Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy blanks Hockey Rajasthan 17-0

Ranchi, May 25, 2015: The ongoing 5th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2015 (A Division) being played at Ranchi, Jharkhand witnessed four exciting clashes between eight teams today.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy started the day with a win against Hockey Rajasthan and beat them 17-0. The second match between Hockey Punjab and Hockey Maharashtra proved to be fruitful for Hockey Punjab as they defeated Hockey Maharashtra 5-0. The third match saw hockey Jharkhand taking over Bengal Hockey Association by 19-0. This was followed by the fourth match which went in favour of Sports Authority of India who trounced Uttar Pradesh Hockey 4-3.

The first match of the day between Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy and Hockey Rajasthan concluded in favour of Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy who beat Hockey Rajasthan with an interesting goal margin of 17-0. The very first minute of the match saw Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy score the first goal of the match coming from the stick of Upasana Singh. Just four minutes after the first goal, Neeraj Rana notched a second field goal in the fifth minute to increase the lead to 2-0.

 The ninth minute saw an effectively converted penalty stroke by Ishika Chaudhary which was followed by a chain of 5 excellent goals by Suman Devi Thoudam which took the lead to 9-0 in support Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy.

 In the 35th minute Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy’s Sadhana Sengar landed the ball into the nets and added the tenth goal for her team. By the end of the first half, the scorecard read 10-0 in favour of Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy. After the change of the ends, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy kept on its scoring spree and bagged 7 more goals to take the winning lead to 17-0.

Hockey Punjab in their match against Hockey Maharashtra showcased a very confident game as they successfully dominated and did not allow the opponents a single opportunity to score. The intention of the team was made clear in the very 1st minute when Amrinder Kaur found the nets through a field effort. 

Amrinder Kaur, keeping the momentum of attack from her end was seen in action at the D and in the 12th minute she yet again successfully broke the defence shackles to score the second goal for her team. This helped her team to have a 2-0 lead on the game at the end of first half. Looking at strengthening their stand, Hockey Punjab added another goal to the tally in the 57th minute as a penalty corner was converted by Reet. The team scored two more goals in the 60th and 64th minute before registering the game in their favour by 5-0.

Hockey Jharkhand registered a thumping victory over Bengal Hockey Association today by 19-0. Sangita Kumari’s mammoth nine goals along with braces by Sushma Kumari, Albela Rani and Pinki Ekka helped in reaching this massive score line. Taking early lead over the opponents, Sangita Kumari’s field goals in the 1st and 11th min, for Hockey Jharkhand took the scorecard to 2-0. 

Following their team mate, Alka Dungdung and Salima Tete scored in the 12th and 13th minute giving a further lead to the team. Within two minutes, Hockey Jharkhand did it again as Sangita Kumari dribbled past the defence and scored a straight field goal further strengthening the team’s hold on the game. Hockey Jharkhand dominating the match added two more goals to their kitty, thanks to the support by Albela Rani in the 17th and 23rd minute. 

 Sangita Kumari further helped strengthen Hockey Jharkhand’s stand by adding five goals to the tally in the 18th, 19th, 20th, 27th and 30th minute respectively. Bengal Hockey Association deployed all its tactics to open its account but failed to penetrate the superior line of defence of Hockey Jharkhand. Hockey Jharkhand’s Pinki Ekka and Sushma Kumari’s goals in 41st, 50th, 51st and 64th minute along with skipper Simta Mins goal in the 48th minute increased the lead to 17-0. Before the final whistle, Hockey Jharkhand added two more goals to the tally beating Bengal Hockey Association by 19-0.

In another match it was a close contest between Sports Authority of India and Uttar Pradesh Hockey where the former edged past the latter with a narrow margin of 4-3. The match proved to be an intense clash as both the teams came all attacking and showcased a fast paced game. It was Sports Authority of India who managed to open its account in the seventh minute of the game through Anu. In search of an equaliser, Sonal Tiwari of Uttar Pradesh Hockey struck a beautiful field goal in the 20th minute to level the scores at 1-1. But the equaliser was short-lived as Sports Authority of India came back in full throttle and notched a 22nd and 32nd minute field goal by Kavita and Rajni respectively to take the scores to 3-1. 

Hema Navait of Uttar Pradesh Hockey slammed the nets in the 40th minute reducing the margin by 2-3, shortly it was very capably answered by Sunita the captain who scored for Sports Authority of India, taking the scores to 2-4. In the 60th minute Sonal Tiwari scored again for Uttar Pradesh Hockey but it was too late as Sports Authority of India won the game 4-3.

Results of the day-

Pool A Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 17 Upasana Singh (1min- FG, 48min- FG, 59min- FG)  Neeraj Rana (5min- FG), Ishika Chaudhary (9min- PS, 39min- PS), Suman Devi Thoudam (14min- FG, 16min- FG, 21min-FG, 32min-PC, 34min-PC, 52min-PC), Meena Chakre (28min- FG), Sadhana Sengar (35min- FG, 37min-FG), Yogita Verma (41min-FG), Seema Verma (43min-PC)

Pool A Hockey Punjab 5 Amrinder Kaur (1min-FG, 12 min-FG, 60 min-FG), Reet (57 min-PC, 64 min-PC) vs Hockey Maharashtra 0

Pool B – Hockey Jharkhand 19 Sangita Kumari (1 min-FG, 11 min-FG, 15 min-FG, 18 min-FG, 19 min-FG, 20 min-FG, 27 min-FG, 30 min-FG, 67 min-FG), Alka Dungdung (12 min-FG), Salima Tete (13 min-FG), Albela Rani (17 min-FG, 23 min-FG), Pinki Ekka (41 min-PC, 51 min-FG), Simta Mins (48 min-PS), Sushma Kumari (50 min-FG, 64 min-FG), Reema Baxle (65 min-PC) vs Bengal Hockey Association 0

Pool B Sports Authority of India 4 Anu (7min- FG), Kavita (22min- FG), Rajni (32min- FG), Sunita (57min- FG) vs Uttar Pradesh Hockey 3 Sonal Tiwari (20min- FG, 60min-FG), Hema Navait (40min- FG)

HI Press release

Indian women hockey team announced for upcoming FIH Hockey World League semifinal

New Delhi, May 25, 2015: Hockey India today announced the Indian Women Hockey Squad for the upcoming FIH Hockey World League Semi-Final to be played in Antwerp, Belgium from June 20 to July 4, 2015. India is placed in Pool B along with the FIH Ranked #2 Australia, FIH Ranked #4 New Zealand, Poland and hosts Belgium. In Pool A, FIH Ranked #1 The Netherlands, FIH Ranked #9 Korea, FIH Ranked #10 Japan, Italy and Azerbaijan will contest against each–other.

Playing their first match on the opening day, 20 June 2015 against the host nation Belgium, the Indian Women Hockey Team will be aiming to open the tourney with a win. The team will yet again be led by Captain Ritu Rani who will be supported by Vice-Captain Deepika.

Training under the new Chief Coach Mathias Ahrens, the team is aiming to finish in the top four and qualify for the FIH Hockey World League Final Round and also secure a place in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Speaking on the team line-up, Captain, Ritu Rani said, “The team is in very good shape and the ongoing preparation camp is helping us to improve our game. With our recent performance in the FIH Hockey World League Round 2 in New Delhi and the Hawke’s Bay Cup 2015 in New Zealand, we have seen improvement in our game and we have successfully rectifying the mistakes we committed in our previous tournaments. New Chief Coach is working well with us and we are learning new strategies under his coaching. The atmosphere is very positive and we are confident to take on our opponents in the FIH HWL Semi-Final.”

Speaking on the team, Chief Coach Mathias Ahrens stated, “The team is doing very well and improving perfectively. We have pointed out mistakes and loopholes in the previous matches and we are positively working on those issues. The players are keen learners and work really hard, which is a very good thing for the team. We know the fact that we will face top-ranked team in the tournament but we are not in pressure. We will just focus on our strategies and play our best game. I am sure that we will see a good competition in FIH Hockey World League Semi-Final.”

The FIH Hockey World League Semi-Final will be played from 20 June to 04 July 2015 and ten teams will be seen fighting it out for the title. India will play their first match against Belgium at 07.30 PM IST on 20 June 2015.

