Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Junior Army Football Club Lucknow beat Tata Football Academy 2-0


Junior Army Football Club Lucknow beat Tata Football Academy 2-0 and qualified for the quarterfinals of the 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 20, 2015. In another match of the pool B, State Bank of Travancore defeated Bihar Regimental Centre, Danapur 1-0.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Bihar Regimental Centre Danapur beat United Kurseong Football Club 2-1


Bihar Regimental Centre Danapur beat United Kurseong Football Club 2-1 in a pool "B" league match of the 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 19, 2015. In another match of the pool "A" United Punjab Football Club Mahilpur beat Border Security Force 1-0.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Junior Army Football Club Lucknow beat Border Security Force Jalandhar 2-0


Junior Army Football Club Lucknow beat Border Security Force Jalandhar 2-0 in a pool "A" league match of the 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 18, 2015. In a pool "B'" match, State Bank of Travancore played a 2-2 draw against Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui 

Friday, March 20, 2015

United Punjab Football Club Mahilpur hold Tata Football Academy 1-1



United Punjab Football Club Mahilpur (Punjab) held Tata Football Academy (Jamshedpur) to 1-1 draw in a pool "A" league match of the 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 17, 2015. Sukhdev Singh opened the account for Mahilpur in the 25th minute. Chinglen Sana brought the parity for Tata Football Academy in the 60th minute. In another match, Sashastra Seema Bal drew with United Kurseong 1-1.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Junior National Hockey Championships from April 1 in Mysore

New Delhi, March 19, 2015: Entering its 5th season, the Hockey India Junior National Championship will witness 36 teams battling it out against each other to claim the top spot and the title Champion's. All set to commence on April 1, hockey lovers will yet again get a chance to witness the young and budding hockey stars, striving to emerge as the winners.

Where Steel Plant Sports Board, Manipur Hockey, Services Sports Control Board and Bengal Hockey Association were seen battling it out to become the Champions as semi-finalists at the 4th edition of Hockey India Junior National Championship 2014, Steel Plant Sports Board proved their mettle and emerged as the champions of last year's all important tournament.

The 36 participating teams will be divided into two divisions - A & B. Where Division A consists of 16 teams, further divided into 4 Pools with 4 teams in each pool, Division B will see 20 teams further divided into 4 Pools with 5 teams each.

Speaking on the occasion Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, Hockey India Secretary General said, “The 5th season of Junior Men National Championship is all set to commence and we are set to witness yet again a season of exhilarating hockey where these players will give cut throat competition to each other. We will use the upcoming National back to back National Championships to identify talent and take them to the next level. I am sure these young stars will give us enough reasons to consider them for the International arena”.

The matches will be played in a phased manner with division B first completing its sets of matches and the same will be played from April 1to 12. Teams under Division A will play their matches from April 14 and will go on till April 22, 2015 in Mysore, Karnataka.


The inaugural match of the season will be played between The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd. and Goans Hockey of division B at 7:30 am. The champions of the 4th edition, Steel Plant Sports Board were placed in Pool A, will be taking on Hockey Maharashtra in the second match on the opening day, when Division A kick starts on April 14. 

HI Press release

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Border Security Force edge past Tata Football Academy


Border Security Force Jalamdhar beat Tata Football Academy 1-0 in a pool "A" league match of the 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 16, 2015. Twatomba Singh netted the match-winner in the 72nd minute.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Preparatory camp of Indian men hockey core probables begins

New Delhi, March 17, 2015: The preparatory camp of the Indian men team core probables commences at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Monday and will continue till April 2. The camp is the groundwork for the impending 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Malaysia from April 5 to 12.

Thirty two players are part of the camp which is for the refinement and training of the players before they depart for Malaysia. The team has performed brilliantly in the recent past and will be looking at continuing their form in the upcoming tournament.

Commenting on the Training Camp, High Performance Director, Hockey India Roelant Oltmans said, “The men are in a positive frame of mind and uplifted spirits post their performance in the last tournaments where they have showcased that they are ready to take on any challenge on the field today. They are waiting for the upcoming tournament and confident that they will live up to expectations. The camp will enable them to work on their weak points while will further solidify their strengths.”

The list of 32 men core probable’s team

GOALKEEPERS
1.     Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh
2.     Harjot Singh
3.     Sushant Tirkey

DEFENDERS
4.     Gurbaj Singh
5.     Rupinder Pal Singh
6.     Raghunath Vokkaliga Ramachandra
7.     Birendra Lakra
8.     Gurmail Singh
9.     Gurjinder Singh
10.  Manpreet Singh
11.  Vickram Kanth
12.  Kothajit Singh
13.  Harbir Singh Sandhu

MIDFIELDERS
14.  S. K. Uthappa
15.  Dharamvir Singh
16.  Chinglensana Singh Kangujam
17.  Sardar Singh
18.  Danish Mujtaba
19.  Satbir Singh
20.  Devinder Sunil Walmiki
21.  Vikas Pillay
22.  Jasjit Singh

FORWARDS
23.  Nikkin Thimmaiah
24.  Nithin Thimmaiah
25.  S. V. Sunil
26.  Mandeep Singh
27.  Akashdeep Singh
28.  Ramandeep Singh
29.  Affan Yousuf
30.  Yuvraj Walmiki
31.  Talwinder Singh
32.  Lalit Upadhyay

HI Press release


SSB too strong for BRC Danapur



The 4th All India Football Tournament for Bihar Cup began at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on March 15, 2015. East Central Railway General Manager AK Mittal and Bihar Food and Consumer Protection Minister Shyam Rajak inaugurated the tournament jointly. In the opening match Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) beat Bihar Regimental Centre (Danapur) 3-1. Bijeshwar of SSB netted a hat-trick of goals.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Monday, March 16, 2015

India tame Poland 3-1 to win FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) title



New Delhi, March 15, 2015: The final of the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) lived up to the tag of the Finale game, as the spectators were treated to a spectacular, breathtaking and intense game of hockey between India and Poland. The game tied 1-1 at the end of the first half and was slated as anyone’s game until the last thirty minutes which decided the fate of both the teams. It was the Indian eves who got their experience into play, keeping their nerves intact and beat the opponents 3-1. With the win, India made a clean sweep as they won all six matches played in the tournament.

