Hockey Bihar beat Association of Indian University (AIU) 3-2 to finish 3rd

Hockey Bihar (yellow) and AIU players in action during their match in Saifai on Aprl 29, 2015

Saifai (Uttar Pradesh), April 29, 2015: Favourites Hockey Madhya Pradesh wrapped up the tournament and defeated Hockey Patiala 4-0 to clinch the title of the 5th Senior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) ‘’B’’ Division at Saifai today. In the Position match, Hockey Bihar outplayed Association of Indian University by 3-2 to finish at 3rd position in the tournament.

Hockey Madhya Pradesh convincingly beat Hockey Patiala 4-0 and lifted the title of the 5th Senior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) ‘’B’’ Division today. Hockey Madhya Pradesh produced a clinical performance throughout the match and left no scope for Hockey Patiala to score. 

Hockey Madhya Pradesh drew their first blood through Jyoti Pal who then sneaked in three goals in the 23rd, 26th and 29th minute, the first one coming from a penalty corner and the other two field goals. The score board read 3-0 in support of Hockey Madhya Pradesh before entering the second half of the game. 

These early jolts put Hockey Patiala on the back foot and they could not recover back. Eventually, the fourth goal was scored by Seema Verma in the 59th minute through a penalty corner which sealed the fate of the match in the favour of Hockey Madhya Pradesh.

In the 3rd / 4th Position Match, Hockey Bihar edged past Association of Indian University (AIU) by a narrow margin of 3-2 in closely-fought battle. It was Bihar who drew the first blood in the 17th minute when Nagma Khatoon entered into opponent’s half by dribbling past the defenders and hit the ball hard into the goal-post. 

Earning an early lead, Bihar girl Shilwanti Minjur scored a brilliant goal in the 22nd minute to increase the lead by 2-0. Controlling the match in the first two quarters, Bihar earned a crucial penalty stroke in 29th minute, which was perfectly converted by Captain Anita Sawasi to extend the lead by 3-0. 

In the third quarter onwards, AIU charged back on Bihar side and managed to create opportunities to score goals. In 35th minute, they managed to earn a penalty corner and that was effectively converted by AIU skipper Shivani Saini. After their first goal, AIU kept on their attacking gain and in the 58th minute, Jasreet Kaur scored the second goal for her team.  After scoring two consecutive goals, AIU still failed to score the equaliser and lost the match by 2-3 eventually.

Results of the day-

 Finals -Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4 Jyoti Pal (23min-PC,26min-FG,29min-FG),Seema Verma (59min-PC)vs Hockey Patiala 0

 3rd / 4th Position: Hockey Bihar 3 Nagma Khatoon (07min-FG), Shilwanti Minjur (17min-FG), Anita Sawasi (11min-PS) vs Association of Indian Universities 2 Shivani Saini (35min-PC), Jasreet Kaur (58min-FG)

Hockey India Press release

Hockey Patiala beat Hockey Bihar 2-0 in Junior Women's national

Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), April 29, 2015: Keeping up their winning momentum, the teams went on high and defeated their respective opponents at the 5th Junior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) ‘’B’’ Division today.

The day witnessed a number of enthralling and gripping clashes today where Hockey Patiala overcame Hockey Bihar with 2-0 score on board. This was followed by another clash in which Hockey Andhra Pradesh registered a convincing win over Vidarbha Hockey Association 7-0. The third match of the day saw Bengal Hockey Association taking over Hockey Madhya Pradesh and defeating them 4-1.

The first match of the day was an easy win for Hockey Patiala who defeated Hockey Bihar with 2-0. There were continuous efforts being displayed in the initial minutes of the game by both the teams to win the first goal of the match. It was in 24thminute that Deepika from Hockey Patiala smashed the first field goal in favor of the team, bringing in excitement to the game. However, the remaining first half of the game again was more of a struggle by both the teams to make way through the opponents’ defense. 

There were no further conversions in the first half which resulted in Hockey Patiala’s favour who by then were leading by 1-0. In the second half, Hockey Bihar were eyeing at an opportunity to open their account with a goal, but the opponents’ defensive strategies made it difficult for them to do so . The remaining game was a display of tactics and efforts by both the teams. It was in the 70th minute that Hockey Patiala again scored a field goal which came from Lovedeep Kaur announcing the team’s for the day with 2-0.

Hockey Andhra Pradesh taking on Vidarbha Hockey Association registered a convincing win over the opponents as they went on to beat them 7-0. The first half was more of missed opportunities for both the teams and the only goal scored in the entire session was by Hockey Andhra Pradesh in the 9th minute. 

Leading the game 1-0, the second half saw flow of goals as Andhra Pradesh went on to add six more goals before the end of the game. It was Mary Lotla’s field goal in the 41stminute which marked Andhra Pradesh doubling its lead. The team in the 49th minute added the third goal to their tally when Joythi Pilltgoyal capitalized through a brilliant field goal. This was followed by four more goals coming in the 54th, 61st, 65thand 69th minute and taking the game 7-0.

In a one sided match between, it was Bengal Hockey Association who dominated and won the match convincing 4-1. They started the proceeding in the very first minute when Sathi Dolui scored intelligently and not allowing the opponent’s goalie any reaction time. Right before the end of first half Bengal Hockey Association doubled the lead when Priyanka Das converted the penalty corner opportunity. With a lead of 2-0, Bengal Hockey Association added the third and fourth goal in the 47th minute and 50th minute which was a brace by Madhushree Tudu. Hockey Madhya Pradesh could score only one goal in the 51st minute as the opponents went on to beat them 4-1.