List of 18 Women Players -

GOALKEEPERS

1.         Savita

2.         Rajini Etimarpu

DEFENDERS

3.         Deep Grace Ekka

4.         Deepika

5.         Sunita Lakra

6.         Namita Toppo

7.         Sushila Chanu

MIDFIELDERS

8.         Ritu Rani

9.         Lilima Minz

10.       Lily Chanu

11.       Navjot Kaur

12.       Monika

13.       Renuka Yadav

FORWARDS

14.       Rani

15.       Poonam Rani

16.       Vandana Kataria

17.       Anuradha Devi

18.       Soundarya Yendala

HI Press release

Haryana face Odisha in 5th Sub-Junior National Hockey final

New Delhi, May 23, 2015: The semi-finals clash during the 5th Hockey India Sub Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Men) ‘A’ Division today at New Delhi saw four teams embroiled in a tough battle as each aimed to win and book a place in tomorrow’s Final. In the first semi-final clash between Hockey Haryana and Hockey Gangpur - Odisha saw the former stamping their victory over the opponents to march into the Final. The second semi-final clash proved to be a one sided affair as Hockey Odisha beat Hockey Karnataka 3-0.

The first semi-final match between Hockey Haryana and Hockey Gangpur - Odisha was an exciting clash as a score of 4-3 allowed Hockey Haryana to enter the Final. Post an initial round of attack and putting pressure on each other, Hockey Gangpur - Odisha broke the deadlock in the 14th minute when Mandip Kerketta slammed the ball into the nets through a penalty corner opportunity which gave his team a lead in the game. As no further goals was scored in the rest of the session the first half ended in favour of Hockey Gangpur - Odisha at 1-0.

 The second half saw intense action as both teams looked at scoring and registering the game in their name. It was in the 50th minute when Hockey Haryana finally managed to score the equaliser goal when Vishal Antil ensured that the penalty corner opportunity did not go a waste. Taking a cue from there Hockey Haryana increased their tempo of attack and 56th minute saw them double their score as Abhishek’s field effort bore results. Not wasting much time Hockey Haryana added another goal to their tally in the 63rd minute as Vishal Antil yet again slammed the ball into the nets. With tables turned in their favour and scores at 3-1, Hockey Haryana looked completely in control of the match but the very next minute Hockey Gangpur - Odisha scored their second goal. It was Albert Tete who scored a brilliant field goal to take the scorecard to 3-2, in favour of Hockey Haryana. Not wanting to lose their hold on the match, Hockey Haryana struck again in the 67th minute as Abhishek again was seen in action in the D and a beautiful deflection from him took the scores to 4-2. In a final desperate attempt in the 69th minute Hockey Gangour - Odisha added another goal but it was too late for them as Hockey Haryana went on to win 4-3.

The second semi-final clash proved to be a easy win for Hockey Odisha as they went on to win the game 3-0 allowing Hockey Karnataka no opportunity to capitalise in the entire game. Hockey Odisha started the game with complete dominance as they were seen in action in the opponents D, looking for chances to score, it was in the 15th minute when Suman Beck pounced on eth penalty corner and gave his team a 1-0 lead. Right before the break, Hockey Odisha doubled their lead when in the 30th minute Ashwin Kujur scored through a field goal. Wit 2-0 lead, the second half saw a similar story as Hockey Odisha dominated and held their defence high which gave Hockey Karnatak no chance to break the shackles. Hockey Odisha scored their third goal in the 39th minute which was because of the brilliant effort by Pradeep Lakra in the D which left the opponents goalie stunned. This proved to be the winning goal and Hockey Odisha with their brilliant performance advance to the Finals tomorrow.

RESULTS OF THE DAY-

1st Semi-Final : Hockey Haryana 4 Vishal Antil (50min- PC, 63 min-PC), Abhishek (56min- FG, 67min-FG), Parmeet (69min- PC) vs Hockey Gangpur - Odisha 3 Mandip Kerketta(14min- PC), Albert Tete (64min- FG), Amandeep Lakra (69 min-PC)

2nd Semi-Final : Hockey Odisha 3 Suman Beck (15min-PC), Ashwin Kujur (30min-FG), Pradeep Lakra (39min-FG) vs Hockey Karnataka 0

HI Press release

Hockey Gangpur-Odisha defeat Hockey Punjab 5-2 to enter semifinals

New Delhi, May 22, 2015: The day started on a competitive note as the teams registered their respective wins to enter the semi-finals of the 5th Sub Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Men) ‘A’ Division today at New Delhi. Hockey Odisha and Hockey Karnataka team will be seen battling it the first Semi-Final clash whereas, Hockey Haryana will clash against Hockey Gangpur-Odisha team in second Semi- Final for the day

The day witnessed a set of intense clashes where Hockey Gangpur-Odisha drubbed Hockey Punjab 5-2. This was followed by a win for Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, they beat Chhattisgarh Hockey 2-1.The third match saw Hockey Jharkhand dominating Hockey Andhra Pradesh and winning by 12-0. In the fourth and last match, Hockey Karnataka outplayed Hockey Maharashtra by 8-0.

In the first match of the day in Pool C, Hockey Gangpur-Odisha defeated Hockey Punjab 5-2. The game started with confidence showed by both the teams where the two teams were continuously looking to penetrate the defence of the other. It was Hockey Punjab who broke the shackles and scored a field goal in the very first minute of the game through Captain Dilpreet Singh. The game got levelled in the 10th minute as Hockey Gangpur Odisha scored through the stick of Biraj Topno. Within a span of five minutes, Albert Tete for Hockey Gangpur Odisha took the lead to 2-1 as he successfully converted a penalty corner in the 15th minute of the game. Maintaining their scoring momentum, Rahul Ekka and Prakash Dhir added a field goal each to Hockey Gangpur-Odisha’s account in the 18th and 32nd minute respectively and further advanced the scores to 4-1. Hockey Punjab finally got an opportunity to enter the opponent’s D through a penalty corner conversion by Varinder Singh to reduce the margin by 2-4. Very successful in capitalizing every scoring opportunity, the fifth goal was netted by Albert Tete in the 43rd minute who took Hockey Gangpur-Odisha to a winning score of 5-2 and will now be playing the semi-finals tomorrow.

The Pool C match between Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh Hockey witnessed the former team dominating the latter by 2-1 and emerging as winners. Chhattisgarh Hockey started off brilliantly by scoring the first goal of the match in the 16th minute coming from the stick of Gurpeert Singh. In search of an equalizer, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu answered back through A. Alan Rubenraj who efficiently converted into a penalty corner in the 25th minute .The scores were locked at 1-1 at the end of the first half. In the second half Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu turned the match in their favour by scoring their second goal in the 46th minute which was netted by S. Pandiarajan and going on to win the match by 2-1.

In Pool D match, Hockey Jharkhand defeated Hockey Andhra Pradesh by a whopping score line of 12-0. Noel Topno’s spectacular four field goals, Jen Soreng’s hat-trick, braces by Captain Patras Kujur and Subal Kerketta contributed to this massive score line. Sunil Xaxa opened the account for Hockey Jharkhand in the 4th minute by a brilliant field goal. Immediately, it was followed by another field goal in the 5th minute by Captain Patras Kujur and the scorecard read 2-0 in their favour. Following his team mates, Subal Kerketta scored a brilliant brace in the 29th and 32nd minute taking the score to 4-0.  Jen Soreng, slipped past the opposition’s defence and scored a stunning field goal in the 40th minute. Noel Topno scored another field goal in the 41st minute taking the tally 6-0. Dominating Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Jharkhand increased their tally to 10-0 with the help of Captain Patras Kujur’s field goal in the 48th minute and Noel Topno’s successive goals in 62nd, 64thand 65th minutes. Hockey Jharkhand decimated Hockey Andhra Pradesh by two consecutive goals in the 68th and 69th minute by Jen Soreng, taking the final goal score to 12-0.

In the Pool D match, Harish S Mtuagar’s four goals and Nagaraj M’s two goals helped Hockey Karnataka defeat Hockey Maharashtra by 8-0. Hockey Karnataka controlled the match from the first minute and Nagaraj scored the first goal in the 9th minute. Harish took the charge and scored two back-to-back goals in 10th and 28th minutes of the match. Leading by three goals, Binit Karo, Nagaraj and Harsha S added three more goals in 36th, 38th and 50th minutes respectively to increase the score-line by 6-0. Harish struck  again and scored two quick goals in 51st and 53rd minutes to help his team to register a 8-0 win over Hockey Maharashtra and enter the all important semi-finals tomorrow.

