Hockey India
(HI) is taking all care to ensure that the upcoming 10th Junior
World Cup hockey tournament, beginning at the Major Dhyan Chand National
Stadium from December 6, attracts a big draw.
The organizers has scheduled all the India’s league games – the opening game against the Netherlands on December 6, the second game against Canada on December 7 and the concluding league fixture against Korea on December 10 – at 8 pm IST to ensure hockey lovers coming from work are in a position to watch the hosts in action.
Of course, it goes without saying that the timings of the quarterfinal, semifinal and the final stage is subject to how India fares in the league phase.
The organizers has scheduled all the India’s league games – the opening game against the Netherlands on December 6, the second game against Canada on December 7 and the concluding league fixture against Korea on December 10 – at 8 pm IST to ensure hockey lovers coming from work are in a position to watch the hosts in action.
Of course, it goes without saying that the timings of the quarterfinal, semifinal and the final stage is subject to how India fares in the league phase.
It may be worth recalling that India had won the Junior World Cup only once in the 2011 edition in Hobart, Australia, where they thumped Argentina 6-1 in the title clash under the captaincy of Gagan Ajit Singh, who happens to be a national selector now.
Sardar Singh joins national camp
after stint with HC Bloemendaal
Indian senior
team captain Sardar Singh has joined the men team’s camp at SAI Bhopal after a
sting for famed Dutch club HC Bloemendaal. The star midfielder has been
training with the national team for the past three weeks in Bhopal in
preparation for the upcoming FIH Hockey World League final round to be held in
New Delhi beginning January 10.
The
27-year-old midfielder last played in the 9th Asia Cup in Ipoh,
Malaysia where they finished runners-up losing narrowly to Korea before going on
to bag their 2014 World Cup berth taking the Oceania quota place.
HC Bloemendaal
is a renown outfit in the Netherlands and many top international players like
Jamie Dwyer (Australia), Christopher Zeller (Germany) and Floris Jan Bovelander
(Holland) have played for them in the past.
One hopes
Sardar’s stint in the Netherlands will do a world of good to Indian team’s
performance in the upcoming FIH Hockey World League final round in front of the
home crowd.
Indian men’s team take a break ahead
of Hockey World League Final
The Indian
senior men’s hockey team is taking a short break from its preparatory camp for
the upcoming FIH Hockey World League final round to be held in New Delhi beginning
January 10. The national team went through the paces at its camp at SAI Centre,
Bhopal for three weeks and are expected to take a two-week break before they
rejoin for the final phase of the camp in Bhopal from December 28 until close
to the start of the FIH Hockey World League final round.
The senior
team was seen watching the Indian men’s junior team humble Argentina 4-2 at the
Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi – the likes of Sardar Singh, SV
Sunil along with head Terry Walsh and High Performance Manager Roelant Oltmans
were seen in the Stadium closely following the proceedings.
The senior
team had finished fifth among six teams in the 3rd Asian Champions Trophy
in Kakamighara, Japan where the national team comprised largely junior players
in a bid to prepare them for the 10th Junior World Cup.
The 3rd
Asian Champions Trophy was the senior team’s last international tournament for
the year.
Earlier,
they had featured in the 9th Asia Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia where they
finished runners-up losing narrowly to Korea before going on to bag their 2014
World Cup berth taking the Oceania quota place.
It is
pertinent to mention that India had qualified for the FIH Hockey World League
final round by virtue of being hosts after failing to go beyond the semifinals
in Rotterdam earlier this year.
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