Indian hockey is in the news these days and a lot of it has to do with the enhanced sponsorship it will be getting from the Sahara group.
For people like me who have still not lost hope in Indian hockey, the Sahara press release was exciting. It talked of a 170 per cent increase in sponsorship, which sounded huge.
Yet, when one sat with a calculator to check what it meant, the increase in sponsorship was from `3 crore per year to `8 crore per year. Compare it with the `3.34 crore per international match which the Indian cricket board has been getting from Sahara, and there cannot be a starker contrast.

India have fared well under coach Michael Nobbs
__________________________________________________________
To be sure, only someone foolish will compare cricket with any other sport in the country. We are often told that hockey is our ‘national game’ though this statement needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
In the good old days when we won Olympic gold medals with flourish on natural grass, Dhyan Chand was the true hero. He symbolised success and grace and how the Western world was mesmerised by his magic with the hockey stick.
As the statue of the man greets you at the National Stadium in the Capital, you wonder whether Indian hockey can flourish again. Let’s be sure of one thing, nobody played hockey in the old days for money.
Hockey was a passion, a junoon as they say, for many who wield the stick. Today, to complain that Hockey India cannot pay its players handsome money is nonsense. One must never forget that in terms of popularity, mass reach and TV viewership, hockey can never be compared with cricket.

Former player A.B. Subbaiah
_____________________________________
Yet, if Sahara is spending money on hockey, it needs to be welcomed, irrespective of the figures being spent. We all know that had it not been for the Indian government’s funding, we could have never afforded a foreign coach.
Be it Jose Brasa or current guru Michael Nobbs and his support staff, if they are here in India, it’s because of the cash support the government offers. In less than six days, the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will be competing in the Olympic qualifiers with hope in the heart.
The tears which Indian hockey fans shed in March 2008 cannot be forgotten as India lost to Great Britain in the Olympic qualifier in Chile. One scribe from India who had gone to cover the event still swears the umpiring then was biased and the Indians were being subjected to a lot of pressure.
In a way, this Indian men’s team is very lucky it is going to play the qualifier at home against a field which is not too tough. If you go by the international rankings, India are rated higher than their opponents – France, Italy, Canada, Poland and Singapore.

The experts say that Canada, once a potent force, is not the same. Pre-tournament predictions of India being in the final sound good, but the pressure is not going to be any lower. There are several advantages of playing at home and, having arrived in the Capital well in advance, the team is being nurtured by Nobbs. It is also a good sign that Nobbs has felt free to call in my favourite former India defender Dilip Tirkey and the soft-spoken former India goalkeeper AB Subbaiah to help out the team.

These two men carry with them loads of experience, so the Indian team will definitely benefit from their valuable tips. A lot has been written about the exclusion of Rajpal Singh and how in Sandeep Singh and Ignace Tirkey, we have two seasoned players who could play a big role in India’s campaign.

If one goes through India’s performance under Nobbs, it has been okay but not brilliant. While the frontline has the punch, the defence still comes under the scanner. Having won the Asian Champions Trophy last year in Ordos, China, the team then finished runner-up in the Champions Challenge I.

More recently, the team played against South Africa in a Test series and won three out of the five matches.
All this would tend to suggest Indian hockey is in fine health but we need to wait till the end of the Olympic qualifier to see how good we are. We have to win the final if we are to seal a berth at the London Olympics.

Old-timers I spoke to are not willing to hazard a guess and say they are keeping their fingers crossed. Nevertheless, if one is looking at the future of hockey in India in a macro sense, we must qualify.
The outrage after failing to qualify for the Olympics in 2008 hasn’t been forgotten. And if you compare hockey with other disciplines where Indians have qualified for London, it is clear this team must deliver.

We all know how hockey’s popularity has dipped and the nurseries in Punjab and Jharkhand see fewer people playing the sport. If hockey has to have a future in the country, India has to make the Olympics grade.
Nobody is going to watch or support a sport where we are not doing well. At the same time as the men’s team, the women will also be trying hard to qualify in a relatively tougher field. The big advantage is playing at home.

Good crowd support and finding rhythm early on will be crucial. Till then, let’s leave aside all talk of why hockey gets less in terms of sponsorship from the corporates.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ India / by S. Kannan/ February 12th, 2012

One of the strengths of the Indian hockey team is its attack from the right and incisive striker S.V. Sunil is an important member of the swift forwardline.