RESULTS OF THE DAY-

Pool C Hockey Gangpur-Odisha 5 Biraj Topno (10min- FG), Albert Tete (15min- PC, 43min-FG), Rahul Ekka (18min- FG), Prakash Dhir (32min- FG)vs Hockey Punjab 2 Dilpreet Singh (1min- FG), Varinder Singh (39min- PC)

Pool C Hockey Chhattisgarh 1 Gurpeert Singh (16min-FG) vs Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 2 A. Alan Rubenraj (25min-PG), S.Pandiarajan (46min-FG)

Pool D Hockey Jharkhand 12 Sunil Xaxa (4 min-FG), Patras Kujur (5 min-FG, 48 min-FG), Subal Kerketta (29 min-FG, 32 min-FG), Jen Soreng (40 min-FG, 68 min-FG, 69 min-FG), Noel Topno (41 min-FG, 62 min-FG, 64 min-FG, 65 min-FG) vs Hockey Andhra Pradesh 0

Pool D Hockey Karnataka 8 Nagaraj M (9min-FG, 38min-FG), Harish S Mtuagar (10min-FG, 28min-FG, 51min-FG, 53min-FG), Binit Karo (36min-FG), Harsha S (50min-FG), vs Hockey Maharashtra 0

HI Press release

Chandigarh Olympic Association outplay Hockey Patiala 6-4 to clinch title

Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), May 17, 2015: The 5th Sub Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Men) ‘B’ Division concluded today announcing Chandigarh Olympic Association as the winners of the Division ‘B' tournament who defeated Hockey Patiala by 6-4 to clinch the title.

 On the other hand, Hockey Madhya Pradesh secured the third position after a tough fought battle against Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association which concluded with a shoot-out phase resulting to a score 5-3 (2-2) in favour of Hockey Madhya Pradesh.

In the Final match, Chandigarh Olympic Association outplayed Hockey Patiala by 6-4 with the help of Sanjay’s spectacular hat-trick. Chandigarh controlled the match from the first minute and earned a penalty corner in 2nd minute of the match. Sanjay took the shot and hit it hard into the goal-box for his team’s first goal. Sabjodh Singh extended the lead by 2-0 in the 5th minute when he sneaked into opponent’s half and scored a brilliant goal.

After conceding two goals, Patiala counter attacked on Chandigarh’s half in the 18th minute as Prateek Sharma led the attack from the front. He dribbled-past the Chandigarh’s defenders and sent the ball into the nets to score the first goal for his team. Chandigarh charged back and earned another penalty corner in 24th minute, which was perfectly converted by Jaspreet Singh. His team-mate Sanjay increased the lead by 4-1, when he entered the D with his surprising speed and scored another spectacular goal.

Patiala kept-on attacking on their opponents and tried to create maximum opportunities to score goals. They managed to earn a penalty stroke in 41st minute, which was effectively converted by Harinder Singh for their second goal. However in the 45th minute, Chandigarh earned another penalty corner and Mandeep converted it with his superb skills. His team-mate Sanjay stroke back again in the 50th minute and scored the 6th goal for his team.

 Trailing by 2-6, Patiala pushed themselves harder to level the score-line and they continued attacking game. In 52nd minute, they earned a penalty stroke, which was converted by the specialist Harinder with an ease. After a nail-biting tussle in the last minutes, they earned a penalty corner in the 66th minute, which was converted by Prince to score their fourth goal. With the marvellous team-work and aggressive strategies, Chandigarh Olympic Association defeated Hockey Patiala by 6-4 and won the championship.

Earlier in the day, the hard line clash between Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association was a neck to neck competition ending with a shoot-out phase in favour of Hockey Madhya Pradesh with 5-3. (Hockey Madhya Pradesh winning the shoot-out phase by 3-1 after 2-2 draw). The game started on an interesting note where both the teams were eyeing the first goal in the initial minutes.

It was Kawalpreet Singhy from Dadra and Nagar Haveli Hockey Association who in the 18th minute scored the first field goal for the team. Hockey Madhya Pradesh made efforts to open their account in the first half itself, however the first half ended in favour of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Hockey Association who were leading with 1-0 by then.

It was in early minutes of the second half when Hockey Madhya Pradesh opened their account with a field goal in the 36th minute coming from the stick of Arun Pal. Again in the 43rd minute Hockey Madhya Pradesh earned a penalty corner in the 43rd minute which was beautifully converted by Rishabh Anand Kuswaha allowing the team to lead with 2-1.

However, in the 67th minute Dadra and Nagar Haveli Hockey Association bagged their second field goal which was again struck by Kawalpreet Singhy taking the match to a draw 2-2 which called for a shoot-out phase. The shoot-out phase was won by Hockey Madhya Pradesh with 3-1 allowing them to secure the third position with a total score 5-3. It was Vijay Yadav, Danis Khan and Gladwin Shaun from Hockey Madhya Pradesh who contributed well to the team’s victory in the shoot-out phase.

Results of the Day

3rd/4th Position - Hockey Madhya Pradesh 2 Arun Pal (36min-FG), Rishabh Anand Kuswaha (43min-PC) vs Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 2 Kawalpreet Singhy (18min-FG, 67min-FG)

Shoot-Out Phase - Hockey Madhya Pradesh 3 Vijay Yadav, Danis Khan,Gladwin Shaun vs Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 1 Anuj Singh

HI Press release

Hockey Odisha draw 2-2 against Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy

 Haryana vs Mizoram

Uttar Pradesh vs Delhi

New Delhi, May 17, 2015: Commencing the 5th Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship (Div A) on a winning note, the teams showcased brilliant performances to register their first wins at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

The first match of the tournament marked a draw for both teams withHockey Odisha drawn at 2-2 against Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy. In the second match, Manipur Hockey beat Sports Authority of India 2-0. The third match went in favour of Haryana Hockey who blanked Hockey Mizoram 9-0.  The day ended with a victory for Uttar Pradesh Hockey who defeated Delhi Hockey 10-2.

The first game of the tournament between Hockey Odisha and Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy was an intense clash wherein while the former was leading the game 1-0 at the end of first half it was Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy who made a brilliant comeback in the second half as they went on to hold the opponents to a 2-2 draw. 

The game was exciting during the entire first half and when it seemed that the session would end as a dry run, it was Odisha's Bhima Ekka who produced a brilliant field goal in the 29th minute, taking the score to 1-0 in their favor. Seeing the odds in their favor, Odisha upped the attack in the second half and added one more to their tally in the 45th minute as Sudhir Kujur stood tall to slam the ball into the nets. Realizing that the game was out of their hands, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy made a final effort to bounce back. It was Aniket Yadav's brace in the 53rd and 60th minute which helped his team to equalize the game and the match ended in a draw.

The second match for the day saw Manipur Hockey taking on Sports Authority of India wherein they maintaining a constant pressure on the opponents helped them win 2-1. While the game started with both the teams attacking the D of the opponents, looking for the initial goal, it was Manipur Hockey who managed to break the deadlock in the 18th minute when Mani Huidrom scored through a field effort. 

Post the first goal both the teams were unable to add further to the scorcard, resulting in first session ending 1-0 in favor Manipur Hockey. Sports Authority tried to equalise the game by taking the ante of their attack a notch higher. 50th minute and a penalty corner given to the Sports Authority of India and it was Gagan Rajbhar who slammed into the nets which helped equalize 1-1. Realizing that they lost the hold in the game Manipur Hockey took the lead again in the 63rd minute through Peter Leishangthem and went on to win the game 2-1.

In the third match of the day, Haryana Hockey easily beat Hockey Mizoram 9-0, which was possible due to a smashing hat-trick by Abhishek and an amazing brace by Sahil. Haryana Hockey opened their account in the first two minutes, when Abhishek managed to successfully convert a penalty corner. In the 14th minute, Roman doubled Haryana’s score by a brilliant field goal. Mizoram tried to break the formation of Haryana but were outwitted by the former’s superior gameplay. Haryana managed to sneak in two more goals in the 21st minute by Vishal Antil and in the 30th minute by Naveen taking the score to 4-0 at the end of first half. 

Mizoram under the charge of Captain Lalremdika, attacked with full intensity, employing every tactic in their strategy, to break the opponent’s defense but failed to open their account. Abhishek, managed to increase the lead over Mizoram, by two wonderful field goals in 37th and 51st minute. Haryana Hockey decimated Hockey Mizoram by three quick goals in 54th minute by Ravi, and 58th and 59th minute by Sahil taking the final tally to 9-0.