Results of the day-

Pool A Hockey Patiala 2 Deepika (24min- FG), Lovedeep Kaur (70min- FG) vs Hockey Bihar 0

Pool A Hockey Andhra Pradesh 7 Mallwswari Thalari (9 min-FG, 65 min-PC), Marry Lotla (41 min-FG), Joythi Pilltgoyal (49 min-FG, 61 min-FG), Vidhya Ashwarya (54 min-FG) Bhavani Madugula (69 min-FG) vs Vidarbha Hockey Association 0

Pool B Bengal Hockey Association 4 Sathi Dolui (1min- FG), Priyanka Das (28min- PC), Madhushree Tudu (47min- FG, 50min- FG) vs Hockey Madhya Pradesh 1 Sangeeta Parihar (51min- PC)

Hockey India Press release

Hockey Bihar blanks Hockey Vidarbha 8-0

Saifai (Uttar Pradesh), 20 April 2015: The 5th Senior National Hockey Championship 2015 (Women) Division B commenced today in Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, which was inaugurated by Shri Ram Karan Arya, Minister of State for Sports & Youth Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, at a glittering ceremony. The opening day of the championship today, saw four back-to-back clashes between eight teams aiming to start their run on a winning note.

The inaugural day witnessed a thrilling match where Chhattisgarh Hockey defeated Hockey Uttarakhand 9-2. The second match of Pool A observed Steel Plant Sports Board registering their first win against Hockey Gujarat 3-1. In the third match of Pool C Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu overcame Hockey Andhra Pradesh 6-1. Hockey Bihar opened their account on a winning note by defeating Hockey Vidarbha 8-0. 

The first match on the opening day of the tournament witnessed Chhattisgarh Hockey trouncing Hockey Uttarakhand 9-2 and registering their first win of the Championship. The player who got everyone’s attention was Pooja Yadav whose 3 goals helped take her team to a strong win.  Hockey Uttarakhand got the jolt as early as the 7th minute when two consecutive goals by the opponents resulted in them trailing the game 0-2. 

This gave Chhattisgarh Hockey the edge as they continued their dominance. They added their third goal in the 14th minute as Renuka Rajput deflected the ball into the nets for a field goal. Chhattisgarh Hockey continued raining goals as they added to the tally of goals in the 21st, 29th, 32nd and 35th minute leaving Hockey Uttarakhand trailing the game 7-0 at the end of first half. 

The second half saw Hockey Uttarakhand start the session, as they scored their first goal in the 38th minute when Shubham slammed the ball into the nets leaving no opportunity for the goalkeeper to react. This did not dent the spirits of Chhattisgarh Hockey as they continued from where they left in the first half. Pooja Yadav scored through a field effort which marked her second goal and the team’s eighth. Trailing the game 1-8,  Hockey Uttarakhand scored their second goal in the 56th minute when the team were awarded with a penalty stroke and which was successfully converted by Monika Rawat. But goals started coming in late for Hockey Uttarakhand and they lost the match 9-2.

The second match between Steel Plant Sports Board and Hockey Gujarat was an exciting clash as each team looked for opening the Championship with a win. While Hockey Gujarat were good at their defence and attack, but Steel Plant Sports Board proved to be a better team as they managed to sneak in three goals and kept the opponents at bay, to win the match 3-1. 

While most of the first half was a dry run, it was in the 26th minute when Meena Chakre entered the D and a clean pass to her was slammed into the nets giving Steel Plant Sports Board their opening goal. With no further goals scored Steel Plant Sports Board was leading the game 1-0. 

The second half and Steel Plant Sports Board scored their second goal when Meena Chakre through a field effort took the scoreboard to 2-0. Trailing by two goals Hockey Gujarat increased their tempo of attack and they struck success in the 51st minute when Parmeshwari Shah did no mistake in deflecting a pass into the nets and scoring the first goal for her team. But this did not put a stop to Steel Plant Sports Board intention of winning and they went on to add their winning goal in the 55th minute as Shashi Kala who stood tall to score. Steel Plant Sports Board won the game 3-1.

The match between Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Andhra Pradesh was a one sided affair as the former dominated and winning the game 6-1. The winning team struck in the 17th minute when R Jayalakshmi through a field effort scored the opening goal of the match. M Keerthana doubled the lead for Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu when she beat the defence of the opponents to add the second goal to the tally. Right before going into the second half, Hockey Andhra Pradesh as they bounced back to score their first goal coming from the stick of Poojitha B taking the half time scores to 2-1 in favour of Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu. 

The goal right before the end of first half did not put Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu into any kind of pressure as right into the second half their third goal was added to the tally by K. Vijaya Lakshmi. With a lead of 3-1, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu scored three more goals coming in the 49th, 57th and 59th minute and winning the match 6-1. 

The last match of the opening day of the championship saw Hockey Bihar starting their campaign on a winning note by defeating Hockey Vidarbha 8-0. While Hockey Bihar dominated the whole match, Hockey Vidarbha failed to impress with their skills as they were unable to score any goals in the entire match. Hockey Bihar took the initial lead through Shilwanti Minjur who struck in the 9th minute from a penalty corner while Dolly Kumari scored a field goal in the 16th minute to make it 2-0. 

Hockey Bihar was in no mood to give away any scoring opportunities to Hockey Vidarbha and it was Anila Sosan Beck who contributed two field goals to her team in the 28th and 45th minute for Hockey Bihar. Hockey Bihar kept its scoring momentum and through Shilwanti Minjur’s remarkable efforts, added two more goals to its tally in the 35th and 43rd minute. Hockey Bihar intensified their attacks and was leading with a score of 6-0. 

They were rightly benefitted when Nagma Khatoon scored in the 47th minute followed by Dolly Kumari who proved to be too strong for Hockey Bihar as she struck the eighth goal for her team in the 50th minute. With Hockey Vidarbha unable to open their account, all their efforts went in vain as Hockey Bihar celebrated its first victory by routing Hockey Vidarbha 8-0.