The alarming speed with which he goes past rival defenders and the way he delivers his stinging shots make Sunil a special player. In India’s quest for an Olympic berth, the lean forward from Coorg (Karnataka) is all set to play a crucial role.

After the Test series against South Africa, chief coach Michael Nobbs had underlined the value of Sunil. Nobbs had said that if the experienced Rajpal Singh had to find a place in the team, he had to replace Sunil and it was very hard considering the Karnataka player’s present form.

A player who made his debut in the 2007 Asia Cup in Chennai (where India won the title), Sunil could not make a mark until recently. A major injury in his right knee just before the 2010 World Cup forced him to take a break of one year.

IMPRESSIVE

After undergoing a surgery, he impressed everyone with his performance since returning to the international scene in the Azlan Shah Cup last year. “It was a very bad injury. I could not even climb the steps. Thanks to Dr. B.K. Nayak and physio Shrikant Iyengar, who helped me a lot in overcoming the injury,” said Sunil during an interaction, here on Wednesday.

“The Sports Authority of India also helped me by bearing Rs. 4 lakh spent on my surgery,” he added.

HIGH POINT

The Champions Challenge in Johannesburg last year was a high point of Sunil’s career. He scored four goals, the most by an Indian striker in the tournament, and created several opportunities. “Right now, I am going through my peak. However, I am working on improving my receiving skill and accuracy in scoring,” said the 24-year-old.

One of the assistant coaches in the National camp, Clarence Lobo, heaped praise on the shy forward. “He is fabulous with his raids and tires the opponent defenders out by applying constant pressure. Besides, his sharp one-touch game inside the circle is too good,” noted Lobo.

Right-out Sunil is humble enough to acknowledge the support of right-in Sarvanjit Singh and right-half Birendra Lakra on and off the pitch. “I take their advice when they make a point. I have got a good rapport with Sarvan.”

Now, Sunil hopes that he will be able to contribute a bit in India’s campaign in the Olympic qualifier.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Sports> Hockey / by Principal Correspondent / New Delhi, February 09th, 2012

New Delhi:

India hockey players feel the presence of former captain Dilip Tirkey and goalkeeper AB Subbaiah as part of the back-up staff is helping them prepare better for the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers to be held February 18-26.

Tirkey, a government observer in Hockey India (HI) selection committee, has been helping out the defenders on the essentials of tackling and recovery once beaten. Tirkey, who played in three Olympics (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004), was one of the most competent defenders in the world because of his tight marking skill near goal post.

Tirkey has also been assigned the task of analysing the strength and the weaknesses of all the participating team in the qualifiers.

As for Subbaiah, he has been with the Indian team on and off and the two goalkeepers skipper Bharat Chhetri and P Sreejesh have been exchanging notes with the former India goal tender as he is yet to join the camp at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

Senior player and ace drag-flicker said Tirkey’s experience is helping the team.

“Tirkey’s experience is helping us enormously as he has gone through the drill for a number of years, and we realise his knowledge of situational play is far more than what we have,” said drag-flicker Sandeep Singh.

“For instance, he has explained to us how to organise defence on a counter-attack and how to avoid panic tackling inside the striking area as a mistake there invariably leads to penalty-corner or even a more severe infringement,” he said.

“Defence is very important because of late we have conceded crucial goals under pressure. He is helping us on how to stop counters and what to do in pressure situations,” Sandeep added.

India coach Michael Nobbs said Tirkey is helping the players to fine tune with their skills.

“Dilip has joined the camp a few days back and he is taking care of the defensive line. We have brought him to fine-tune this area. In the next 4-5 days we will complete the analysis of all the participating teams,” he said.

“Penalty corner is a very important aspect in modern day hockey. They can win or lose you a game. We are getting better and better in penalty corners. We have 3-4 best drag-flickers in our team,” the Australian added.

Chettri said Tirkey’s experience is helping the team in handling pressure.

“Dilip is working hard with the defenders and his experience will be very handy. He is working on every aspect of defence,” he said.

Chettri said he is also in touch with Subbaiah.