The determined eves of India attacked from the moment the game started which put immediate pressure on the opponents. Just four minutes into the game, India was awarded with a penalty corner but missed as the ball found the goalkeeper. Two minute later, Rani hit at the D where Anupa Barla was waiting for the touch but the Polish goalkeeper was quick to avert the danger and India lost the opportunity to score. 

Five minutes left in the quarter, India had another shot at the penalty corner but Poland goalkeeper cleared the danger easily. Seconds left for the first session to end, India finally struck when a beautiful back stroke by Vandana Katariya left no chance for the Poland goalkeeper to react. Within seconds India was again back in the D and Anupa Barla took another shot at the goal but was unfortunate to find the goalkeeper again. This ended the electrifying first quarter with India leading 1-0.

Immediately into the second quarter, Poland struck in the 17th minute as they attacked and got a penalty corner in their name. Poland stunned the Indian defence as a variation helped Oriana Walasek to put the ball into the nets helping them to equalize. The rest of the session was a story of missed chances as each team tried to take the lead in the game. Just seconds left in the game Ritu Rani tried to put the ball past the goalkeeper but was cleared by the latter. A counter attack by Anupa Barla was also unsuccessful in putting the ball into the nets.

With the game tied at 1-1, both the teams tested each others defence, as their attacks continued looking at taking the lead over the other. Four minutes left for the end of the third session, Poland was awarded with a penalty corner where a variation again was adopted by them and Natalia Wisniewska taking a shot at the goal and beat the Indian goalie but unfortunately the ball hit the side post refraining the team to take the lead.  It was the Indian eves who kept their nerves and scored the much sorted second goal as a quick and clean pass allowed Rani to take the scorecard to 2-1 in the 44th minute.

Half way into the fourth quarter Poland got another shot at the penalty corner and an opportunity to level the score but danger was averted by the Indian defence. Three minutes left of the Finale match, India had another penalty corner registered in their name. Jaspreet Kaur hit hard but the Poland goalie was again quick to save and clean the ball from the D.  Same minute Poland was awarded a penalty corner but were unable to capitalize. India counter attacked immediately and Ritu Rani scored in the 59th minute taking the score to 3-1 and going on to register the teams sixth consecutive win in the tournament.

A happy, High Performance Director, Hockey India, Roelant Oltmans said, “First quarter we played astounding. The way Rani scored her goal was brilliant and not everyday someone scores a goal like that. We had pressure on us in the third quarter but we came back strong. The team has a very good understanding on the field and they did a great job today” 

Speaking post the match Ritu Rani, Indian Captain said “We are very happy we won. We played well but we should have played better. From here we will concentrate on Round 3 and we are confident of our performance”.

Top Scorer of the Tournament: Vandana Katariya, India
Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Marta Kucharska, Poland
Junior Player of Tournament: Rani, India 
Player of the Tournament: Marlena Rybacha, Poland

HI Press release




Ritu Rani completes 200-match landmark

New Delhi, March 15, 2015: Ritu Rani achieved a memorable milestone in her hockey career by appearing in her 200th International caps while leading the Indian Women Team against Poland in the Finals of Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.

The 23-year old Ritu is another talented women’s hockey player to emerge from the Shahbad stable, Haryana. From scoring goals for her side from the upfront to controlling midfield, she does it all with sheer perfection.

Excited on her achievement, Ritu Rani, said, “I am honoured to have been able to give my contribution to Indian hockey. It’s a great feeling and I hope to continue adding more to the sport with full zest and determination. I hope our efforts encourage more young girls to take up hockey.”


Congratulating Ritu Rani on her astounding performance, Secretary General Hockey India Mr. Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said, “Hockey India takes utmost pride in congratulating Ritu Rani on the accomplishment of 200 international caps. I wish her all the best for the next round and hope to see more of similar high quality performances from her in future." 

HI Press release

Lefty Xu regains title; Feng wins maiden crown

Jaipur, March 15, 2015: China’s Xu Xin taught quite a few invaluable lessons, particularly how to rise from the dumps, to his 18-year-old compatriot Fan Zhendong to emerge a 4-3 winner in the men’s singles of  the GAC Group 28th Asian Cup Table Tennis 2015 at the SMS Indoor Stadium here on Sunday. The win was worth $14,000 and as, runner-up, Fan received $ 7,000.  

But it was the women’s singles which aroused greater interest when Singapore’s Feng Tianwei denied three-time champion Chinese Liu Shiwen her foruth time in a thrilling final with a 4-2 verdict.

In the men’s final, left proved right yet again and the finer tips that Fan must have picked up from Xu must do a lot of good to the youngster, who was meeting him a second time in a final after the Incheon Asian Games last year.

None would have given an iota of chance as Xu was down and out at 1-3 with Fan just a game away from his maiden title. However, in the fifth game things changed dramatically. Taking timeout at 6-5, Xu returned to the court with all calmness and from there he took on. After that Xu’s different strokes spoke and Fan, until then using the flanks very well, had little answers to his senior partner.

It was a sheer treat to watch left-handed Xu unleash expansive forehand drives with his rare penhold grip and more often than not, those powerful strokes were irretrievable. Fan, to his credit, despite having a repertoire of shots and successfully executing his down-the-line backhand winners, Xu had taken control of the match.

“I think I took it a bit easy after winning the first game. It is never easy playing Fan or, for that matter, the Chinese opponents. Since it had become too close for comfort, I told myself that I should enjoy. That was what I set down to do and it paid off,” he said. But he did admit that this match was tougher than the Asian Games final.