Results of the day-

Pool A Chhattisgarh Hockey 9 Hemlata Yadav (7min-FG), Annu Gurang (8 min-FG, 21 min-FG), Renuka Rajput (14 min-FG, 28 min-FG), Pooja Yadav (31 min-FG, 54 min-FG, 59 min-FG), Gayatri Shinde (35 min-FG, 56 min-FG) vs  Hockey Uttarakhand 2 Shubham (38 min FG), Monika Rawat (56 min-PS)

Pool A Steel Plant Sports Board 3 Meena Chakre (26 min-FG, 39 min-FG), Shashi Kala (55 min-FG) vs Hockey Gujarat 1 Parmeshwari Shah (51 min-FG) 

Pool C Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 6 R. Jayalakshmi (17 min-FG), B. Jelastina (34 min-FG), K Vijaya Lakshmi (40 min-FG), M. Keerthana (49 min-FG), M. Mohan Priya (57 min-FG, 59 min-FG) vs Hockey Andhra Pradesh 1 Poojitha B. (34 min-FG)

Pool B Hockey Bihar 8 Shilwanti Minjur (9min- PC, 35 min-FG, 43min- FG), Dolly Kumari (16min-FG, 50min- FG)), Anila Sosan Beck (28-FG, 45min-FG), Nagma Khatoon (47min-FG) vs Hockey Vidarbha 0

HI Press release

25 hockey probables announced for upcoming India-Japan series

New Delhi, April 20, 2015: Hockey India today announced a list of 25 Probable players for the upcoming India Japan Series scheduled in Bhubaneswar from May 3-9. The preparatory camp for the series will commence on April 22 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi and will continue till April 30. The series will be in preparation of the all important upcoming FIH Hockey World League Semi-Final (Men) scheduled in June this year.

The Indian Men team bagged the bronze medal at the recently concluded 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and will be looking at continuing their form in the upcoming tournament. 

Commenting on the training camp, head coach Mr Paul van Ass said, “The team is in good shape and high in confidence in the last one year. They have delivered and ended at important positions in the past tournaments, with the last being the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. The last tournament showcased the intent with which the players play and the ability to come back into the game. We will take the upcoming camp as ground to further refine the skills of the players and enhance their performance. Besides working on the strengths we will work on the areas of concern and ensure we are up for the battle for the entire 60 minutes of the game.”

Probables: 

GOALKEEPERS
1	PR SREEJESH
2	HARJOT SINGH
DEFENDERS
3	GURBAJ SINGH
4	RUPINDER PAL SINGH
5	BIRENDRA LAKRA
6	KOTHAJIT SINGH
7	VR RAGHUNATH
8	JASJIT SINGH
9	GURMAIL SINGH
10	GURJINDER SINGH
11	HARMANPREET SINGH
MIDFIELDERS
12	MANPREET SINGH
13	DHARAMVIR SINGH
14	SARDAR SINGH
15	SK UTHAPPA
16	CHINGLENSANA SINGH KANGUJAM
17	PARDEEP MOR
FORWARDS
18	SV SUNIL
19	RAMANDEEP SINGH
20	AKASHDEEP SINGH
21	MANDEEP SINGH
22	NIKKIN THIMMAIAH
23	SATBIR SINGH
24	DANISH MUJTABA
25	LALIT UPADHYAY

Odisha to face Bengal in National junior hockey final

Mysore (Karnataka), April 11, 2015: The 5th edition of the Hockey India Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2015 will see Hockey Gangpur - Odisha and Bengal Hockey Association in the Final match as Gangpur beat Mumbai by 3-1 and Bengal defeated Puducherry by 5-3 in the Semi-Final matches today.

In the first Semi-Final of the day, Hockey Gangpur - Odisha displayed brilliant hockey against Mumbai Hockey Association. It was Mumbai who scored the first goal when they earned a penalty corner in the 23rd minute and Vinay Valmiki perfectly converted it into early lead. After conceding the early jolt, Gangpur came back fiercely on the field and soon they managed to earn a penalty corner in 39th minute, which effectively converted by Pratap Lakra in the much needed equaliser. 

With the motivating 1-1 leveller, Gangpur charged with full force and Sanjay Xalco scored the second goal in the 46th minute of the match to take the score-line to 2-1. His team-mate Sibren Lakra extended the lead in the 69th minute with a marvellous goal and helped his team to win the match by 3-1.

In the second Semi-Final, Raushan Kumar’s hat-trick helped Bengal Hockey Association to defeat Hockey Puducherry by 5-3. Bengal opened the account in the very first minute of the match when they earned the first penalty corner of the match and Nitish Neupane converted it perfectly into the first goal of the match. 

However in the 9th minute, Puducherry came back in the game when Thiru Murugan stormed into opponent’s den and smashed the ball hard into the goal box to score the equaliser. In the 12th minute, 

Bengal earner another penalty corner and this time Gurpreet Singh converted it effectively in much-needed 2-1 lead. With this goal, Bengal players started playing aggressively and their star player Raushan scored two consecutive goals in 28th and 50th minutes. Trailing by 1-4, Puducherry kept trying to level the score and Thiru scored again in the 53rd minute to take the score-card to 2-4. However in the next minute (54th minutes), Roushan stroke back again and scored the fifth goal for this team after hitting the ball hard into the nets. In the 64th minutes, Puducherry managed to get success for the last time when Veera Thamizhan scored the third goal for the team. By the end of the match, Bengal registered an impressive victory over Puducherry, beating them by 5-3.

Results of the Day

SF 1 - Hockey Gangpur, Odisha 3-1 Pratap Lakra (39min-PC), Sanjay Xalco (46min-FG), Sibren Lakra (69min-FG) vs Mumbai Hockey Association 1  Vinay Valmiki (23min-PC)

SF 2 – Bengal Hockey Association 5 Nitish Neupane (1min-PC), Gurpreet Singh (12min- PC), Raushan Kumar (28min-FG, 50min-FG, 54min-FG) vs Hockey Puducherry 3 Thiru Murugan (9min-FG, 53min-FG), Veera Thamizhan (64 min-FG)

HI Press release

Nikkin Thimmaiah's hat-trick helps India beat Australia 4-2 in Azlan Shah Cup hockey

Nikkin Thimmaiah of India in action against Australia in Ipoh on April 11, 2015

Ipoh (Malaysia), April 11, 2015: Post winning the previous match against Canada, the confident Indian team beat the defending champions Australia 4-2 at the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2015 being played at Ipoh, Malaysia. Previously, India beat Australia 4-3 in the 19th Sultan of Azlan Shah Cup 2010 and also, defeated them in Hockey Australia Men's Challenge 2003 with an excellent score 5-3.

