap Stockmann saved and Sandeep Singh cleared the ball. Jaypee Punjab Warriors got another penalty corner and Sandeep again tried to get the ball to the nets but was unfortunate as the ball found the bar much to the relief of Dabang Mumbai. Punjab finally got the equaliser in the 37th minute when Sandeep Singh hit the ball at the D to Jake Whetton who slapped the ball into the nets giving David Harte no chance to stop. The goal was the 125th goal of Hero Hockey India League 2015.

Jaypee Punjab Warriors finally took the lead in the game when they got a Penalty Stroke in the 44th minute as Gurmail Singh charging into the D had his stick stopped by Tom Boon. Sandeep Singh taking the Strike ensured he didn’t miss and took the score 2-1.

Dabang Mumbai was looking at equalizing the game, just minutes into the last quarter. Bharat superbly hit at the goal, beating Jaap Stockmann but unfortunately the ball hit the post much to the dismay of the team. Dabang Mumbai got their first penalty corner of the game in the 53rd minute and the young and dangerous Harmanpreet Singh had no problem in hitting it past the world’s best goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann beating him completely. This marked Dabang Mumbai equalizing the game 2-2 and Harmanpreet Singh adding the 5th goal to his personal tally in the League. The last few minutes saw the game increasing momentum as both teams were looking at scoring one more and winning the match.

57th minute and Dabang Mumbai got another penalty corner but this time Harmanpreet Singh could not control the ball and failed to capitalize. It was in the 59th minute when Jaypee Punjab Warriors finally took the lead 3-2, as good stick work and seamless passes between Jamie Dywer and Simon Orchard finally saw Orchard passing the ball to Kieran Govers who effortlessly hit the nets beating David Harte. With this goal the home team won over Dabang Mumbai 3-2 as the last match in the pool phase culminated.

Man of the Match Jake Whetton, Jaypee Punjab Warriors said “I would have loved scoring a few more goals. Hopefully will score against Delhi Waveriders in the semi-finals. I am in form and it is nice to score goals and I hope I carry it in the semi-finals and finals. We are looking forward to the game on Saturday.”

Speaking on the match today, Valentin Altenburg, Head Coach, Dabang Mumbai said “We played well but bad luck. Jeremy Hayward played really well and had an impressive performance today. We started well again, but we lost the game in the last quarter. We were unfortunate and missed out on many opportunities”.

Hero Goal of the Match – Nick Catlin, Dabang Mumbai

Man of the Match – Jake Whetton, Jaypee Punjab Warriors.

HIL Press release

Chawrasia, Siddikur part of five-way lead on day one of Indian Open

New Delhi, February 19, 2015: Three-time Asian Tour winner SSP Chawrasia raised Indian hopes on the opening day of the Hero Indian Open 2015 as he took top honours with a score of six-under-65 along with fellow PGTI member Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, Canadian Richard T Lee, Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat and Swede Joakim Lagergren.

Sri Lankan Mithun Perera and Australian Kalem Richardson were placed joint sixth at four-under-67.

Chawrasia, who started from the 10th tee on Thursday, had an error-free round as he picked up a total of six birdies, three before the turn and three after. SSP, who won the last Asian Tour event staged at the Delhi Golf Club, the Panasonic Open India, in November 2014, converted his longest putt of the day, a 15-footer, on the 17th. He also landed it within 10 feet for birdies on the 12th, 18th, first, sixth and eighth.

  

Chawrasia, who has had an amazing run of top-5s in all his last four starts at the DGC, said, “It feels good to have a bogey-free start to the week. I made some good putts and was hitting it good off the tees. It looked easy but it wasn’t. I think the winning score will be about 20-under.

“I’ve played here many times so I know how to play this course. I have good memories at this venue. I know exactly where to place the ball. Richard (T. Lee) was playing well as well so it was fun to play with him.

“This is my National Open and all the Indian golfers enjoy playing in this event. I’m not thinking too much on the course, I’m just enjoying myself. All my family and friends are here so that’s very encouraging,” added Chawrasia.

Defending champion Md Siddikur Rahman returned to the DGC, one of his favourite courses, with a solid 65. He birdied the first, seventh, eighth, 12th, 15thand 18th.

Siddikur said, “I played really good golf and made some long putts. My hitting was perfect so that was good. This is a tight and narrow golf course. I’m a very accurate player so I really like this type of course. You always see me in good positions when I play here.

“You have to plan your shots here and I know what to do here. I’m very excited to see my name on top of the leaderboard. I injured my back last year and I haven’t recovered fully as yet. The injury bothered me last week but hopefully I will be fine this week.”

PGTI member Mithun Perera, who was placed joint sixth at 67, had a quiet first-nine as he made bogey-birdie on the 11th and 12th. Perera, however, rallied with four birdies on his second-nine.

Perera said, “It is good to have three co-sanctioned events especially at Delhi Golf Club because when I come here I always have a good feeling. I always do well here. If I can do something this week, it will open many doors for me.”

Three Indians Chikkarangappa, Shubhankar Sharma and Chiragh Kumar occupied tied 15th place at two-under-69.

Arjun Atwal and Sujjan Singh were in tied 23rd at one-under-70.

Rashid Khan shot a 71 to be tied 39th while Jeev Milkha Singh was a further shot back in tied 55th.

Shiv Kapur and Anirban Lahiri lie in tied 80th spot with scores of 73.

Three-time Indian Open champion Jyoti Randhawa and Rahil Gangjee were in tied 93rd place with matching scores of 74.

Gaganjeet Bhullar ended the day in tied 121st place after he shot a 77.

PGTI Press release