Coming back to the women’s final, it was equally absorbing but the Singaporean played a percentage game that saw her stand on top of the podium. For strange reasons, Liu was rendered immobile against some of the shots that Feng unleashed on her. The 28-year-old and world No. 4 was particularly harsh on her third-ranked rival in the fifth game where she allowed Liu a solitary point. But closing out the match would have been a lot tougher for Feng had she not fought back from 1-6 down to seal the sixth game and with that, the title.

Mizutani, Yuling finish third
Japan’s Jun Mizutani and China’s Zhu Yuling secured third places in the men’s and women’s events by emerging successful in the morning session of play.

Zhu Yuling, the No.4 seed, opened proceedings accounting for Japan’s Ai Fukuhara, the No.6 seed 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7. She was followed at the showcourt by Jun Mizutani who asserted his authority over Hong Kong’s Tang Peng, dismissing him in four straight games of 11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8.

Right handed, powerful from the forehand and quick from the backhand, the side of the racket on which he uses short pimpled rubber, Tang is a player of high calibre but it is a style which suits the left handed top spin skills of Jun Mizutani.Heavy top spin strokes early in the rally, as opposed to speed, reaped dividend for Jun Mizutani; in the third game there was a glimmer of hope for Tang Peng as he established a 9-7 lead but the light was soon extinguished. Jun Mizutani won the next four points and the writing on the wall was clear and loud.

Similarly, the consistency of Zhu Yuling prevailed with Ai Fukuhara missing an opportunity in the third game after the opening two games had been shared. She led 10-8 and Yuling saved both game points, before winning the next two to turn what appeared to be a two games to nil deficit turning into a two games to one advantage. One game later Ai Fukuhara kept parity until the latter stages when a string of errant forehands saw possible success disappear.

The Results:
Men singles: Final: Xu Xin (Chn) bt Fan Zhengdong (Chn) 4-3 (11-8, 11-13, 11-13, 5-11, 118, 11-4, 11-7).
Third-place playoff: Jun Mizutani (Jpn) bt  Peng Tang (Hkg) 4-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8).
Women singles: Final: Feng Tianwei (Sin) bt Liu Shiwen (Chn) 4-2 (3-11, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-1, 12-10).
Third-place playoff: Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Ai Fukuhara (Jpn) 4-1 (11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9).

A TTFI Press release

Fazilla stars again as Malaysia overpower Thailand 3-0 to seal the third place

New Delhi, March 15, 2015: In the 3rd/4th place playoff match of the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) played between Thailand and Malaysia, Malaysia drubbed Thailand 3-0 to seal the third spot in the tournament while Thailand had to make themselves happy with the fourth place. Being played at Major Dhyan Chand National stadium, New Delhi, the game was an intense fight between the two teams to clinch the third spot and conclude their campaign in the League with a win.

Both the teams were awarded early penalty corners in the initial minutes of the match but none managed to capitalise the opportunity. The two teams played an attacking game from the beginning with intent to take a lead over the other and create pressure on the opposition but simultaneously a display of strong defence in the quarter by both the sides made their scoring efforts futile. Unfazed, the Malaysian women did not give up hope and it was in the 11th minute that they earned the first goal of the game from the stick of Norazlin Sumantri. With this field goal, Malaysia took a lead of 1-0 over Thailand.

Upbeat on their lead, Malaysian women commenced the second quarter with zero intention to let Thailand score while their strikers looked out for gaps in the defence to post a goal. Playing throughout in the opponents’ half, the Malaysian eves were successful in building pressure on Thailand as the latter struggled hard to find a scoring prospect. Striking back again in the final minutes of the quarter, Malaysia doubled its lead over Thailand when Fazilla Silin Sylvester converted a penalty corner into the second goal of the match. Half time closed with Malaysia leading over Thailand 2-0.

Entering the third quarter, the women from Singapore were still unable to break down the firm defence of the Thailand Women hockey team. Though the quarter saw a dry run with no goals scored, Malaysia impressed the spectators with some stupendous stick work and swift game play. The scores remained unchanged as Malaysia led with 2-0 over Thailand.

With game entering the last quarter, the scoring endeavours shored up from both the ends. While Malaysia looked at maintaining the dominance and the lead in the match, Thailand women aimed at opening their scoring account and reduce the score gap. Malaysia was given a penalty corner in the 49th minute and Fazilla for the second time did the task of converting the corner efficiently as the score for Malaysia ascended to 3 nil.  With no further goals scored, the final scoreboard showed 3-0 announcing a triumph for Malaysia.

Contented with his team’s performance, Coach of Malaysia Md Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim said, “Very happy to have finished at the third position though our aim was to finish amongst the top two but we are ok as we still qualify for Round 3 being the hosts. This was one of our best tours. I am really happy with Norbaini Hashim along with the captain and vice captain as full backs. India being another Asian team in this tournament, we would like to wish them luck and hope they win it.” 

Remarking on the match, Coach of Thailand Young Wook Bae said, “We took this match as a practice match as we will face the same team in the upcoming South East Asian Games which will be held in June 2015. Our players missed many opportunities and failed to control the ball most of the time but the fact is we have many young players in the team and they are improving match by match. The tournament was very successful for us as we improved our FIH ranking and managed to finish fourth. Our team played against European teams for the first time which is a good experience for us.”

HI Press release


Russia humble Kazakhstan 9-0 to secure fifth spot

New Delhi, March 15, 2015: Claiming fifth spot in the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women), Russia thumped Kazakhstan 9-0 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium today. Ksenia Shamina scored four goals and helped her team to register a dominating victory against the opponents.