India started the game on a high and scored the initial breakthrough in the very first minute through VR Raghunath who successfully converted the penalty corner and took the lead at 1-0. India kept on its attacking spree as Sardar Singh went on attack quickly trying to reach the net but the ball got cleared by the Aussies defenders. Just a minute before the quarter came to an end, Australia got an equalizer through Beale Daniel who easily slapped the ball into the nets in the 14th minute leaving the scores 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, India men were looking to pierce the defence of the Australia. Nikkin Thimmaiah finally managed to break the defence of the opponents and touched the nets to score the second goal for India in the 23rd minute through a field effort. Australia was awarded with a penalty corner but the Indian counter- attacks did not allow them to capitalize it. Unable to add any more goals to their account in the first half, Australia was trailing by a goal with a score of 2-1 against India.

After a much entertaining first half, the third quarter went in full throttle where India continued to build pressure on the Australian men. Gurbaj Singh passed the ball to Manpreet Singh on the right flank and a fine touch was given by Nikkin Thimmaiah who smacked the ball into the crossbar in the 32nd minute and scored the third goal for his team. Australia despite of its continuous efforts to score, failed to score any goal and the third quarter ended with the Indian side leading against Australia 3-1.

The fourth and the last quarter started with the Indian team still maintaining a healthy lead of 3-1. India faced a strong challenge at few times when Australians tried to enter the Indian D but the defence at the Indian side stood tall as they restricted the opponents from scoring. While the Indian men displayed a superior game so far, Australia’s Matt Gohdes in all hopes to reduce the margin to 4-2, surged ahead and notched a field goal in the 53rd minute.It was Nkkin Thimmaiah again who added the third goal to his personal tally in the last minute of the game (60 minute)and flicked the ball inside the net to score a hat trick for his team. With this, India emerged as the winners of the match declaring a convincing win against Australia 4-2.

HI Press release

Khalin Joshi’s final round heroics earn him title and course record at PGTI Ahmedabad Masters

Ahmedabad, April 3, 2015: Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi shot a course record nine-under-63 on the final day to register a sensational come-from-behind victory at the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens. Joshi signed off with a 17-under-271 total to bag his second professional crown. Chikkarangappa, another Bangalorean, finished runner-up at 15-under-273 after his final round of five-under-67.

Khalin Joshi (70-67-71-63), who was placed eight shots off the lead in fifth place after round three, came out firing on all cylinders on Friday to steamroll all opposition in sight. The 22-year-old began the day with an eagle-birdie on the first two holes courtesy a perfect approach shot on the first which found the hole and a 15-feet conversion on the second.

Khalin emerged top contender for the title when he struck four birdies on the trot from the sixth through the ninth to go past overnight leader Shubhankar Sharma who dropped two strokes on the front nine. Joshi’s four consecutive birdies featured two conversions from a range of 10 to 15 feet.

Khalin all but nailed it with two more birdies on the 11th and 12th even as Shubhankar slipped out of contention after conceding four more strokes from the 10th to the 12th. Joshi, who won his first title at Noida in October last year, landed it within five feet on the ninth and 11th and was two-on on the par-5s eighth and 12th.  

Khalin thus broke the previous course record of 64 set by Anirban Lahiri in the opening round of last year’s PGTI Ahmedabad Masters. Joshi, who took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 6 lakh, has now climbed from eighth place to third position in the Rolex Rankings. The Bangalore lad’s earnings for the year now stand at Rs. 10,57,093. Mukesh Kumar of Mhow continues to lead the rankings with earnings of Rs. 14,70,780.

“I’m delighted to have won after shooting a 63 in such tough and windy conditions. I had a terrific front-nine and was seven-under for the day at the turn. However, I was not aware of the leaderboard till the 16th. All I knew was that I was within striking distance of matching my personal best of 10-under.

“I struck the ball well through the week but the putts rolled in for me only on the final day. I sank three putts from a range of 10 to 15 feet. The highlight of the day though was the approach shot from 160 yards out on the first. It was a perfect six-iron shot which bounced one foot short of the pin before dropping into the hole for an eagle. I was really comfortable on the course today and knew I could shoot a low score from the very outset.

“My scoring has become much more consistent in recent months and my short game is shaping up well. I now want to make the best of my limited opportunities on the Asian Tour and try to earn my card for the 2016 season in Asia. I’m also glad to have won in Gujarat as I’m a Gujarati. This win will make my grandfather Mr. Natwar Lal Joshi very proud. I dedicate this win to him,” said Khalin.

Chikkarangappa (69-66-71-67) held on to his overnight second place with a round of 67 that included eight birdies and three bogeys. Chikka had three birdies on the last five holes to reduce the gap to two strokes between himself and Joshi.

Shubhankar Sharma (69-65-66-77) shot a disappointing five-over-77 to slip from overnight first to third place at 11-under-277. Sharma dropped out of the race after making bogeys on the fourth, eighth, 11th and 12th and a double-bogey on the 10th as he couldn’t replicate his iron-play from the first three rounds. The turning point for Shubhankar was the bogey on the eighth where he found the water. The Gurgaon-based professional picked up his only birdie of the day on the 17th.

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana and Delhi’s Rashid Khan were joint fourth at 10-under-278 while Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia and Sanjeev Kumar of Lucknow were a further three shots back in tied sixth.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee was tied 12th at two-under-286 while Sri Lankan Mithun Perera ended tied 19th at one-over-289.

Patna’s Aman Raj, the lone amateur to make the cut, won the trophy for the best performance by an amateur. He finished 43rd at 11-over-299.

Photo caption: Khalin Joshi receives the trophy and cheque from (L to R) Mr. Pranav Shah, MD, Navratna Group, Mr. Dinesh Shah, Chairman, Navratna Group and Mr. Devang Shah, MD, Navratna Group, also seen in the picture is Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (extreme left)

PGTI Press release

Aim is to play to our strength for the Hawke’s Bay Cup 2015: Namita Toppo

New Delhi, April 1, 2015: With the Hawke’s Bay Cup scheduled to start from 11th April 2015 and with the team announced for the all important tournament, the Indian womens team looks all set to take on the upcoming clash. The training session which commenced on 22nd March and will conclude on 7th April, the squad is working on their strengths and rectifying the mistakes which will help them gear up for the all important tournament.

All set to play their first match against China on the 11th April 2015, the India Women team are well aware of their last encounter at the Asian Games and are working on beating the opponents this time around.