Concluding the day on a winning note, Uttar Pradesh Hockey drubbed Delhi Hockey 10-2. The match saw tremendous action as both the teams were looking at scoring an initial opening in the game. It was Uttar Pradesh Hockey who earned a penalty corner in the initial seven minutes of the game which was converted by Faraz Mohd in the 18th minute.

 In support of the winning team Vishal Thakur scored a field goal in the 18thminute and doubled the lead to 2-0. Through their brilliant tactics and skills Uttar Pradesh Hockey took the lead to 3-0 which was possible by the efforts of Ikitdar Ishsat who slammed the ball into the nets in the 32nd minute. Uttar Pradesh Hockey was leading the game by 3-0 by the end of the first half as Delhi Hockey failed to convert scoring opportunities. 

In the second half of the game, it was Uttar Pradesh Hockey who maintained its scoring momentum through Shivam Anand who scored a hat-trick in the 38th, 46th and 50th minute. Putting constant efforts to remain in the game, Delhi Hockey finally managed to score through Mohit Khatri who effortlessly converted a penalty corner in the 48th minute. The scoring was further taken ahead by Vidhan Patel who penetrated the nets in the 51st minute to score the second goal in favour of Delhi Hockey. On the contrary, Uttar Pradesh Hockey maintained its dominance and scored four more goals to its tally and concluded the game on a high in favour of themselves, beating Delhi Hockey 10-2.

Results of the Day

Pool A Odisha 2 Bhima Ekka (29min- FG), Sudhir Kujur (45min- FG) vs Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 2 Aniket Yadav (53min- FG, 60min- FG)

Pool A Manipur Hockey 2 Mani Huidrom (18min- FG, Peter Leishangthem- 63min- FG) vs Sports Authority of India 1 Gagan Rajbhar (50min- PC)

Pool B Haryana Hockey 9 Abhishek (2 min-PC, 37 min-FG, 51 min-FG), Roman (14 min-FG), Vishal Antil (21 min-PC), Naveen (30 min-FG), Ravi (54 min-FG), Sahil (58 min-PC, 59 min-FG) vs Hockey Mizoram 0

Pool B Uttar Pradesh Hockey 10 Faraz Mohd (7min- PC, 43min- PC), Vishal Thakur (18min- FG), Ikitdar Ishsat (32min- FG), Shivam Anand (38min- FG, 46min- FG, 50min- FG), Tipu Ali (41min- PC, 65min- FG), Ravins Jaiswal (64min- PS) vs Delhi Hockey 2 Mohit Khatri (48min- PC), Vidhan Patel (51min- FG)

Chandigarh Olympic Association emerges as the Winner of Hockey India 5th Sub-Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Men) ‘B’ Division

HI Press release

India beat Japan 4-0 to win hockey series 3-0

Bhubaneswar, May 9, 2015: With the series already in their name, India played to add another win to their name while Japan looked at ending the series with one win in their name. It was finally India who stamped its dominance as they went on to win the match 4-0 and claiming the series 3-0. With this India will now be eyeing the FIH World League Semi-Final slated in Belgium next month.

The match started with both teams looking a scoring the initial goal. Halfway into the first quarter, Japan had a real chance as Daichi Kurogawa passed the ball to Ippei Fujimoto in the D, put the later missed the target and losing out on the opportunity score the initial goal. Seconds left into the game Yuvraj Walmiki slapped the ball into the D to SV Sunil but unfortunately for India Sunil could not connect and lost the opportunity, resulting in the quarter being a dry run.

Halfway into the second quarter India had their first chance on penalty corner but unfortunately for India, Rupinder Pal Singh hit off target resulting in missing out on the crucial opportunity. 26th minute and India had their second chance on the penalty corner yet again and this time VR Raghunath taking the flick did no mistake in finding the nets resulting in India taking the lead 1-0. Next minute India broke the shackles of the defence again and Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant field goal, taking the lead to 2-0.

The third quarter started again in India’s favour as they maintain the attack and the pressure on Japan. In the 36th minute India added the third goal when SV Sunil passed eth ball to Dharamvir Singh who entered the D with the ball and slapped it past the goalkeeper giving no chance to the opponents to react. Post that Japan had yet another chance to score as Hiroki Sakamoto slapped the ball but Sreejesh saved yet again for India.

Immediately into the last quarter, Japan had their first chance on the penalty corner and a chance to score their first goal but unfortunately the ball was hit wide of the goal. Post that India upped the ante of their attack and was seen completely dominating the match thereon. In the 52nd minute, India had another chance as Ramandeep Singh had a clear chance to put the ball into the nets but unfortunately he hit directly at the Japan goalie and losing on converting. The very next minute India yet again Akashdeep tore past the defence of the opponents and beat the goalkeeper and scored a brilliant field goal, taking the score to 4-0. With this India won the game and the Series by 3-0.

HI Press release

Hockey Bihar and Chandigarh Olympic Association play 4-4 draw

Hockey Bihar Vs Chandigarh Olympic Association 

Jammu & Kashmir, May 9, 2015: The 5th Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2015 (Division B) being played in Jammu & Kashmir saw an exciting day of hockey as each team aimed to register their individual wins. 

The first match between  Citizen Hockey XI and Hockey Gujarat saw the former stamping its victory over the later at 5-0. The second match yet again witnessed an exciting clash as Hockey Bhopal outclassed Goans Hockey to win 6-1. The match between Hockey Himachal and Vidarbha Hockey Association saw the former dominating and wining the match 7-1.

 In the fourth match of the day Hockey Bihar and Chandigarh Olympic Association gave a tough fight to each other as the game was drawn 4-4. The fifth clash between between Patiala Hockey and Bengal Hockey Association was won by Patiala Hockey with 1-0. The last match of the day was a wonderful win for Hockey Puducherry who defeated Kerala Hockey 3-0

Citizen Hockey  XI had an easy day against Hockey Gujarat they beat the opponents 5-0. They struck just 14 minutes into the game as Rahul Gharai opened the scorecard through a field effort. This was immediately followed by the second goal by the team in the 19th minute when Sushi Chauhan ensured that he completed the penalty corner opportunity. Leading the game 2-0 the second half saw the same game play by Citizen Hockey XI as they continued their dominance. 39th minute and they scored the third goal coming again from the stick of Rahul Gharai. Looking in complete control of the match  Citizen Hockey XI slammed another two goals in the 49th and 65th minute and claimed a 5-0 victory.

The second match yet again witnessed an exciting clash as Hockey Bhopal outclassed Goans Hockey to win 6-1. It was Goans Hockey who started the game with speed and control over things and marked the first goal of the match in the 13th minute as Sayyad Sarafaraz slammed the ball into the nets when a penalty corner was given to the team. With no further goals scored in the first half, Goans Hockey was leading 1-0. Second half changed tables as Hockey Bhopal looking at coming back into the game equalized the game in the 44th minute as Wisaam Baig made no mistake in deflecting the ball into the nets and equalizing the game 1-1. From here on Hockey Bhopal completely controlled the game and Imad Uddin scored a brace for the team in the 49th and 50th minute, taking his team to a very strong position. Now leading the game 3-1, Hockey Bhopal sealed the by adding three more goals in the 56th, 61st and 68th minute, thereby winning the match 6-1.

The match between Hockey Himachal and Vidarbha Hockey Association saw the former dominating and wining the match 7-1. Hockey Himachal started the proceedings as early as the 6th minute as they struck their first goal in the as Captain Sher Singh’s field effort bore results for the team. This was followed by two quick goals by the team in the  12th and 16th minute and taking the lead of 3-0 in the game. While Vidarbha Hockey Association looked at coming back into the game, Hockey Himachal struck its fourth goal effortlessly in the 23rd minute coming from the stick of Divyan Shakti Verma. Vidarbha finally managed to break the shackles of the opponents in the 29thminute as Vishal Sangani stood tall for the team to slam the ball into the nets. With score at 4-1 in favor of Hockey Himachal, the team continued to score goals in the second half too. They added three more goals to the tally in the 54th, 55th and 69th minute to win it competitively at 7-1.

In the fourth match of the day Hockey Bihar and Chandigarh Hockey Association gave a tough fight to each other as the game was drawn 4-4. Leading the game 3-1 at the end of first half, Chandigarh Olympic Association equalized the game in the 18th minute, it was Hockey Bihar who started with the initial goal in the 7th minute to take the lead. The equalizer goal from the opponents came in the 18th minute add post that Chandigarh Olympic Association dominated the rest of the first half to add two more goals in the 22nd and 25th minute coming from the sticks of Amandeep Singh and Sabhjodh Singh.