Both the teams made a brilliant start to the game, making use of the pace and deception of their talented players.  The two teams made full attempts to open their account and with just two minutes left for the quarter to end, Russia’s Ksenia Shamina surged ahead and pierced the defence of Kazakhstan netting a goal in the thirteenth minute with a field effort. As all the efforts of Kazakhstan went in vain and the score board read 1-0 with Russia leading from the front.

Moving to the second quarter of the game, Russia was seen enjoying the best spell of the game as they stood successful in breaching the defence of Kazakhstan. With just two minutes into the quarter, Daria Vasileva made no mistake and beautifully converted a penalty corner by smacking the ball straight into the net in the 17th minute and doubled their lead to 2-0. Without any further delay, Marina Fedorova closed all the gaps and pushed the ball towards the crossbar yielding third goal for her team in the 21st minute of the game. Russian girls were seen in high spirits giving no points to the opponents to score. By the virtue of a penalty corner, Kristina Shumilina with her well sketched move touched the goal post and struck a field goal in the 24th minute. With Kazakhstan making a dry run for themselves , Russian girls escalated their score to 0-4 in the second quarter.

With the change of the ends, both the teams stepped on the field with better strategies and managed to keep the ball in their control. Russia’s Ksenia Shamina with her brilliant stick work struck the ball into the wide- open net and secured two consecutive field goals in the 41st and the 43rd minute. After receiving six jolts, Kazakhstan tried to get into the game but was unable to open their account as Russia’s defence stood tall advancing the scores to 6-0 by the end of the third quarter.

Russia continued to attack the opponent’s D and garnered two back-to- back field goals which came through the stick of Kristina Shumilina and Daria Vasileva in the 55th minute and took the scores to 8-0. It was Ksenia Shamina who yet again scored a beautifully crafted winning goal in the 56th minute in favour of Russia thus, marking a well- deserved win against Kazakhstan 9-0 to claim fifth position in the tournament.

Post losing the match against Russia and claiming the sixth spot, Kazakhstan’s Gulnara Imangaliyeva said, “There was no spirit or synchronization in the game today and all areas went wrong. We must train harder for stronger fitness and become a better team for the future. We will have to work on our consistency and power.”

Excited on claiming the fifth spot, Russian Coach Oleg Potapov said,“We played our best game today and our players showed their real mettle in the match. On a lighter note, we started playing better when the tournament is ending. We implemented our strategies well and managed to dominate the whole match. The tournament went well for our team and now we are looking forward to the European Championship in July.”

HI Press release


Ghana down Singapore 2-1 to claim 7th position

New Delhi, March 15, 2015: Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium witnessed a hard- fought first match on the final day of the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women). Playing for the 7/8th spot, Singapore met Ghana in a nerve-wrecking clash where Ghana defeated Singapore 2-1 and settled for the seventh position whereas Singapore took the eighth spot in the tournament.

Singapore and Ghana began swiftly with their clever moves and Ghana enjoyed majority of possession of ball during the opening exchanges in the first quarter of the game.

The first quarter started with both the teams showing their attacking intent from both the flanks. With just six minutes into the game, it was Singapore who was awarded with a penalty corner and Eunice Teng rushed forward and passed the ball to Ivy Chan who made a well struck shot converting the first penalty corner of the game in a 1-0 lead. Without wasting much time, Ghana earned a penalty corner and struck a goal straight through a crowded area which came through the stick of Linda Sasu in the ninth minute of the game. The score was levelled at 1-1 by the end of the first quarter.

As both the teams started brightly and got their early goals in the first quarter itself, Singapore managed to earn their second penalty corner but unfortunately failed to convert it. Ghana’s goalie Gertrude Amui showed her sharp reflexes throughout the game and intercepted the ball before it landed on the target. With neither of the teams able to score in the second quarter, the score remained stagnant on 1-1.

The third quarter proved to be a tight and edgy affair as the two teams were seen playing more cautiously and upheld their defence strongly. Looking at adding one more goal to their score tally, both the teams continued to assert dominance on each other. Good stick work and an excellent defence was dished out by the girls of both the sides in the entire session not yielding a single goal and the score still showed a figure of 1-1 on the score board.

Entering into the fourth and the last quarter of the game, the girls of Ghana manoeuvred themselves into the right position and Elizabeth Opoku surged ahead to fire an accurate shot that nestled into the goal post in 57th minute of the game. Ghana produced a spirited game and concluded the game with a 2-1 win over Singapore, claiming the 7th spot in the tournament.

Speaking on claiming the seventh position in the tournament, a much excited Ghana Coach Osei Boakye-Yiadom said, “We are very content to have won a game at last and that too a crucial one. Everyone is happy with this win. This tournament has been a learning experience, we improved a lot as a team game after game and there is still lot to learn in terms of skills, techniques, tactics and the way the Asians plays their game.”

HI Press release


Sunday, March 15, 2015

Indian eves face Poland in hockey final



New Delhi, March 14, 2015: The buoyant and upbeat Indian Women Hockey Team blanked Thailand 5-0 to smash into the all important finals of the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) being played at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.

Maintaining an absolute dominance in today’s game and unbeaten so far in the tournament; India will play Poland in the finals of the League tomorrow, 15 March 2015. With this win the Indian Team have also secured qualification in the all important World League Round 3 (Semi Finals) to be conducted later in the year.

Led by the very able skipper Ritu Rani, the Indian eves started off the game on a high with an intention to create pressure on the opposite team while on a constant watch-out for prospects to score and take a lead in the game. India was given a penalty stroke in the 11th minute. Jaspreet Kaur took the strike and very confidently put the ball in the nets. With this, the host team took a lead of 1-0 before the closure of the first quarter.

Riding high on the confidence of the lead, the Indian women were awarded a penalty corner in the first minute of the second quarter. With Sunita Lakra on the strike and no chance of slip-ups, the chance availed was efficiently converted into the second goal of the match, doubling the lead for the team. Playing an intense and a swift game, Poonam Rani skilfully touched the ball in the 22nd minute directing it towards the goal post as it swung past the Thailand goalkeeper to touch the mesh. By way of this dazzling field goal, India was three goals ahead of Thailand at the end of first half.