Recently adjudged the Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) 2014 in the inaugural edition of the Hockey India Annual Awards, Namita Toppo said “Discipline will be the key for the upcoming challenge. The teams are strong and we aim to keep it simple and play as per our strength. The team is growing in confidence and this is because of our understanding what the other team is planning and we immediately adapt the game plan. This helps in time not getting wasted, not loosing possession and outwitting the opponents”

Talking on Namita Toppo, Captain for the team Ritu Rani said “She adds strength to the midfield position and gives the required support to both the forwards as well as defenders. She is growing with each game and works on her loopholes very seriously.”

HI Press release

Shubhankar Sharma takes route 65 to top of the leaderboard in round two

Shubhankar Sharma

Ahmedabad, April 1, 2015: Shubhankar Sharma of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, climbed to the top of the leaderboard after his superb seven-under-65 in round two of the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens. Shubhankar, as a result, took his two-day tally to 10-under-134 to lead by one shot at the halfway stage. Chikkarangappa S of Bangalore and Noida’s Rahul Bajaj were on the leader’s tail at nine-under-135.

The cut was declared at four-over-148. Fifty professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Shubhankar Sharma (69-65), who was overnight tied seventh, picked up his first shot of the day with a good up and down from the bunker on the 12th. However, he found the water hazard on the next hole and therefore dropped a shot. The 18-year-old got back into rhythm with a 20-feet eagle conversion on the 14th and a 10-feet birdie putt on the 16th.

Shubhankar, who finished joint runner-up at the last PGTI event in Kochi, then produced a breathtaking tee shot on the second that left him a tap-in for birdie. Sharma pulled out some brilliant chips that led to relatively easy birdie conversions on the fourth, fifth and eighth holes. He thus ended up with the tournament’s best round so far.

“I’ve been hitting my irons really well this season. I continued to do that today. I was also exceptional around the greens. I did well to capitalize on the par-5s as I was five-under on the four par-5s today. The Kalhaar Blues & Greens is one of the best championship venues in the country at the moment. The key this week would be to putt well and judge the green speed to perfection,” said Shubhankar, who is currently placed fifth in the Rolex Rankings.

He added, “I’m high on confidence this week as I had a top-10 finish here last year. My top-20 finish at this year’s Indian Open has also been a morale-booster.”

Chikkarangappa (69-66), who was also overnight tied seventh along with Shubhankar, made his way to joint second after a bogey-free 66. Chikka made his six birdies over a stretch of seven holes from the ninth to the 15th. He sank three birdie putts from a range of 10 to 20 feet.

“In my memory it’s the first time that I’ve registered 18 greens in regulation in a single round of a tournament. That just goes to show how well I hit it. I’ve posted top-10s in all my three starts on the PGTI this year, so I’m quite happy with my game at the moment. This is a good preparation ground for me for this year’s Asian Tour season,” said Chikka, who earned his first ever Asian Tour card earlier this year.

  

Rahul Bajaj (68-67) made an incredible eight birdies against three bogeys in his round of 67. Bajaj, who was overnight tied third, climbed one place to joint second.

Khalin Joshi of Bangalore had the distinction of firing two eagles besides two birdies and a bogey during his round of 67. Khalin landed his approach shots within four feet for eagles on the eighth and 14th. He ended the day in fourth place at seven-under-137.

The joint round one leaders, Rashid Khan of Delhi and Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar, slipped to tied fifth after submitting identical scores of 71 in round two. The duo shared fifth position with Gurgaon-based Arshdeep Tiwana at six-under-138.

The Kolkata duo of SSP Chawrasia and Rahil Gangjee were in tied 14th at two-under-142 while Sri Lankan Mithun Perera was placed tied 29th at even-par-144.

K Prabagaran, another Sri Lankan, was the other player besides Khalin Joshi, to fire two aces in his second round. Prabagaran’s second round 73 placed him tied 42nd at three-over-147.

Aman Raj of Patna was the lone amateur to make the cut as he totaled four-over-148 to be placed tied 49th.

Among the prominent names, who missed the cut, were Gaganjeet Bhullar (five-over-149) and Himmat Singh Rai (10-over-154).

The three local amateurs Anshul Patel (six-over-150), Varun Parikh (10-over-154) and Jay Pandya (12-over-156) missed the cut.

PGTI Press release

Rashid Khan and Sanjeev Kumar share the spoils on opening day of PGTI Ahmedabad Masters

Rashid Khan 

Ahmedabad, March 31, 2015: Delhi’s Rashid Khan and Sanjeev Kumar of Lucknow shared the spoils in round one of the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens. Rashid and Sanjeev shot scores of five-under-67 to top the leaderboard on the opening day of the Rs. 40 lakh event. Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, Md Islam of Patna, Pune’s Moinuddin Malak and Noida golfer Rahul Bajaj were one shot back in tied third.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Rashid Khan three-putted to drop a shot early on the third. However, he came back strongly with birdies on the fifth and sixth thanks to a brilliant bunker shot and an accurate approach shot. Rashid, who finished 10th at last year’s edition of the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters, produced four consecutive birdies from the eighth through the 11th to end up with a clinical 67.  

Rashid said, “It’s great to be back here at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens. The playing conditions are ideal as the greens are playing soft and one can attack the flags. The wind wasn’t much of a factor today. It’s my first event of the 2015 PGTI season and I’m keen to get off to a good start in the year with a solid performance this week.

“I had a slow start with a bogey on the third but came back well with a flurry of birdies thereafter. I landed a lot of shots close to the pins to set up birdie putts. The best shot of the day would be the approach on the 10th that landed one foot short of the pin. The one-month break after the Indian Open has served me well as I put in long hours of practice and sharpened my iron-hitting.”

Sanjeev Kumar began the tournament with a bang as he chipped-in for birdie on the second and followed that up with another birdie on the fifth courtesy an outstanding bunker shot. Sanjeev dropped his only bogey of the day on the sixth. He picked up four birdies on the back-nine having landed it within six feet on all four occasions.