Hockey Bihar came back string in the second half as they score two back to back goals in the 37th and 42nd minute and successfully equalizing the game at 3-3. Hereon it was anyone’s game and each team started looking at taking the lead and the win. Chandigarh Hockey Association scored the fourth goal in the 51st minute when Prabhjeet Singh scored through a field effort. not wanting to lose the game, Hockey Bihar equalized yet again in the 52nd minute as Sunil Mundu scored through a brilliant field goal. Hereon with no goals scored further the game was drawn 4-4.

The fifth match of the day between Hockey Patiala and Bengal Hockey Association was tough clash which was won by Hockey Patiala who defeated the opponents with 1-0. In the initial minutes of the match both the teams were seen striving to score the first goal. Efforts of Hockey Patiala resulted into a field goal in the 34th minute coming from the stick of Gurpreet Singh. With one goal in their kitty, Hockey Patiala was leading by 1-0 by the end of the first half. The second half was again a struggle by both the teams,where Hockey Patiala was looking at adding another goal to their kitty and Bengal Hockey association aiming to open their account. With no goals scored in the second half by either of the teams, Hockey Patiala won the game with a lead 1-0.

The last clash of the day was a one sided game where Hockey Puducherry pulled down Kerala Hockey with 3-0. The first goal of the match was scored by Hockey Puducherry in the early 3rd minute when S Surjith struck an excellent field goal for the team. Kerala Hockey made continuous efforts to retaliate for this, however in the 34th minute it was yet again Hockey Puducherry who bagged another field goal coming from the stick of R Ranjith. The first half of the match ended in favour of Hockey Puducherry who were leading with 2-0. In the 46th minute a beautiful penalty corner was converted by V Vinodhan from Hockey Puducherry taking the team towards victory with 3-0 against Kerala Hockey.

Results of the Day:

Pool C Citizen Hockey XI 5 Rahul Gharai (14min-FG,39min-FG), Sushil Chauhan (19min-PC,49min-FG),Pawan (65 min-FG) vs Hockey Gujarat 0

Pool A Hockey Bhopal 6 Wisaam Baig (44 min-FG), Imad Uddin (49 min-PC, 50 min-FG), Adnan Sheikh (56 min-FG), Sourabh Paseeney (61 min –PS, 68 min-PS) vs Goans Hockey 1 Sayyad Sarafraz (13 min-PC)

Pool D Hockey Himachal 7  Sher Singh (6 min-FG, 16 min-FG, 54 min-FG), Kartikey Verma (12 min-FG), Divyan Shakti Verma (23 min-FG, 55 min-PS, 69 min-FG) vs Vidarhbha Hockey Association 1 Vishal Sangani (29 min-FG)

Pool D Chandigarh Olympic Association 4 Mandeep (18min-PC), Amandeep Singh (22min –PC),Sabhjodh Singh (25min-FG), Prabhjeet Singh (51min-FG) vs Hockey Bihar 4 Bhaskar Singh (7 min-FG), Anand Kumar Bara (37 min-FG), Anthony Mudu (42 min-FG), Sunil Mundu (52 min-FG)

Pool C Hockey Patiala 1 Gurpreet Singh (34 min-FG) vs Bengal Hockey Association 0

Pool B Hockey Puducherry 3 S Surjith (3 min-FG), R Ranjith (34min-FG), V Vindodhan (46 min-PC) VS Kerala Hockey 0

Haryana face Jharkhand in junior women's hockey final

Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, May 9, 2015: Playing for the Finale berth it was a clash where four top teams of the 5th Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) ‘’A’’ Division met to claim a place in the Finaletomorrow. Hockey Haryana will clash against Hockey Jharkhand in the final, while Hockey Odisha will play against Hockey Punjab to contest for the 3rd/4th position tomorrow.

In the first semi-final clash between Hockey Haryana and Hockey Odisha it was the former who kept its nerves to win and enter tomorrow’s all important Finals. In the second semi-final game, Hockey Jharkhand pulled a fine win against Hockey Punjab 5-2 and sealed its berth in the final to be played tomorrow.

The first semi-final match between Hockey Haryana and Hockey Odisha was intense as both teams fought to win the all crucial game. Hockey Haryana started the game with a high intent to win and struck in the very 4th minute of the match when a penalty corner was converted by Neha giving her team the much required lead. While Hockey Odisha tried equalising in the rest of the first half, Hockey Haryana did a good job of keeping the opponents at bay, not allowing them to score. 

This resulted in Hockey Haryana leading the game 1-0 at the end of first half. The second half started with equal determination by both team to win. Hockey Odisha finally equalised in the 39th minute as Captain Nil Projita Majhi scored through a fantastic field effort. With the game on, it was anyone’s game from here and it was Hockey Haryana who broke the deadlock in the 46th minute as another penalty corner was struck on target by Udita. Leading the game 2-1 Hockey Haryana nailed it for the opponents as they scored the third goal in the 59th minute through a field effort by Jyoti and stormed into the final.

In the second semi-final match today, Hockey Jharkhand claimed a spectacular victory against Hockey Punjab 5-2 to enter the final of the tournament. The match between the two teams turned out to be exciting as the teams were seen in complete action not letting the other team taking advantage on the scoring prospects. It was in the 18th minute that Hockey Jharkhand drew its first blood through Sangeeta Kumari and hit a field goal. Hockey Punjab immediately retaliated through Amrinder Kaur who courageously scored a brace in the 33rd and 41st minute, taking the scores 2-1 in favour of Hockey Punjab. 

But the lead was short-lived as Hockey Jharkhand bounced back into the game and this time with a use of a penalty corner converted a goal through Binita Tirkey who leveled the scores at 2-2 in the 53rd minute. Kanti Pradhan of Hockey Jharkhand turned the table in favour of her team when she struck a beautiful field goal in the 54th minute.

 However, Hockey Punjab continuously made attempts to pierce the defence of the opponents but could not add any further goal to its tally. Taking the lead to 5-2, Sangeeta Kumari this time struck a brace in the 63rdand 67th minute and declared a convincing win for Hockey Jharkhand over Hockey Punjab and landed into the Finale tomorrow.

Results of the Day-

First Semi-Final Hockey Haryana 3 Neha (4 min-PC), Udita (46 min-PC), Jyoti (59 min-PC) vs Hockey Odisha 1 Nil Projita Majhi 1 (39 min-FG)

Second Semi- Final Hockey Jharkhand 5 Sangeeta Kumari (18min- FG, 63min- FG, 67min- FG), Binita Tirkey (53min- PC), Kanti Pradhan (54min- FG) vs Hockey Punjab 2 Amrinder Kaur (33min- PC, 41min- FG)

HI Press release

Mumbai lad Goveas upsets top seed Kirtane to lift title

Pune, May 9, 2015: Playing in only his third AITA men’s tournament, unseeded Aryan Goveas of Mumbai upset top seed Nitten Kiirtane of Pune in a gruelling three-hour men’s singles final to win the AITA All-India Bhandari Cup Tennis Tournament at the Deccan Gymkhana, here on Saturday.

After losing the opening set 3-6, the 16-year-old Goveas showed great character as he held his nerve to save a match point at 4-5 in the second set and then hit four consecutive winners to recover from a 2-5 deficit in the tie-breaker and went on to win the set to level scores and to take the match into the decider.

In the crucial third set, Goveas broke Kirtane in the opening game and then held serve for a 2-0 lead, before the more experienced Pune player threw in the towel and conceded, handing the Mumbai lad a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 2-0 (retired) victory.

Goveas, who had reached the singles semi-finals of the men’s event at Khar Gymkhana last week, carried on the momentum to win the title here and earn 15 AITA points.

Result: Men’s singles final: Aryan Goveas (Mumbai) bt 1-Nitten Kirtane (Pune) 3-6, 7-6 (5), 2-0 (retired).

Photo Caption: Aryan with the trophy after winning men's title.

Press release

India outplay Japan 2-1 in third match of hockey series

Bhubanewsar, May 7, 2015: After leading the four-match Test Series by 1-0, India outplayed Japan by 2-1 in the third match and won the series by 2-0. Penalty corner specialist VR Raghunath converted another corner with an ease whereas Akashdeep Singh displayed a brilliant stick-work when he scored the second goal for his team. After a tough fight Japan’s Hirotaka Wakari scored the lone goal for his team.