“He is yet to join the camp but both me and Sreejesh we are in constant touch with him. We discuss the different techniques and how to keep ourself cool under pressure,” he said.

source: http://www.TimesofIndia.Indiatimes.com / Home> Sports> Hockey/ IANS / February 07th, 2012

Mahesh Bhupathi poses for photographs with some of the trainees at his centre on the outskirts of Kolkata. / PTI
Mahesh Bhupathi says the selection of the team for the upcoming London Olympics is best left to the All India Tennis Association.

“The team selection is not something to be decided by us. The AITA has to decide the best team available for the Olympics,” Bhupathi said, while visiting his academy on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday.

No comparison

When asked about how significant an addition to his Grand Slam trophies an Olympic medal would be, he said the two ought not to be compared.

“I cannot compare the two as I am yet to win an Olympic medal. But I can say that if I miss an Olympic medal but do well in the Grand Slams, I won’t call it a bad year,” he said.

Terming his recent fatherhood “a life changing experience,” Bhupathi said he was “still sinking into the feeling.”

Bhupathi said that the news of Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh being diagnosed with cancer was very disturbing. “(Yuvraj) is a great fighter. He should continue his fight against the disease. We all are praying for him,” Bhupathi said.

Bhupathi also praised his current doubles partner Rohan Bopanna saying that the latter has already proved his ability at the highest level. “He (Bopanna) has proved himself, both as a singles as well as a doubles player,” Bhupathi said. “But we still have to adapt to each other’s game. We have a long season ahead.”

Impressed by Nagal

When asked to name the future prospects of the country, Bhupathi said Yuki Bhambri and Sumit Nagal were the two to look out for.

“Somdev Devvarman is doing well, but he is not young anymore. Nagal is the brightest young talent I have seen. At his age (14) I did not even think of winning an under-18 title (which Nagal did recently in an ITF junior event in Kolkata),” Bhupathi said.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Sports> Tennis / by Prinicipal Correspondent / Kolkata, February 09th, 2012

Pune:
Giving a fillip to doubles specialists Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa and V Diju in their bid to gain entry to the London Olympics later this year, four city-based entities have decided to support the three shuttlers.

Lakshya Institute, Avinash Bhosale Infrastructure Limited (ABIL), Shlok-Jairaj group and Panchashil have joined hands to support the trio, it was announced on Wednesday.

Jwala, a 13-time national women`s doubles champion, would be supported by ABIL. Shlok-Jairaj Group is to help Ponnappa while the Panchashil group has offered to support Diju, a media release said.

Jwala is ranked 13th in mixed doubles with Diju and 18th in women`s doubles with Ashwini. Jwala and Ashwini became the first Indian doubles pair to win a World Championship medal when the duo won the bronze last year in London.

“The probability of these players being selected for the London Olympics is very high with their current rank and achievements. We shall provide the three players with all the necessary facilities required to maintain their rankings and give their best shot for the country at the Olympics,” the release said.

“It is sponsorships such as these, I believe, (that) go a long way in contributing to the development of these young sports talent and also encourage them on the demanding path to the top. I personally love playing the game and that has fanned my interest to always do some more for the development of the game,” said Avinash Bhosale.

“Lakshya is a platform provided to young upcoming talented sportspersons from the society to do their best on the sports field without having to worry about other factors off it,” said its president Manish Jain.
PTI

source: http://www.ZeeNews.india.com / Wednesday,February 08th, 2012

They may no longer be partners on the international circuit but Pakistan’s top tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has not given up on the idea of teaming up with India’s Rohan Bopanna for a ‘peace match’ to bolster Indo-Pak ties.

Bopanna and Qureshi parted ways after the Indian decided to team up with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi this season.

“We may no longer be playing as a doubles team but we have not given up on the idea of having an Indo-Pak tennis peace match. It is still very much on the cards but depends on getting the green signal from the governments,” Aisam said.

source: http://www.rediff.com / Sports / January 31st, 2012

Kodava Samaj, Bangalore, will conduct Field Marshall K M Cariappa Memorial Hockey Tournament from 9th to 19th February at KSHA Stadium under the auspices of Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA).

Teams affiliated to KSHA may send the entry to Kodava Samaja Recreation Club or KSHA office.

For further details, contact:
C S Poonacha/A B Palangappa – 9480490611/9448082668.

source: http://www.bangalore.citizenmatter.in / Sports/ by News Desk / January 31st, 2012

Players S.K.Uthappa and Kothajit Singh are keen to excel for India in international hockey tournaments.

Indian hockey player S.K.Uthappa. Photo: R.V. Moorthy