Sanjeev said, “I’ve been playing well since last year as I finished inside the top-60 in the 2014 Rolex Rankings. I also claimed third place on the Feeder Tour. I feel I can take my game a few notches higher this year. The chip-in on the second was a huge confidence-booster. My ball-striking was also very good today.”

Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, Md Islam of Patna, Pune’s Moinuddin Malak and Noida golfer Rahul Bajaj were tied third at four-under-68.

Among the prominent names in the field, SSP Chawrasia was tied 26th at one-under-71 while Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rahil Gangjee were tied 43rd at one-over-73.

The three local amateurs Varun Parikh (76), Anshul Patel (77) and Jay Pandya (78) were placed tied 74th, tied 81st and tied 89th respectively.

PGTI Press release

Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd crush Vidarbha Hockey Association 6-0

Mysore (Karnataka), 2 April 2015: The second day of the 5th edition of the Hockey India Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2015 in Mysore witnessed ten teams playing exciting games of hockey.

Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd started the day with its second successive win against Vidarbha Hockey Association 6-0. This was followed by Chandigarh Olympic Association beating Hockey Bihar 5-2.  The third match of the day saw Hockey Puducherry registering their second win by beating Delhi Hockey
4-1. The game between Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association and Hockey Gujarat was an exciting clash as the former rained goals and won the match 19-2. The last match saw Bengal Hockey Association emerging as the winning team against Hockey Jammu & Kashmir 1-0.

The first match of the day witnessed Mumbai Hockey Association taking over Vidarbha Hockey Association and winning it comfortably by 6-0. The entire match went a dry run for Vidarbha Hockey Association as they were unable to credit any goals to their account. Mumbai Hockey Association scored the initial opening in the 10th minute when a penalty corner was successfully converted by Vinay Valmiki and opening the scorecard 1-0. This was followed by the team adding two more goals. It was Nitesh Kamble brace in the 21st and the 27th minute which helped his team sit on a comfortable 3-0 at the end of first half. Mumbai continued their onslaught in the second half as Aakib Rahim scored through a penalty stroke in the 44th minute. 

In the very next minute Reyaz Qureshi notched a field goal in the 45th minute and the score board stood 5-0. Nitesh Kamble scored another winning goal for his team in the 66th minute and helped Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd declare a convincing win against Vidarbha Hockey Association 6-0.

In a well contested match between Hockey Bihar and Chandigarh Olympic Association of Pool D, it was Chandigarh Olympic Association who emerged as the victors against Hockey Bihar 5-2. Chandigarh Olympic Association started its goal scoring run with Harjot Singh who notched a field goal in the 2nd
minute of the game. In the 14th minute it was Mahinder Pal Singh who scored a goal through a field effort to double the lead to 2-0. Without wasting much time, Chandigarh’s Harikrat Singh scored the third goal for his team in the 16th minute. Just three minutes for the first session to end, Hockey Bihar bounced back into the game and scored their opening goal in 32nd minute through Anwarullah Shah taking the score to 3-1 at the end of first half. In the second half Gursewak Singh successfully converted a penalty corner in the 39th minute and scored the fourth goal for Chandigarh Olympic Association. Hockey Bihar’s Captain Kishor Minz scored the second goal for the team in the 53rd minute ensured that the penalty corner opportunity is
not wasted. Chandigarh Olympic Association continued with its attack and yet again scored in the 64th minute, this time through Manjinder Singh who made a field goal and ending the game 5-2.

In the third match, Hockey Puducherry tastes win over Delhi Hockey to an attractive goal margin of 4-1. Hockey Puducherry started the game by putting pressure on the opponent immediately. P. Mahendran opened the score for his team through a penalty corner in the 11th minute. This was followed by a
field goal in the 28th minute through S. Muthu Krishnan helping Hockey Puducherry take the lead to 2-0. Hockey Puducherry added their third goal in the 51st minute coming through the stick of P. Thiru Murugan.  Just five minutes left in the game, Delhi’s Arun Kumar scored a maiden goal in the 65th minute and opening the goal account for his team. Hockey Puducherry added the last minute goal to their tally through a field effort by V. Veera Thamizhan which helped Hockey Puducherry win the game by 4-1 against Delhi
Hockey.

The fourth game between Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association and Hockey Gujarat was an exciting clash as the former rained goals and won the match 19-2. Going into the attack immediately, Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association opened their account in the 9th minute as a penalty corner was hit past the Hockey Gujarat goalkeeper by Gurbinder Singh. Within three minutes Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association hit back again as they doubled the lead in the 12th minute as Devbrat Yadav held his nerves to
convert the field goal. With 2-0 on the board Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association was riding high on confidence and they struck again in the 15th minute as a field goal by Nilesh Goud took his team’s score to 3-0. Gujarat

Hockey struck back in the 22nd minute when a field goal from the stick of Shubham Yadav found the nets. The goal took the score to 3-1. Kawalpreet Singh in the 25th minute scored the 4th goal for Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association as he cleverly sneaked in a field goal. The team again scored as Captain Jayant Kumar converted a penalty corner in the 28thminute which was followed by goal no. 6 in the 33rd minute coming from Nilesh Kathoute. Just before going into the break the team took the score to 7-1 as Rahul Singh successfully converted a penalty corner in the 34th minute. The second half was not different for Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association as they continued their goal scoring spree. Adding 12 more goals in the session, it Sanjay Yadav who scored in the 36th, 53rd and 58th minute all being field goals. Pradeep added to the tally by scoring three field goals in the 39th, 45th and 62nd minute. Captain Jayant Kumar converted a penalty corner in the 49th minute and a beautiful field goal in the 68th minute. Mayur Pawar added two field goals in the 57th and 59th minute. On the other hand Hockey Gujarat managed to sneak in their second goal in the 48th minute through the stick of Peter Thomas.

Ending the day on a winning note, Bengal Hockey Association edge past over Hockey Jammu & Kashmir by 1-0. While both the teams made desperate attempts to score goals, none of the two were able to score any goal in the first session of the game. The match reached an intense phase in the second
session as the defence line-up from both the sides stood strong by restricting each other from scoring any goals. With just ten minutes left for before the final whistle went off, Nitish Neupane of Bengal Hockey
Association stroked a maiden goal in the 60th minute through a field effort which also proved to be the winning goal for his team. On the other hand Hockey Jammu & Kashmir’s repeated efforts to level the scores went in vain and lost to Bengal Hockey Association by the final score of 1-0 on board.