In the first quarter of the match, it was Japan who attacked first from the left flank and pressurised the Indian players. They continued with their long passes and kept the Indian players busy through-out the quarter. But they faced a tough defence from Birendra Lakra, K Chinglensana and VR Raghunath, who foiled Japanese attacks. Very soon Indian players charged back on the Japanese side led by Sardar Singh and with the help of their short passes, they manage to sneak into Japanese D in few occasions. However, they could not give perfect finishes to their passes and by the end of the quarter, the score-line was 0-0.

In the 2nd quarter, both the teams came on the field with more aggression and fought harder to create chances. In the 19th minute, Japan’s Tomonori Ono ran through the left flank where the captain found his fellow team-mate Hiroki Sakamoto in the circle, who took a reverse shot but that was nicely blocked stand-in-keeper Harjot SIngh. India charged back with series of counter attacks with the help of VR Raghunath and young Yuvraj Walmiki and kept the ball in the Japan’s half. In the last minute, Japan made a counter-attack and they entered in the Indian circle but Lakra again thwarted their attack again. In the 30th minute, India earned their first penalty corner after a quick attack. Dharamvir Singh pushed the ball in and Raghunath dragged it on the right of the Japanese goalie Suguru Shimmoto, who tried to stop it with his right hand but the ball reflected and went into the net. With this brilliant conversion, India took the early lead of 1-0 by the end of 2nd quarter.

In the 3rd quarter, India stepped on the field with more aggression and played an attacking game from the very first minute. On the other hand, Japanese played with a plan of marking each player. For India, Sardar Singh played very deep today and co-ordinating with the defenders and midfielders through-out the match. In the 36th minute, Akashdeep Singh ran with the ball, dribbling past the Japanese defenders and hit the ball towards the bar, which beat the Japanese keeper for the second goal for India. It was spectacular goal from Akashdeep who single-handedly scored the goal and extended the lead to 2-0. However, the joy was short-lived as Japanese counter-attacked on Indian side and managed to earn a penalty corner in the 44th minute, which was perfectly converted by Hirotaka Wakari. With this crucial goal, Japan reduced the margin by 1-2 by the end of the 3rd quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Japanese charged back on the Indian side with long passes and pushed the Indian players back to their half. Japan continued their attack and managed to reach near the Indian circle but Lakra was defending his area like a wall. In the 50th minute, India earned a penalty corner after a counter-attack. Sardar pushed in and young Harmanpreet dragged a powerful shot but it was saved by the Japanese goalie. Both the team fought neck-to-neck and tried harder to create more chances in the dying minutes. India took the ball near the goal-mouth in many occasions but they faced a stiff Japanese defence. Both the teams battled hard till the last minute but failed to convert opportunities in goals. The match was eventually finished with 2-1 score-line and India won the series with 2-0 with a match to spare.  

HI Press release

Hockey Bhopal maul The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 7-3

Jammu & Kashmir, May 7, 2015: The second day of the 5th Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2015 (Division B) saw four exciting clashes at Jammu & Kashmir today.

The day begun on a winning note for Hockey Bhopal which outplayed The Mumbai Hockey Association Limited with a leading score 7-3. Another exciting clash was witnessed between Assam Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association where Assam Hockey defeated the opponents 4-2. This was followed by an excellent win for Hockey Uttarakhand which blanked Kerala Hockey 9-0. In the last match of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh displaying good hockey skills pulled down Hockey Rajasthan 6-2

The first clash of the day concluded in favour of Hockey Bhopal which with an excellent field work defeated The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 7-3. Hockey Bhopal stood confident from the initial minutes itself scoring their first goal in the 5th minute which was a beautifully converted penalty corner by Faizan Udain. 

Sneaking into the opponent’s goal box with smart stick skills, Adnan Sheikh from Hockey Bhopal struck a field goal in the 8th minute and brought in the second goal for the team. Again at a short interval in the 13th minute, Hockey Bhopal was able to add to their scorecards with a field goal coming from Wisaam Baig. Goals rained in from the leading team, the fourth one being scored again by Adnan Sheikh who did no mistake in finding the goal box. 

The Mumbai Hockey Association Limited eyeing  an opportunity to answer back and open their account managed to do so in the 21th   minute when Ameen Rogay smashed a field goal into the net. In the 25th minute of the game Hockey Bhopal earned their second penalty corner which was converted by Imad Uddin. Marching ahead with excellent co-ordination and team work, Hockey Bhopal added the sixth goal in their kitty in the 34th minute with the help of a field goal struck by Faizan Udain. 

The first half ended on a speedy note as The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd also managed to earn a penalty corner in the 34th minute itself which was converted by Ajit Yadav.  The second half of the game witnessed efforts from The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd trying to bounce back with further goals which resulted into another penalty corner for the team converted by Jay Parmar.  Leading with a good margin Hockey Bhopal bagged another field goal in the 60th minute struck by Wisaam Baig once again which declared the win for Hockey Bhopal against The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 7-3.

The second battle of the day between Assam Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association  was an intense game won by Assam Hockey which defeated the opponents 4-2. The match in its initial minutes saw continuous efforts from both then teams eyeing the first goal of the battle. It was Assam Hockey which started the proceedings in the 20thminute with a penalty corner converted by Dibyajyoti Biswas.

In the 30th minute of the game, Nazrul Islam from Assam Hockey entered into the opponent’s defence and won a field goal for the team. The first half concluded with a lead for Assam Hockey with 2-0. In the 38th minute, continuing to dominate the opponents, Arjun Bhagat scored another field goal for Assam Hockey. The fourth goal for Assam Hockey was registered in the 44th minute when Manish Sahani converted a penalty corner supporting the team. Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association made efforts to bounce back in the game which resulted into two field goals in the 67th and 69th minute coming from Sanjay Chaturvedi and Kawalpreet Singh. The intense game concluded with a victory for Assam Hockey which outplayed Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 4-2.

The third match between Hockey Uttarakhand and Kerala Hockey was an obvious win for Hockey Uttarakhand which blanked Kerala Hockey 9-0. After a good struggle in the initial minutes, Hockey Uttarakhand bagged their first goal in the 11th minute when Sumit Kumar smashed an excellent field goal for the team. Possessing the ball and making swift attacks Hockey Uttarakhand added two more field goals to their scorecards in the next two minutes which was done through the sticks of Boby Dhami and Sumit Kumar. 

The goal spree continued as Hockey Uttarkhand earned two penalty corners converted with the help of brilliant performance by Sumit Kumar in the 16th and 17th minute. Completely dominating the game in the first half and scoring further two field goals in the 23rd and 21st minute which came from Pardeep Bisht and Boby Dhami, Uttarkhand Hockey was leading with 7-0 by the end of the first half. Kerala Hockey made various attempts to grab a chance and sneak into the opponent’s defence but was overpowered by the well planned strategies of Hockey Uttarakhand. 

Hockey Uttarakhand enjoying the delightful session added two more field goals in their kitty coming from the sticks of Sumit Kumar and Boby Dhami. The wonderful one sided game ended with rejoices for Hockey Uttarakhand which thumped down Kerala Hockey 9-0.

The day concluded with a win for Hockey Madhya Pradesh which with a good lead defeated Hockey Rajasthan 6-2. The proceedings in the match were started by Hockey Madhya Pradesh when Ayay Yadav scored an excellent field goal for the team helping them to open their account in the early minutes. 

In the 25th minutes it was again Hockey Madhya Pradesh which bagged the second goal which was a penalty corner again coming from the sticks of Vijay Yadav. Hockey Rajasthan was aiming to retaliate in the first half itself but the first half ended in favour of Hockey Madhya Pradesh which was leading with 2-0 by the end of the first half. In the 41st minute of the game Hockey Rajasthan managed to open their account with a field goal coming from Arvind Tanwar. 

Hockey Madhya Pradesh maintain the consistency added to their scorecards with two more field goals in the 47th and 54th minute coming from Krishna Murari Ydav and Kuwer Singh Marvi. Hockey Rajasthan aiming to get back in the game smashed another field goal which was beautifully scored by urmil Kumar Sharma in the 56th minute. In the 64th and 67th minute of the game, Rishi Mahobia and Kuwer Singh Marvi struck two field goals taking the team towards victory against Hockey Rajasthan 6-2.

