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‘If you don’t speak at the right time…’: Jagbir Singh on women’s hockey coach Janneke Schopman’s resignation | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: It’s been almost one month since Janneke Schopman's ‘controversial’ resignation as the chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team. Hockey India is yet to announce a replacement, after the departure of the first female coach of the Indian women's team.Schopman, who had won the World Cup and Olympic gold during her playing days, assumed the command of the India women's team in 2021 replacing Sjoerd Marine, who guided the team to a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.Initially Schopman joined the Indian women's team as an analytical coach under Marijne in January 2020, before taking over as the head coach. Her contract was slated to conclude in August after the Paris Olympics. However, after expressing critical sentiments such as "this country is extremely diff...
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Why did Schopman say she was disrespected only after women’s team didn’t qualify for the Olympics: Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh

In less than a week, the women’s hockey team coach and Hockey India’s CEO quit citing similar reasons – difficult working conditions.The first was women’s coach Janneke Schopman, who said it was ‘very, very difficult’ to deal with people in Hockey India. Then, on Tuesday, the body’s CEO Elena Norman too resigned. While she told the Press Trust of India that factionalism within Hockey India was one of the reasons for her quitting, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey in an email to the board pointed at the ‘difficult working conditions’. Both Schopman and Norman hailed Tirkey’s support but did not mention the name of the other key office-bearer, the secretary-general Bholanath Singh, who is in the eye of the storm. In an interview with The Indian Express, Bholanath Singh refuted claims of...
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Hockey India denies allegations of rift made by outgoing CEO Elena Norman | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh have denied the allegations of a rift made by outgoing CEO Elena Norman. In a joint statement, Tirkey and Singh emphasized that they are united and working in the best interest of the sport. They clarified that recent statements by Norman claiming divisions within the organization are incorrect.They reiterated that Hockey India is an autonomous and professional body dedicated to the development of Indian hockey, with the welfare and progress of the sport and athletes as their primary objective.Norman's resignation comes as a setback to Hockey India, following the recent resignation of the Indian women's hockey team coach Janneke Schopman, who also cited a difficult work environment. Schopman had accuse...
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Janneke Schopman resigns as chief coach of Indian women’s hockey team | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian women's hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman resigned on Friday. Her resignation comes just days after she expressed discontent, stating that she felt undervalued and lacked sufficient respect from the national federation.The Dutch coach tendered her resignation to Hockey India (HI) President Dilip Tirkey after the conclusion of the Indian women’s hockey team’s outing in the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League in Odisha.Schopman's contract was originally set to conclude in August after the Paris Olympics. However, Schopman's recent critical comments, expressing dissatisfaction with how she was valued and respected, likely accelerated the decision for her departure.Schopman had taken over the reigns from former chief coach Sjoerd Marine under whose tutelage India ...
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PR Sreejesh and Krishan Pathak, Indian hockey team’s formidable goalkeeping double act, now in a duel to make Paris Olympics

PR Sreejesh has retirement plans. But he has no reason to walk into the sunset just yet.Krishan Pathak is eyeing succession. The understudy, now an heir apparent, patiently waiting for his time. Together, they form the most formidable goalkeeping pair India have had in more than a decade. Alternating quarters, pushing limits and outdoing each other. But when the time comes, in July during the Paris Olympics, one will have to make way for the other. In every other tournament, countries field at least an 18-player squad that includes two goalkeepers. But the squad restrictions at an Olympics, where only 16 members can be entered, mean coaches are often forced to sacrifice a goalkeeper to accommodate an additional outfield player. At the Tokyo Olympics, Sreejesh was the No. 1 goalkeeper by...
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Varun Kumar: Police collecting evidence against Hockey player Varun Kumar, to approach him to join probe | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Probing rape charges against India hockey player Varun Kumar, Bengaluru Police said that they are in the process of gathering evidence. The police is scrutinizing call detail records, messages, and voice notes exchanged between Varun and the alleged victim.Authorities mentioned that they will soon request the 28-year-old player to join the investigation.“We are investigating the case and are collecting the required evidence. We have not approached Kumar yet. He is out of Karnataka, so we will be contacting him soon to join the probe. We have not sent any teams to his place where he is currently undergoing training. If he comes, fine, or we will have to send our team there,” a senior police officer told PTI.“We have already started collecting evidence. We are scanning through ...
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Hurting, shocking: Legends react after Indian women team fail to grab Paris berth | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A disappointed Indian hockey fraternity was deeply hurt after the women's team failed to secure a Paris Olympics berth on Friday.The Savita Punia-led side got knocked out of the Paris 2024 qualification race following a 0-1 loss to Japan in the FIH Qualifiers in Ranchi as they finished fourth in the tournament. India needed at least a third place finish to travel to Paris.Former Indian captain Ajitpal Singh termed the result as a "hurting" one."It was really disappointing. Missing out on a Paris Olympics ticket will definitely hurt after dominating for most part of the match. If you get so many scoring chances, including as many as nine penalty corners, and don't take those opportunities, it is going to hurt you," Ajitpal told PTI.The legendary centre-half predicted severe ra...
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India vs Japan Live Score, FIH Olympic Qualifier: IND with one last shot to confirm Paris 2024 berth