The team in blue kept up their momentum in the third quarter as well. Coming out all attacking, India continuously took shots at the goal post through the gaps in the Thailand defence. Thailand put in all their efforts to restrict the Indian eves but keeping in view the speed and thrust of their game could not do anything unusual to confine them from seeking scoring prospects. In the quest of scoring further, the Indian Women Hockey Team had another goal added to its kitty when Rani pumped-in a lovely field goal in the 40th minute elevating the score to 4-nil with the home team in the forefront.

India again was given a penalty corner in the initial minutes of the last quarter but could not realise the chance. In the 53rd minute, Amandeep Kaur of India scored the fifth goal of the match, a penalty corner conversion as the Indian women team took an insuperable advancement of 5-0 over Thailand. Though the visiting team made several attempts to score and lessen the score gap, they could not do the needful as India defeated Thailand 5-0 to barge into the finals.

In high spirits post today’s victory and confident ahead of the finalstomorrow, Coach of Indian Women Hockey Team, Roelant Oltmans said, “We managed to dominate the entire match though the opposition played a very defensive game and it was difficult to find space in their half. We successfully materialised the opportunities we received and all the players, especially Vandana, played very well today. The job is done half done for us and there are areas to improve before tomorrow’s match. As I had predicted earlier that India will face Poland in the final match and we are expecting a good show tomorrow by both the teams”.

Remarking on the team’s performance in today’s game, Coach of Thailand Young Wook Bae said, “Today we played a defensive game and expected a positive result but after conceding three goals our players lost confidence but I am happy with the performance. Tomorrow we will face our known opponent Malaysia and we will give our 100% to win the match.”

HI Press release


Saturday, March 14, 2015

Welshman White wins maiden ranking snooker title


Mumbai, March 14, 2015: Michael White of Wales, world ranked 22, was in tremendous form and gave a brilliant exhibition of potting with control and breaking building as he completely whitewashed England’s world rank 8, Ricky Walden 5-0, in the best-of-9-frame final of the 300,000 pounds Indian Open Snooker World Ranking Tournament, organized by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), and being played at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kalina, on Saturday evening.

The 23-year-old Welshman from Neath, was quickly off the blocks and every time Walden made a mistake he was punished by White who captitalised on the openings by constructing some neat breaks of 81 in the first, 77 in the second, 45 and 41 in the third and 32 and 58 in the fourth, to take a commanding 4-0 lead before a short interval. The 25-minute break did not help Walden to regain his concentration and focus while White once again continued to hit the balls with a high degree of precision and came up with another run of 85, which was the highest of the match, win the frame and to emerge champion. On the other hand the 32-year-old Walden was completely out of touch and could muster only 27 points in the match which finished in less than 54 minutes.

This triumph was White’s maiden world ranking title and will he return home richer by 50,000 pounds, while Walden pocketed the runner-up prize of 25,000 pounds. The Welshman, who won his first pro title when he defeated China’s Xiao Guodong in the Snooker Shoot-out in Blackpool, England last week, has also recorded his first win against the Englishman in three meetings. White had lost to Walden in the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 2013 and in the Euro PTC 2 in October 2010.

Earlier in the semi-finals played in the morning, Walden had to bring out his best to overcome a 0-3 deficit and script a sensational 4-3 win against qualifier and giant-killer Thepachiaya Un-Nooh of Thailand, who was playing his first ever semi-final of a ranking tournament. The Thai, world ranked 61, had beaten world number 4 and defending champion Ding Junhui of China in the first round and world number 12 Mark Davis in the previous round, before falling to guiles of the England pro, who cleverly adopted a tactical defensive game. The left-handed Thai cueist returned home richer by 13,500 pounds.

In the first semi-final, White was in full flow against his countryman and idol Mark Williams, world rank 15, scoring a comfortable 4-2 victory. The former two-time world champion Williams another southpaw, won the first frame but was unable to stop the younger Welshman, who rattled in a table clearance break of 126 in the second and then signed off with a 87 in the sixth to wrap up the match.

Shri Vinod Tawde, Honourbale Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, was the Chief Guest and presented the Trophies and cash awards to winners and Runner-up.

Results – Final: Michael White (Wales) bt Ricky Walden (England) (81(81)-0, 77(77)-20, 86(45, 41)-0, 90(32, 58)-1, 85(85)-6).
Semi-final: Michael White (Wales) bt Mark Williams (Wales) 4-2 (41-65, 126(126)-7, 66-23, 80(41)-40, 39-68(55), 109(87)-4).
Ricky Walden (England) bt Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) 4-3 (0-78(78), 53(53)-68(62), 0-72(68), 81-0, 73(42)-36, 78(78)-0, 91(41)-47(34).

Caption: Maharashtra Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Shri Vinod Tawde (right) gives away the winners’ trophy and the cash award of 50,000 pounds to Michael White of Wales at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kalina on March 14, 2015. 

Poland blank Malaysia 1-0 to reach final


New Delhi, 14 March 2015: The first semi-final match of Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) between Poland and Malaysia saw the firmed beating the later 1-0 to claim the first place in the Finals scheduled for tomorrow at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. Poland scored the sole goal of the match in the very first quarter and post that while Malaysia tried coming back into the game, Poland ensured that they did not lose the lead and the all important game.

The two teams opened the first quarter of the game with full strength and resilience to take on the opponents not giving any early break to the other. Early into the game, Poland got the first penalty corner in the third minute which was beautifully converted by the very proficient Captain Marlena Rybacha taking an early lead 1-0. As Malaysia was unable to cash on any scoring opportunities in the first half, Poland took the lead 1-0.  