Results of the Day:

Pool A Hockey Bhopal 7 Faizan Udain (5 min-PC,34 min-FG),Adnan Sheikh (8min-FG, 20min-FG),Wisaam Baig (13min-FG,60min-FG), Imad Uddin (15min-PC), vs The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 3 Ameen Rogay (21min-FG), Ajit Yadav (34 min-PC), Jay Parmar (45min-PC)

Pool A Assam Hockey 4 Dibyajyoti Biswas(20min-PC), Nazrul Islam (30 min-FG), Arjun Bhagat (38min-FG), Manish Sahani(15 min-PC) vs Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association  2 Sanjay Chaturvedi (67 min-FG), Kawalpreet Singh (69min-FG)

Pool B Hockey Uttarakhand 9 Sumit Kumar (11 min-FG,13min-FG,16min-FG,17min-PC,54min-FG), Boby Dhami (12 min-FG,31min-FG,59min-FG), Pardeep Bisht (9min-FG)VS Kerala Hockey 0

 Pool B Hockey Madhya Pradesh  Vijay Yadav (8min-FG, 5min-PC),Krishna Murari Yadav (47min-FG),Kuwer Singh Marvi (54min-FG,67min-FG),Rishi Mahobia(64min-FG)VS Hockey Rajasthan 2 Arvind Tanwar (12 min-FG), Urmil Kumar Sharma(56 min-FG)

HI Press release

Hockey Jharkhand defeat Hockey Bhopal 3-0

Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, May 07, 2015: The ongoing 5th Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) ‘’A’’ four nerve wrecking matches on the ground of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.

The day begun with a good win for Hockey Jharkhand which blanked Hockey Bhopal 3-0. This was followed by a rejoicing victory for Hockey Maharashtra which blanked Hockey Rajasthan 6-0. The third match was a triumph for Hockey Odisha which defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 4-0. The day concluded with a victory for Sports Authority of India which outplayed Delhi Hockey with a massive score 5-0.

The first match of the day was a wonderful win for Hockey Jharkhand which blanked Hockey Bhopal 3-0. The first half of the match was more of a struggle between the two teams eyeing an opportunity to start the proceedings of goals. In the 35th minute of the game Sangeeta Kumari converted a penalty corner for the team and helped them to open their account and lead with 1-0 by the end of the first half. 

The first goal of the second half was also bagged by Hockey Jharkhand which was a field goal coming from the sticks of Sangeeta Kumari once again in the 40th minute. Hockey Bhopal tried to make few attempts to come back in the game but it was yet again Hockey Jharkhand winning the third goal for themselves when Anima Tiru smashed a field goal into the net in the 67th minute and announced victory for Hockey Jharkhand against Hockey Bhopal 3-0

In the second match of the day, Hockey Maharashtra thrashed Hockey Rajasthan by 6-0 in a one-sided match. Maharashtra dominated through-out the match and maintained their domination over their opponents. In most of the time, the match was played at Rajasthan’s half and Maharashtra earned penalty corners in regular intervals. Maharashtra earned a penalty corner in the 6th minute and it was perfectly converted by Bhavana Khade to take an early lead. Maharashtra two more penalty corners in 32nd and 34th minutes and both were effectively converted by Komal Shinde and skipper Aishwarya Chavan. Leading by three goals, Maharashtra continued their attacks and this time, Alakananda Bagde sent the ball into the goal-box in the 47th minute. In the next minute (48th minute), Maharashtra materialised another penalty corner when Diksha Patil hit the ball hard into the net. In the 66th minute, Maharashtra’s Priyanka Wadmare scored the sixth goal for the team and registered a thumping 6-0 win over Rajasthan.

In the third clash of the day, Hockey Odisha outplayed Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu by 4-0 in another one-sided match. Odisha started the match with fierce attacks and earned a penalty corner in 10th minute of the match, which was perfectly converted by Mariana Kujur to give an early lead. 

With the impressive goal, Odisha kept on attacking and skipper Nil Projita Majhi and Seema Lakra scored one goal each in 18th and 19th minutes respectively and took the score-line to 3-0. In the 29th minute, Dipti Lakra scored the fourth goal for Odisha and helped her team to defeat Tamil Nadu by 4-0.

The fourth clash of the day between Sports Authority of India and Delhi Hockey was an easy win for Sports Authority of India which outplayed the opponents with a massive score 5-0. Sports Authority of India bagged their early first goal in the 4th minute of the game when Anjali Gautam struck a wonderful field goal. The remaining first half of the game witnessed good efforts from both the teams, however, there were no further goals in the first half which ended in favour of Sports Authority of India leading with 1-0. 

The second half of the game was dominated by Sports Authority of India who scored their second field goal in the 36th minute coming from the sticks of Manisha. In the 37th minute, Manisha once again scored a field goal for the team adding to the score cards. With two more field goals in the 64th and 70th minute coming from Lalnun Siami Renthlei and Manish respectively, Sports Authority of India declared a win against Delhi Hockey with 5-0.

Results of the day-

Pool C- Hockey Jharkhand 3 Sangeeta Kumari (17min-PC, 40min-FG),      Anima Tiru ( 67th minute-FG)Vs Hockey Bhopal 0

 Pool C Hockey Maharashtra 6 Bhavana Khade (06min-PC), Komal Shinde (32min-PC), Aishwarya Chavan (34min-PC), Alakananda Bagde (47min-FG), Diksha Patel (48min-PC), Priyanka Wadmare (66min-FG) vs Hockey Rajasthan 0

Pool D Hockey Odisha 4 Mariana Kujur (10min-PC), Nil Projita Majhi (18min-FG), Seema Lakra (19min-FG), Dipti Lakra (29min-FG) vs Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 0

Pool D Sports Authority of India 5 Anjali Gautam (4 min-FG),Manisha 36min-FG,37min-FG,70th min –FG) Lalnun Siami Renthlei (64th min-FG) vs Delhi Hockey 0

HI Press release

Hockey Jharkhand humble Hockey Maharashtra 9-0

Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh,  May 5, 2015: The 5th edition of the Hockey India Junior Women National Hockey Championship 2015 (Div A) being played in Rajnandgoan, Chhattisgarh today saw tough-fought battles among best teams in the tournament. In Pool C, Hockey Jharkhand thumped down Hockey Maharashtra by 9-0 and  Hockey Bhopal thrashed Hockey Rajasthan by a huge margin of 16-0. In Pool D, Hockey Odisha edged past Sports Authority of India by 4-3 and Delhi Hockey defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu by a narrow margin of 2-1.

In the first match of the day in Pool C, Hockey Jharkhand thumped down Hockey Maharashtra by 9-0 with the help of Pramila Soren and Anima Tiru’s inspiring hat-tricks. Jharkhand dominated the match from the first minute and earned their first penalty corner in the 2nd minute, which was perfectly converted by Pramila Soren to take the early lead. After the first success, Anima Tiru (16th min), Kanti Pradhan (28th min) and Sangeeta Kumari (31st & 44th minutes) scored four back-to-back goals and took the score-line to 5-0.

Keeping the aggressive game, Jharkhand earned two penalty corners and a penalty stroke within ten minutes. Anima converted a penalty corner in 58th minute and very soon, Jharkhand managed to earn a penalty stroke in 65th minute, which was perfectly converted by Pramila. Jharkhand again earned a penalty corner in 67th minute and this time again, Pramila converted it in her hat-trick goal. Anima completed her hat-trick in 70th minute and finished the match with a thumping 9-0 victory over Maharashtra.

In the second match of the Pool C, Hockey Bhopal thrashed Hockey Rajasthan by a huge margin of 16-0 with the help of Puja Yadav’s spectacular five goals, Siddhi Singh’s fabulous four goals and Sneh Gaur’s marvelous hat-trick. Bhopal dominated through-out the match and scored their first goal in the 6th minute of the match when Puja Yadav sneaked into opponent’s half and scored a brilliant goal. After two minutes (8th minutes), Bhopal earned a penalty corner, which was perfectly converted by Siddhi Singh and took the early lead of 2-0. 

With the inspiring start, Bhopal’s Puja (18th, 22nd) and Siddhi (11th, 23rd) score two goals each to increase the score-line to 6-0. Continuing the aggressive game, Bhopal earned two more penalty corners in 24th and 26th minutes and both were effectively converted by skipper Neha Sharma and Anuradha Singh respectively. Leading by 8-0 now, Bhopal’s players kept on charging on their opponents and this time again, Puja scored goals in 40th and 44th minute along with Anuradha, who scored her second goal in 41st minute to extend the score-card 11-0.