FIH Olympic Qualifiers: How India missed a golden opportunity in shootouts against Germany Indian players celebrate after they equal the score 2-2 against Germany during the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifiers match, at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) A pall of gloom hung over the Jaipal Singh Stadium. The captain, Savita Punia, was inconsolable. The coach, Janneke Schopman, frowned. The crowd stunned into silence. Shattered that the first chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics had slipped away after coming within touching distance. “We played so hard… But it was not our day,” Savita said, her voice quivering. It was a sort of heavy-on-the-heart affair that’s become synonymous with the Indian men’s team. ...
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India vs Italy Live Score, FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier: IND lead 2-0 against ITA in third quarter

The Indian women's hockey team defeated New Zealand to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. (PHOTO: Hockey India) The Indian women's hockey team have followed in the footsteps of the men's side in making a seemingly straightforward task hugely complicated and not knowing which side will turn up on the match day – the sensationally skillful or frustratingly awful. In two days, India’s hopes of qualifying for the Olympics have gone from touching the nadir, thanks to the opening-day defeat to the US, to being resurrected in the most extraordinary fashion with a win over New Zealand on Sunday. (Read more) !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n...
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India vs USA Live Score, FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: Savita Punia and Co start quest to book Paris Olympics tickets

Indian women's hockey team captain Savita Punia with teammate Bichu Devi Kharibam and head coach Janneke Schopman during a training session ahead of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 match against USA, at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi. (PTI)India’s first task will be to finish in the top two of their group, which includes New Zealand – an equal – and a potential banana skin opponent in Italy, apart from the dark horses USA. If they successfully navigate past these teams and reach the semifinals, the task will be to finish in the top three and qualify for the Olympics. Given that the mighty Germany and a tricky Japan – expected to finish top two in the other pool – could be waiting for India in the second half of the tournament, the path to Paris wil...
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FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: Blow for India as forward Vandana Katariya ruled out due to cheekbone fracture

The Indian women’s hockey team received a setback in their quest to qualify for Paris 2024 as star forward Vandana Katariya was ruled out of the squad for FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers taking place in Ranchi. With their sights set on a third consecutive Olympic berth, Vandana was expected to play a key role in India’s campaign and was originally named as the vice-captain. But the veteran forward, who became the first Indian woman to earn 300 international caps recently in Ranchi during the Asian Champions Trophy, will be missing in action due to an injury suffered in training, chief coach Janneke Schopman said. “It’s unfortunate that Vandana won’t be part of the tournament. She sustained a fracture in her cheekbone during a training session, and she has been advised to rest. While we wi...
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Paddy’s field work: Blending Indian hockey’s silent and aggressive warriors, defanging opponents into shirt colours & brainstorming in Hindi

Paddy Upton relies on the simplest of techniques to declutter the most complex of subjects.To take away the fear – or complacency – he is training India’s hockey stars to look at their opponents merely as coloured shirts, thus stripping the players of their aura. To deal with the different, clashing personalities within the dressing room, he has bracketed them into two categories: the silent warriors and the ultra-aggressive warriors. Or, as he puts it, the KL Rahuls and the Virat Kohlis. And to define the ‘Indian style’, he falls back on an idiot-proof analogy. “Just go drive on a road in Mumbai and go drive in Belgium. You see a massive difference,” says the South African mind master, who joined the Indian hockey team’s backroom staff this year. “One is unstructured and the other is a...
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Becoming world No. 1 in six months is the aim, says Indian men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton | Hockey News – Times of India

CHENNAI: It’s been only seven months since Craig Fulton took over as the India men’s hockey head coach. Since then, the team has won the Asian Games gold medal and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fulton, who is here in Chennai to observe the Indian players’ performance in the senior hockey Nationals, said he admires the ambition of the squad.In an interaction, the 49-year-old South African spoke on Olympic preparation and more. Excerpts:How is the Paris Olympics preparation going?First thing was to qualify, so we did that well at the Asian Games. It was a good milestone. Now, it’s just to put a good programme together, so we peak at the right time physically, and everything comes together at the right moment. We’ve quite a few tournaments before the Olympics which can become diff...
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Caste slurs, missing father’s funeral, going for broke: Vandana Katariya sets 300th game record today