Poland and Malaysia continued to build pressure on each other, making crucial attempts to block the shots by the other team. Unable to capitalize on the opportunities, both the teams were unable to add to the further to the score keeping the scorecard 1-0 at the end of first half.

With the change of the ends, both the teams made desperate efforts to put themselves in the right position on the field. With just a minute remaining in the third quarter to end, Malaysia was awarded with its first penalty corner but failed to capitalize and missed it by a whisker leaving the entire team stunned. Efficient in defying the Malaysian attack, the polished defence of Poland kept the scores intact to 1-0.   
     
Beginning the last quarter of the game with equal determination, the Malaysian girls in search of an equaliser struggled to strike the goal but all their efforts went in vain as the Poland defence was marshalled skilfully by its goalkeeper. Nevertheless, the Malaysian girls were seen displaying a good set of stick work by holding on the possession of the ball and managed to secure another penalty corner but were unsuccessful in converting it into a goal. Poland fought superbly with their defence and closed the game by defeating Malaysia 1-0 to seal its position in the finals.

Excited to enter the finals of the tournament, Poland Coach Krzysztof Rachwalski said, “We have improved in the tournament with each game and the result is for everyone to see. We did well in the quarter- finals against Russia and today against Malaysia. We managed to score only one goal but it was enough for us to win the game. I think we are strong enough to face any opponent in the finals and it would be a very entertaining match to witness.”

A disappointed Malaysian Coach Md Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim said, “Today was a very tough game against a strong Poland. We played our best in the tournament but we failed to capitalize the opportunities we got. The goal scored by Poland was unfortunate for our team and it demoralized our players. Still our players fought till the last minute.  I am looking forward for tomorrow’s match now and end the tournament with a win.”

HI Press release


Sharath beats nemesis Gao to retain sixth spot; Chinese showdown in men’s singles final

Jaipur, March 14, 2015: Achanta Sharath Kamal had to just settle for an honourable sixth spot after he went down to South Korean Kim Minseok 3-4 in a thriller at the GAC Group 28th Asian Cup Table Tennis 2015 at the SMS Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. In the last edition too, Sharath had lost to the Korean to be at the sixth position at Wuhan.

The 49th-ranked Sharath may have lost the 5-6 playoff 11-8, 2-11, 17-15, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, but yet again proved that his pre-eminence in India as well as on the world stage was retained. With an impressive result here, he has boosted his qualifying chances for the World Cup to be held later in the year.

“It was a little disappointing, but he won their crucial points that mattered,” said Sharath, who at last found a way earlier in the day to overcome his nemesis and World No.15 Gao Ning, disposing him of 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 and assured himself of retaining the sixth position that he had scured at Wuhan two years ago in the previous edition.

“With today’s triumph against Gao, I have taken the monkey off my back,” said Sharath. This, in a way, was soothing and enabled the Indian ace to put his quarterfinal defeat in the morning to World No.5 Jun Mizutani behind.

Sharath was more than happy to accomplish the feat after “countless” losses to the Singaporean, even as he admitted that Ning was far from his best today. “I have lost the count of times he had beaten me. But I finally found a way past him. I was so fed up with this losing streak that I had once asked my German coach “when will I get to beat Gao?”

He told me to keep it in reserve for a special day. Overall, I think I played really well and, to be honest, he looked a bit underprepared,” said 49th-ranked Sharath.
What made the difference to the two-time CWG gold winner was the crucialfourth game. He led 3-1 but his opponent was up to the task and went ahead at 10-8. That was when Sharath fought back well to take four straight points.

‘He’s just too good’
Earlier in the day, the Indian ace was denied a semi-final spot by Japan’s Jun Mizutani who was simply too fast as he gave Sharath Kamal minimal time to exert his powerful forehand top spin. There was, however, a ray of hope for Sharath who, after leading 6-2, established a 10-8 lead but he was unable to convert the advantage. Mizutani levelled and avoided a potential crisis. Despite the Indian saving two game points, Mizutani’s confidence blossomed as he won with an impressive 11-3, 14-12, 11-2, 11-6 score.

By Sharath’s own admission, he could not have played any better than he did against his superior Japanese opponent who kept attacking from both flanks and Sharath had no convincing answers. The Japanese mixed it up well with a variety of serves and hammered winners, both cross court and down the line, with pinpoint precision. However, Sharath did get his only chance in the second game in which he led 6-1 and then 10-8. But a superlative performance by the 25-year-old not only brought the scores level but eventually the game on his second game point as he raced to 11-3, 14-12, 11-2, 11-6 win.

“I don’t think I played badly. I would say he was just too good. He is certainly in a different league,” said Sharath, who had beaten World No.8 and World No.16 to reach the quarterfinals yesterday. World No.2 Xu Xin was stretched by Sharath’s conqueor Mizutani before the Chinese prevailed 11-7 11-8 9-11 11-6 7-11 11-7. Xin takes on compatriot Fan Zhendong in the final tomorrow. The 18-year-old sensation sailed past Tang Peng of Hong Kong 11-3, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9. In the women’s battle, Liu Shiwen of China will face Feng Tianwei of Singapore.

The Results:
Men singles: Semi-finals: Xu Xin (Chn) bt Jun Mizutani (Jpn) 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5; Fan Zhengdong (Chn) bt Tang Peng (Hkg) 11-3, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9; Quarterfinals: Xin bt Gao Ning (Sin) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4; Mizutani bt Sharath Kamal 11-3, 14-12, 11-2, 11-6; Tang bt Koki Nawa (Jpn) 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10; Fan bt Kim Minseok (Kor) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6.  
Women singles: Semifinals: Liu Shiwen (Chn) bt Zhu Yuling (Chn) 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6; Feng Tianwei (Sin) bt Ai Fukuhara (Jpn) 10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 11-13, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7; Quarterfinals: Liu bt Cheng I-Ching (Tpe) 11-4, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5; Zhu bt Kasumi Shikawa (Jpn) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3, 12-10; Fukuhara bt Seo Hyowon (Kor) 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 11-3, 17-19, 11-5; Feng bt Doo Hoi Kem (Hkg) 7-11, 11-1, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4.