Controlling the game with full confidence, Sneh Gaur took the charge in the 4thquarter and scored three back-to-back goals in 47th, 54th and 64th minute. She first converted a penalty corner perfectly, which boosted her morale and then she scored two more goals. Leading by 14-0 now, Bhopal again earned a penalty corner in 65th minute and this time again, skipper Neha converted it with an ease. Siddhi hit back and scored her hat-trick goal in 67th minute and helped her team to beat Hockey Rajasthan by 16-0.

In the third match of the day in Pool D, Hockey Odisha edged past Sports Authority of India (SAI) by 4-3 with the help of Dipti Lakra’s brilliant brace in neck-to-neck battle. Odisha drew the first blood in the 17th minutes when Elima Minz stormed into opponent’s half and scored spectacular goal. Conceding the early jolt, SAI came back with fierce attacks and their star players Nomita Xalxo and skipper Manisha scored two goals in 21st and 27th minutes of the match to take the score-line to 2-1.

From here, the match turn-around as Odisha players played with their attacking game and kept on charging on SAI’s defence. With the speedy attacks, Odisha’s Dipti Lakra (34th & 49th minute) and Priyanka Ekka (63rd minute) scored three goals and took the score-card to 4-2. SAI attacked back with full force and Anjali Gautam surprised the defence-line with her goal in 64th minute. However, SAI failed to convert more opportunities and eventually lost the match by 4-3.

In the fourth match of the day in Pool D, Delhi Hockey defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu by a narrow margin of 2-1 in a closely fought match. After an intense start, it was Delhi who managed to take early lead when Ashna Salmani scored a brilliant goal in the 5th minute of the match. Inspired by her goal, Gayatri extended the lead in the 26th minute when she dribbled past opponent’s defenders and hit the ball hard into the goal-box. Trailing by two goals, Tamil Nadu’s Stella scored a consolation goal in the 68th minute and Delhi won the match by 2-1.

Results of the day-

Pool C - Hockey Jharkhand 9 Pramila Soren (16min-PC, 65min-PS, 67min-PC), Anima Tiru (16min-FG, 58min-PC, 70min-FG), Kanti Pradhan (28min-FG), Sangeeta Kumari (31min-FG, 44min-FG) vs Hockey Maharashtra 0

Pool C - Hockey Bhopal 16 Puja Yadav (6min-FG, 11min-FG, 23min-FG, 40min-FG, 44min-FG), Siddhi Singh (8min-PC, 18min-FG, 22min-FG, 67min-FG), Neha Sharma (24min-PC, 65min-PC), Anuradha Singh (26min-PC, 41min-FG), Sneh Gaur (47min-PC, 54min-FG, 64min-FG)  vs Hockey Rajasthan 0

Pool D - Hockey Odisha 4 Elima Minz (14min-FG), Dipti Lakra (34min-FG, 49min-FG), Priyanka Ekka (63min-FG) vs Sports Authority of India 3 Nomita Xalxo (21 min-FG) Manisha (27min-FG), Anjali Gautam (64min-FG)

Pool D – Delhi Hockey 2 Ashna Salmani (13min-FG), Gayatri (26min-FG) vs Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 1 K Stella (68min-FG)

Hockey Gangpur-Odisha emerges as the winners of the 5th Hockey India 5th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship (Division B)

HI Press release

Hockey Gangpur Odisha outplay Hockey Patiala 2-1 to clinch title

Odisha (yellow) vs Patiala

Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, May 5, 2015: The final day of 5th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship (Division B) concluded today announcing Hockey Gangpur-Odisha as the winners of the tournament who clinched the title defeating Hockey Patiala with 2-1. Whereas, Chandigarh Olympic Association won a close fought battle defeating Hockey Uttarakhand with 2-1 and settled with the third position.

In the crucial finale session between Hockey Patiala and Hockey Gangpur Odisha, Hockey Gangpur –Odisha emerged as the winners of the tournament defeating the opponents 2-1 after a tough battle. The excitement rolled in the tournament in the 7th minute of the game itself when Hockey Gangpur-Odisha bagged their first goal which was a penalty corner converted by Rinki Kujur giving a cheerful moment to the team. 

The game continued with rigorous attempts coming from both the sides which resulted into a second score of Hockey Gangpur-Odisha again when Janhabi Pradhan in the 23rd minute struck a wonderful field goal leading the team towards victory. It was in the 33rd minute that Hockey Patiala bounced back in the game with a penalty corner converted by Lovedeep Kaur from the team giving them a moment of relief. The first half of the game ended in favour of Hockey Gangpur-Odisha which was leading with 2-1. 

The second half witnessed an intense clash between the teams racing against each other for the title. However, there were no further strikes in the second half and the match concluded announcing Hockey Gangpur-Odisha as the winners of the B-Division and defeated Hockey Patiala 2-1.

The hard line match ended with a very close win for Chandigarh Olympic Association which claimed the third position in the tournament by beating Hockey Uttarakhand with 2-1. In the initial few minutes both the teams were trying their best to score the first goal of the match and begin the proceedings of goals. It was in the 31st minute that Hockey Uttarakhand managed a field goal which was scored by Parameshwari in support of the team. 

This was very well answered by the opponents with a beautifully converted penalty corner by Shweta from Chandigarh Olympic Association in the 33rd minute of the game. With this the first half ended with a draw leaving excitement on the roll for the second half of the match. The second half of the game was a display of continuous efforts by both the teams to enter into the opponent’s D. In the 47th minute it was again Shweta who with another penalty corner allowed the team to take the lead and gain confidence. 

In the remaining few minutes, eyeing the third position in the tournament, both the teams showcased good strategies and hockey skills, however there were no further goals scored till the end. The match concluded with a victory for Chandigarh Olympic Association which bagged third position in the tournament defeating Hockey Uttarakhand with a close margin 2-1.

Results of the day –

3rd /4th Position- Chandigarh Olympic Association2 Shweta (33min-PC, 47min PC) vs Hockey Uttarakhand 1 Parameshwari (31min-FG)

Finals – Hockey Gangpur –Odisha 2 Rinki Kujur (7min-PC),Janhabi Pradhan (23 min-FG) vs Hockey Patiala 1 Lovedeep Kaur (33min-PC)

HI Press release

India beat Japan 2-0 in second match of Indo- Japan hockey series

Bhubanewsar, May 5, 2015: After settling for a 1-1 draw against Japan in the first match of the Indo-Japan series, India confidently defeated Japan 2-0 in the second match of the series at Bhubaneswar today.

The match had an interesting start where both the teams came out all attacking and showcased a fast paced game from the very beginning. While Japan was looking for a calculative move to enter into the Indian side with their long passes, the strong Indian boys were seen in full throttle to strengthen their defence line and create an initial opening in the match. With both the teams unable to score on the opportunities, the first quarter of the game went goalless.

In the second quarter both the teams were seen playing defensively waiting for the right moment to net the ball. Despite very positive play from Japan, the Indian side created several scoring opportunities as Birendra Lakra perfectly placed himself and passed the ball to Gurmail Singh who tried hitting the right flank but failed to hit the crossbar. India took an early lead in the game when Yuvraj Walmiki gave a fine pass to Uthappa who flawlessly struck a beautiful field goal in the 27th minute of the game. The scores at half time stood at 1-0 with India in the forefront.

With a lead of 1-0 over Japan, the confident Indian boys tried to build pressure on the opponent team in the third quarter of the match and displayed some lovely moves and interceptions. India intensified their game play supported duly by Pradeep Mor who made several attempts to score while the Japanese boys were seen a little restless as they could not find any gaps to put the ball in the net. Amidst a very well organized defense from both the teams, the third quarter remained goal-less before giving way to the last quarter.

The fourth and the last quarter of the game began with the same momentum and the Indian team was seen attacking from the right flank. Japan made quick moves and continued to restrict the opponents to get into the circle until Dharamvir displayed a beautiful piece of action and effortlessly attacked the Japanese defence in the 48th minute, landing the ball into the nets taking the lead to 2-0.

Going on with the attack, Yuvraj Walmiki made a reverse stick shot but Japanese defence stood tall and the Indian efforts went in vain. While, the Japanese boys showed an impressive positioning sense on field throughout the game, the scoreboard showed a final score of 2-0 at the blow of the final whistle announcing a win for India.

HI Press release