Results of the day: Pool A – Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd. 6 Vinay Valmiki (10 min- PC), Nitesh

Kamble (21- FG, 27- FG and 66 min- FG), Aakib Rahim (44min- PS), Reyaz
Qureshi (45 min- FG) vs Vidarbha Hockey Association 0

Pool D- Chandigarh Olympic Association 5 Harjot Singh (2 min- FG), Mahinder
Pal Singh (14 min- FG), Harikrat Singh (16 min- FG), Gursewak Singh (39 min-
PC), Manjinder Singh (64 min- PC) vs Hockey Bihar 2 Anwarullah Shah (32 min-
PS), Kishor Minz (53 min- PC)

Pool B– Hockey Puducherry 4 P. Mahendran (11 min- PC), S. Muthu Krishnan (28
min- FG), P. Thiru Murugan (51min-FG), V. Veera Thamizhan (69 min- FG) vs
Delhi Hockey 1 Arun Kumar (65min- FG)

Pool C - Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 19 Sanjay Yadav (36 min-FG,
53 min-FG, 58 min-FG), Pradeep (39 min, FG, 45 min- FG, 62 min- FG), Jayant
Kumar (28min-PC, 49min-PC, 68 min-FG), Kawalpreet Singh (25 min-FG, 69
min-FG), Rahul Singh (34 min-PC, 66 min- FG), Mayur Pawar (57 min-FG, 59
min-FG), Gurbinder Singh (9 min-PC), Devbrat Yadav (12 min-FG), Nilesh Goud
(15 min –FG), Nilesh Kathoute (33 min-PC) vs Hockey Gujrat 2 Shubham Yadav
(22 min-FG), Peter Thomas (48 min-PC)

Pool C- Bengal Hockey Association 1 Nitish Neupane (60 min- FG) vs Hockey
Jammu & Kashmir 0 

HI Press release

Mumbai Hockey Association drub Goans Hockey 10-0

Mysore (Karnataka), April 1, 2015: The 5th edition of Hockey India Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2015 commenced today in Mysore (Karnataka) and is scheduled to go on till April 12. The opening day of the Championship today, saw five back to back matches between ten teams, aiming to start their run on a winning note.

The inaugural day witnessed a thrilling match where Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd (Pool A) defeated Goans Hockey 10-0. The second match observed Vidarbha Hockey Association of Pool A registering their first win 3-2 win over Hockey Uttarakhand. In another league match of Pool B, Delhi Hockey blanked Tripura Hockey by a huge goal margin of 12-2. In the second match of Pool B, Hockey Puducherry trounced Hockey Gujarat 14-1 to mark their first win. In the last match of the day, Bengal Hockey Association beat Hockey Andhra Pradesh 7-2.

In the first match of Pool A, Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd. drubbed Goans Hockey with a huge goal margin of 10-0. Mumbai Hockey Association was on a high in the entire match as they did not allow the opponents to score a single goal. 

The match saw its first goal being scored in the 18th minute when Kunal Bhandary through a field goal took the early lead for his team. This started the goals for the team as teammate Atish Shirke scored the second goal in the 21st minute going on to double the lead for his team. Just before the end of second half, Mumbai Hockey Association scored their 3rd goal in the 27th minute and it was Kunal Bhandary again who added the second goal to his personal tally. In the second half Mumbai Hockey Association added another 10 goals before taking the win over Goans Hockey. 39th minute they added the fourth goal through a penalty corner and in the 43rd minute it was Kunal Bhandary again who scored for his team and taking the score to 5-0. Another 4 goals were added in the 45th, 47th, 49th and 51st minute. The last goal was scored by Suraj Shahi in the 67th minute wherein he successfully converted through a field goal.

In another Pool A match, Vidarbha Hockey Association registered their first win as they took on Uttarakhand. In a close nail biting match it was the former who kept its nerves and won the match by 3-2. While almost the first half of the game went dull and dry, it was Vidarbha Hockey Association who finally broke the shackles in the 29th minute. Shakeen Shaikh scored a brilliant field goal and giving his team the much required opening goal for his team. At the end of first half Vidarbha Hockey Association was leading the game 1-0. 

The second half of the game proved to be more intense for both the teams as the teams made desperate efforts to reach the net. Vidarbha Hockey Association’s Shadab Khan and Rahul Kalakoti scored two consecutive goals in the 50th and the 51st minute of the game taking the lead to 3-0. In endeavour to open their score card, Uttarakhand stood successful and scored a goal through a penalty stroke through Captain Manoj Tamta in the 67th minute which was closely followed by another goal by Siddharth Miyan who penetrated the ball in the net in the 68th minute and managed to double the lead. But unable to score the equaliser goal, Vidarbha Hockey Association won the match with a close margin of 2-3.

The third match of the day between Delhi Hockey and Tripura Hockey was another exciting clash as the former scored 12 goals to the latter’s 2 goals and going on to seal the game on their name. When it seemed the first half might just end goalless, Delhi Hockey scored their first goal in the 29th minute coming from the stick of Rizwan Khan. Not satisfied with just one goal Rizwan Khan helped his team double the lead in the 35th minute when a penalty corner helped them score the second goal. 

With scores at 2-0 on Delhi’s favour, Tripura Hockey started looking to score. But Delhi Hockey had different plans as just two minutes into the second half, the team added their third goal in the 37th minute coming from the stick of Arun Kumar. In the 43rd and 48th minute, Delhi’s Mohit Anand scored a brace, taking his team’s score to 5-0. Delhi added two more goals in the 54th and 58th minute coming from Neeraj Kumar and Narender respectively. 

The very next minute Tripura Hockey scored their first goal when Sheetal Prasad score through a field goal and the score read 7-1. Delhi counter attacked and next minute they added their 8thgoal through Arun Kumar. Tripura scored their second goal in the 62nd minute coming again from the stick of Sheetal Prasad. With scores at 8-2, Delhi Hockey scored 4 more goals to their tally coming in the 64th, 66th, 68th and 69th minute.