A TTFI Press release


Russia thrash Ghana 7-1 in Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women)

New Delhi, March 14, 2015: Match two of the day witnessed an intensive game of hockey between Russia and Ghana as they took on each other in the classification match of Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women) at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. With an astounding play throughout the game, Russia outplayed Ghana women 7-1 to record a huge triumph over them.

Russian women commenced the first quarter of the game on an attacking note and they received an early penalty corner but missed to capitalise. Ghana intensified their play in the next few minutes and looked out for opportunities to find the nets through the weak Russian defence. Their efforts bore fruit as Rachael Bamfo stroked a brilliant field goal in the 10th minute of the match to give her team a lead of 1-0 over Russia. Russia immediately sensed the importance of levelling the score and Ksenia Shamina did the imperative task for her team. In the 12th minute, Ksenia scored a field goal to equalise the scores. Ksenia Shamina struck again to score the second goal for her team in the 15th minute, another penalty corner conversion as Russia led over Ghana by 2-1 by the end of first quarter.

In the second quarter, Ghana solidified their defence line up a bit as their strikers eyed opportunities to score an equaliser. Russia continued with their game plan and kept taking shots at the goal post. In the 26thminute, Kristina Shumilina scored the third goal for Russia, a penalty corner conversion thereby widening the score gap between her team and Ghana. The half time score stood at 3-1 with Russia leading from the front.

Russia kept going strong through the third quarter as well. They were given two successive penalty corners in the early minutes of the quarter and the women from Russia realised both the opportunities elevating the score to 5-1. Kseniia Svezhentseva converted both the penalty corners in the 32nd and 33rd minute as Russian women took an insurmountable lead over the eves from Ghana by the last part of third quarter.

Continuing their strong penalty corner conversions, Russia bagged the sixth and seventh goal when Kseniia Svezhentseva and Ksenia Shamina effortlessly converted two straight penalty corners awarded to the team in the 54th and 58th minute of the game. With an insuperable advancement of 7-1 over Ghana women, Russia registered a humongous win in the match. 

Speaking on the match, Coach of Ghana Osei Boakye-Yiadom said, “We knew that it was going to be a tough match. Some decisions were unfortunate for our team and we conceded too many penalty corners. It is the finals for ustomorrow and we would like to finish the tournament on a winning note.”


Upbeat on today’s win, Coach of Russia Oleg Potapov said, “We converted our penalty corners successfully today and that helped us win the match. Though the opponent was weak, we didn’t take them lightly. For the last few matches, we failed to convert penalty corners into goals but in today’s match the players clicked well and everything went according to the plan. Today’s victory came late to us but the team has gained confidence after this win.”

HI Press release

Kazakhstan eves edge past Singapore 2-1

New Delhi, March 14, 2015: In the first game of the day of the Hero FIH Hockey World League Round 2 (Women), Kazakhstan women defeated Singapore eves 2-1 to register a win to their name. It was a close game at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi as Singapore played at their best and gave a tough challenge to Kazakhstan before going down to them.

The first quarter began with Kazakhstan trying to build pressure on the opponent as they managed an early penalty corner for their side. Gulnara Imangaliyeva took the strike but failed to convert it into a goal. With maximum ball possession throughout the quarter, Kazakhstan put in a number of efforts to breach the Singapore defence and in the concluding minute Olga Khonina, finally managed to reach the net and scored the first goal of the game. The score at the end of first quarter was 1-0 with Kazakhstan in the lead.

In the second quarter, Singapore women made a brilliant comeback when their Skipper Xinni Chua faultlessly converted a penalty corner awarded to her team in the 22nd minute. This was also the first goal for Singapore women in the ongoing League. Subsequently, Kazakhstan was given a couple of penalty corners but due to some superb defence from the opposite team, failed to capitalize the opportunity. The half time score was a levelled 1-1.

Singapore women took a command on the game in the third quarter as they looked out for prospects to sneak in goals. Kazakhstan struggled to find breaks in order to score as they missed a couple of penalty corners in the quarter. In the 42nd minute, they again received a penalty corner as Gulnara Imangaliyeva again took the strike and this time, without any mistakes, converted it into a goal to hand over her team a lead of 2-1 before the closure of third quarter.

The final quarter of the match witnessed Singapore women trying their best to score an equaliser. Kazakhstan women again failed to materialise two penalty corners in the last quarter. Though Singapore staged a brilliant game in the last two quarters, it was too late for them to make a comeback in the game. The quarter remained goal-less. At the blow of the final whistle, the scoreboard showed a score of 2-1 as Kazakhstan outplayed Singapore.

Speaking on the match, Coach of Singapore Ahmad Marfi said, “There were small errors which cost us the game but the team did really well as the defence. We have played against Kazakhstan 5-6 times before and lost all the matches. This match today was the closest in terms of goal margin. It is considerable a good improvement by the team. This tournament will be our benchmark for the future and I am happy with the team’s overall performance in the League till now.”

Ecstatic on today’s win, Kazakhstan player Gulnara Imangaliyeva said,“It was a very tough match today as we have been playing back to back matches for the past few days. Most of our players are young and today they were feeling tired. Thanks to the good weather today that helped us to perform as per our expectations. Though we are not happy with our run in this tournament but it’s a decent way to finish this League.”

HI Press release


Welsmen Williams, White to clash in semis

Mumbai: Mark Williams and Michael White, both from Wales scored fluent wins in the quarter-finals of the 300,00 pounds Indian Open Snooker World Ranking Tournament, organized by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India and being played at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kalina.

The senior pro, 39-year-old Williams, world ranked 15, was in total control throughout his 4-1 demolition of England’s 38-year-old Robert Milkin, who is ranked one place lower.