GROWING UP in Haridwar, Vandana Katariya was mocked for playing hockey. When she ignored the noise around her, broke stereotypes and became a trailblazer in the sport of her choice, she was subjected to casteist slurs.On Tuesday, Vandana will reach a milestone that no other woman player in the country has achieved before — make 300 international appearances. The landmark moment will arrive when Vandana takes the field against Japan at the Asian Champions Trophy here. On the eve of the match, Vandana was at ease. After the training session where the 31-year-old matches the national team’s youngsters Sangita Kumari and Lalremsiami, she quips: “Oh! Mujhe spotlight nahi chahiye (I don’t want to be in the spotlight).” But the spotlight will well and truly be on her Tuesday evening. “When I s...
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Indian women’s hockey team set to have a new mental conditioning coach, confirms coach Janneke Schopman

The Indian women’s hockey team are set to have a mental conditioning coach with chief coach Janneke Schopman confirming on Friday in Ranchi the arrival of Peter Haberl to assist her. India are playing the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi, a rare standalone multi-nation tournament for the women in front of home fans. Savita Punia and Co had finished with bronze at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, missing out on gold and an automatic qualification spot for Paris 2024, and that means they have a few crucial months coming up to earn their ticket. “I have worked with Peter Haberl for a long time in the past, he is a sports psychologist who lives in the USA but he is from Austria,” Schopman told The Indian Express after India’s win against Thailand in their first match of the tournament. ...
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How the greed of 60 marks lured PR Sreejesh to hockey | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A "flat-footed" athlete, PR Sreejesh had a specific aim in his mind when he decided to become a hockey player - securing 60 marks in annual exams without having to study.The athletes in Kerala are awarded 60 marks if they make the state team in any sport. So he picked up the stick sport not for the love of it but for the greed of some free marks.But as fate would have it, the affable Sreejesh grew into one of India's finest hockey goalkeepers.He wanted to be a shot putter but that did not happen. Even then hockey was not his choice. He tried his hands at becoming spiker too but that also did not materialise.Direct ticket to Paris Olympics is one of the best feelings: PR Sreejesh"In childhood I tried every sport. I started my career in athletics, shot put to be precise. But wh...
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‘On the ground, I am never calm’: Harmanpreet Singh refutes MS Dhoni comparisons | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Harmanpreet Singh, the dynamic captain of the victorious Indian men's hockey team at the Asian Games, has rebuffed comparisons with cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni, asserting that he lacks Dhoni's trademark composure on the field.Despite hockey great Dhanraj Pillay's likening of Harmanpreet to Dhoni, the star drag-flicker insisted that their styles are distinct."On the ground, I am never calm. I am aggressive, unlike Dhoni. But off the field, I try to remain as calm as possible," Harmanpreet stated during a visit to PTI headquarters.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, affectionately known as 'Captain Cool,' is celebrated for his unflappable demeanour during high-pressure cricket situations. He led the Indian cricket team to a historic ODI World Cup title in 2011.While acknowledging the...
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Asian Games: India, South Korea play out 1-1 draw in women’s hockey – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Indian women's hockey team was on Sunday held to a 1-1 draw by South Korea in their the Asian Games pool A in Hangzhou. Despite the draw, Savita Punia and co. maintained their undefeated run in the competition and continued to lead their pool.Navneet Kaur netted the equalizer in the 44th minute, responding to Cho Hyejin's 12th-minute goal that had given South Korea the lead at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium. With the draw, the Indian team, currently ranked sixth in the world, maintained their position at the top of Pool A, edging out 12th-ranked Korea on goal difference.The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semi-finals.India crushed Singapore 13-0 in the opener before notching a 6-0 win over Malaysia.Both teams looked to score from the word go but t...
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Exclusive: ‘Indian men’s team is the best side in the Asian Games, but their biggest challenge will be…’: Ex-India coach Jagbir Singh on India’s gold medal chances | Asian Games 2018 News – Times of India

Following their exhilarating triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy, the Indian men's hockey side will be eager to further stamp their continental dominance at the 19th edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.While India appear to be one of the top favourites to grab the gold by the end of the campaign, history and past records in the respective competition suggest that the third-ranked side in World Men's Hockey currently finds themselves as the third most successful overall when it comes to achieving the coveted feat. Pakistan lead the charge with eight gold medals, South Korea follow them with four, and India are third with three titles won in 1966, 1998 and 2014.India have finished 15 times on the podium overall, with nine defeats in the final resulting in nine strokes of silve...
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Indian hockey teams announced for Asian Games with notable changes in squads | Hockey News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Indian men's and women's hockey teams have been announced for the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with notable changes in the squads. The men's team sees the exclusion of veteran striker Akashdeep Singh and young talent Karthi Selvam, while Lalit Upadhyay makes a comeback to the squad.The Hockey India selectors have dropped three players—Akashdeep Singh, Karthi Selvam, and defender Jugraj Singh—from the victorious side of the Asian Champions Trophy held in Chennai earlier this month. Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and midfielder Hardik Singh will retain their roles as captain and vice-captain for the Asian Games.Jugraj Singh's spot has been taken by Sanjay, while Lalit Upadhyay and Abhishek replace Akashdeep Singh and Karthi Selvam, respectively. The team boasts ...