Another exhilarating match of Pool B between Hockey Puducherry and Hockey Gujarat resulted in the former defeating the later 14-1. Just five minutes into the game, P. Thiru Murugan scored the first goal of the match in the 5th minute followed by another goal in the 6th minute by P. Mahendran who successfully converted the penalty corner and doubled the lead to 2-0. 

Hockey Puducherry continued their scoring streak when their Captain T. Arun Kumar stroked a beautiful field goal in the 16th minute. 

The team escalated their scores as the fourth and the fifth goal came from the stick of P. Mahendran and T. Kaliaiyarasan in the 17th and 22nd minute respectively. Hockey Gujarat scored their maiden goal in the 23rd minute to open the score card through Shubham Yadav coming from a field effort taking the score to 5-1. P. Mahendran’s brace in the 25th and 29th minute advanced the lead to 7-1 in favour of Puducherry. 

With just four minutes to get the first half over, V. Veera Thamizhan added another goal to his team in 31st minute and the score board read 8-1. The second half of the game saw the raining of goals for Puducherry as they got a penalty corner which was taken by S. Muthu Krishnan and successfully converted it in 39th minute. Hockey Puducherry scored four goals in 53rd, 54th, 55th and 56th minute. With Hockey Gujarat unable to add any goals, Hockey Puducherry scored a winning goal in the 69th minute when P. Mahendran put the ball past the goalkeeper which helped them win the game by 14-1.

In the last clash of the day between Bengal Hockey Association and Hockey Andhra Pradesh of Pool C, Bengal Hockey Association were seen dominating the match as they went on to thrash Hockey Andhra Pradesh by 7-2 on board. The first half of the match saw a nail biting clash where Bengal Hockey Association scored 3 goals and Hockey Andhra Pradesh scored 1 to reduce the margin. The second half saw Bengal Hockey Association going all out to score four more goals to take their total up to 7 goals and restricted Hockey Andhra Pradesh to a mere 2 goals in the match. By the full time, Bengal Hockey Association defeated Hockey Andhra Pradesh by 7-2 on board and registered their first win in the tournament.
Results of the day:

Pool A – Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd. 10 Kunal Bhandary (18, 27 and 43 min), Atish Shirke (21 min), Vinay Valmiki (39 and 45 min), Suraj Shahi (47, 49 and 67 min), Nitesh Kamble (51 min) vs Goans Hockey 0

Pool A- Vidarbha Hockey Association 3 Shakeen Shaikh (29 min), Shadab Khan (50 min), Rahul Kalakoti (51 min) vs Hockey Uttarakhand 2 Manoj Tamta (67 min), Siddharth Miyan (68 min)

Pool B – Delhi Hockey 12 Rizwan Khan (28, 35 min), Mohit Anand (43, 48, 58 min), Neeraj Kumar (54 min), Amit (58min), Arun Kumar (60, 66, 68 min), Narender (66min), Nitin Kumar (69 min) vs Tripura Hockey 2 Sheetal Prasad (59, 62 min)

Pool B – Hockey Puducherry 14, P. Thiru Murugan (5 and 55 min), P. Mahendran (6, 17, 25, 29, 53, 69 min), T. Arun Kumar (16 min), T. Kaliaiyarasan (22 min), V. Veera Thamizhan (31 and 54 min), S. Muthu Krishnan (39 and 56 min) vs Hockey Gujarat 1 Shubham Yadav (23 min)

Pool C – Bengal Hockey Assoaciation 7, Raushan Kumar (5, 42 min), Md Saif Khan (20 min), Ashok Kujur (22 min), Sanjay Paswan (36, 65 min), Gurpreet Singh (57 min) vs Hockey Andhra Pradesh 2, Srikanth Chemudu Gunta (26min), Kamal Rajaprabhkar (38 min)

HI Press release

Waiting for the clash against China and Australia: Deepika

New Delhi, April 2,  2015: Post showcasing a high voltage play in the FIH World League Round 2, Deepika is excited to play the Hawke’s Bay Cup which is scheduled to start from 11th April 2015. Working on her defence alongwith Monika, Deep Grace Ekka, Sushila Chanu and Sunita Lakra, she is positive of tackling the opponents with ease and confidence. The team will be meeting China on their opening game on the 11th April 2015 wherein they will be looking at starting the tournament with a win.

Speaking on the tournament, Deepika said “We are yet again confident of putting up a great show. I am excited and look forward to the upcoming challenge. I am awaiting for our clashes with China and Australia. They will be tough opponents and I am excited to play against them. Playing against teams who are stronger than you always makes you give that extra in the game and that’s what excites me about these matches. Also with a strong defence line, I am confident we will not allow the opponents to break our defence chain easily.”

The preparatory camp, which commenced on 22nd March and will conclude on 7th April with the players working hard on their game as they understand that this tournament is important before they play the Hockey World League Semi-Final, Belgium in June this year.

HI Press release

Men hockey team leaves for Malaysia for the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

New Delhi, April 2, 2015: After an intense and highly competitive Hero Hockey India League, the Indian Men National Hockey Team is all geared-up for their first international tournament of the year – the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup – to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from 5th April to 12th April 2015. The Asian Games gold medallist Indian team will face Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Canada and host Malaysia in the prestigious tournament.

The team will be led by Captain Sardar Singh and supported by vice-captain PR Sreejesh. Also this will be the first tournament under new Chief Coach Paul van Ass and the team looks confident of starting the tourney on a winning note. The 18-member squad left at 11pm from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Thursday.

Speaking from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, captain Sardar Singh said: “The team is upbeat and confident under the new chief coach. In the training sessions he has taught us to keep working on our strengths. He highlights our strengths and has guided us on how to work on our weaknesses. He even has given emphasis on improving oneself technically and this has helped us feel more confident. We are positive to give a tough time to the opponents”.

Speaking on the present team and upcoming series chief coach Paul van Ass said: “This is a very capable team and as a unit they can give a tough time to the opponents on any given day. The players during the Champions Trophy showcased that they are hungry to win and open to take on newer challenges. This is my first assignment and I am expecting a very good start. The last few days I have spent understanding each player’s way of playing and have tried to guide them to improve on certain aspects.”

HI Press release