On the adjacent table, the 23-year-old White who is ranked 22 in the world recovered well after going down 2-1 to put it across Chris Wakelin of England, winning 4-2 to set up a semi-final with his compatriot, Williams who inspired him to play the sport.

Results
Round III: Mark Williams (Wales) bt Robert Milkins (England) 4-1 ((69(51)-28, 58-45, 77(76)-0, 90(36, 54)-0, 67-12).
 Michael White (Wales) bt Chris Wakelin (England) 4-2 (0-76, 59(55)-7, 0-82(63), 72(71)-22, 99(99)-0, 55-46).

Press release


Aditya Mehta bows out, Thailand’s Un-Nooh lone Asian survivor

Ricky Walden

Mumbai, March 13, 2015: While India’s Aditya Mehta bowed out in the second round, Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh kept the Asian challenge alive by advancing to the quarter-finals of the 300,000 pounds Indian Open Snooker World Ranking Tournament, organized by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), and being played at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kalina.

The 29-year-old Mumbai cueist, Mehta, ranked 50th in the world was no match for England’s Ricky Walden going down rather tamely by a 4-2 margin in a second round match late Thursday night.
The 29-year-old Thai Un-Nooh, ranked 61 in the world, played without any pressure but with loads of confidence, as he came back after losing the losing the first frame to sideline 45th ranked Welshman Jamie Jones 4-1, finishing with a neatly compiled break of 123 and for the first time reaching the first quarter-final of a ranking event.

The 32-year-old Englishman, Walden ranked 8 in the world, showed awesome touch and quickly got down to business by comfortably taking the opening three frames before the Indian delayed his march to victory by winning the next two to narrow the lead. Walden, who had earlier compiled breaks of 63 and 42 in the first two frames, produced another decent effort of 43 in the sixth to complete a 70(63)-0, 78-27, 77-13, 18-73, 0-76, 81-1 victory.

The Mumbai pro was not too disappointed with the outcome and quite modestly admitted that he was beaten by a better player. “He (Walden) started better than me and played well in the first few frames. He potted some great balls, great balls and scored and I missed and he punished me every time,” said Mehta.
The Indian pointed out that his performance did not have any bearing on his loss. “There was nothing wrong with my game. I am number 50 in the world and he is ranked 8 so you could see that at the end of the day,” Mehta further stated.

 “I have to think about what I could have done differently. Obviously he’s one of the top players in the world I could not afford to let him off to a good start, “ lamented Mehta who will now shift his focus to the World Championship, starting in about two weeks in Sheffield, England.

Thepchaiya is now the only player from Asia remaining in the tournament after the two remaining Chinese players, Li Hang and Tian Pengfei lost their last 16 round matches, to Michael White and Walden respectively.

The young 23-year-old White, world ranked 22, enjoyed a good run of the balls piling up runs of 94, 109, 62 and 77 in dispatching off 64thranked Chinese Hang, who is a year older by a 4-2 margin, while Walden, who had killed the Indians interests in the tournament when he put an abrupt end Mehta’s run blanked Pengfei 4-0.

Wales 39-year-old Mark Williams, world ranked 15, showed tremendous fighting qualities as came from 3-2 down to beat world number 6, Judd Trump of England 4-3 in thrilling and exciting contest.
Mark Davis of England, world raanked 18, extended his winning streak against former four-time world champion and 12th ranked John Higgins, coasting to a 4-0 win for a a sixth consecutive victory over the 39-year-old Scotsman.

Results - Round II: Ricky Walden (England) bt Aditya Mehta 4-2 (70(63)-0, 78(42)-27, 77-13, 18-73, 0-76(46), 81(43)-1).
Round III: Mark Williams (Wales) bt Judd Trump ( England) 4-3 (92(68)-23, 20-112(104), 108(108)-4, 4-73(55), 1-67(67), 59-25, 70(63)-21).
Chris Wakelin (England) bt Nigel Bond (England) 4-1 (70(50)-52, 73-48, 96(96)-0, 24-69(69), 68(41)-56(55).
Robert Milkins (England) bt Graeme Dott (Scotland) 4-2 (24-81(69), 67(60)-6, 63-24, 73(68)-6, 5-76(47), 79-7).
Michael White (Wales) bt Li Hang (China) 4-2 (94(94)-0, 8-102(50), 118(109)-8, 36-89(41), 89(62)-23, 77(77)-0).
Mark Davis (England) bt John Higgins (Scotland) 4-0 (77(72)-4, 87(87)-1, 62-32, 66(66)-1).
Ricky Walden (England) bt Tian Pengfei (China) 4-0 (64(46)-17, 65(45)-12, 53-40, 75(75)-20).
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) bt Jamie Jones (Wales) 4-1 (17-63, 73(55)-10, 69-58, 79(51)-1, 123(123)-4).
Joe Perry (England) bt Kyren Wilson (England) 4-3 (81(66)-40, 16-63, 42-71, 63(55)-61, 78(38,40)-0, 25-55. 79(55)-0).

Press release


Two box-office hits give Sharath quarterfinal berth

Jaipur, March 13, 2015: Playing his lead role to perfection, Achanta Sharath Kamal straightaway provided two box-office hits to enter the quarterfinals when the first show opened in the GAC Group 28th Asian Cup Table Tennis 2015 at the SMS Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

Developing a “special liking” for the Pink City, India’s ace paddler was not only in his zone but also struck a good form to first outwit the world No. 8, Chuang Chih-Yuan from Chinese Taipei, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3 and, a few hours later, accounted for world No. 16 Joo Saehyuk from South Korea 11-3, 4-11, 11-8, 7-11, 13-11 in a thriller.

Understandably elated, Sharath summed it up in one sentence after the two matches thus: “It has to be one of the biggest days in my career!”

Drawn in a tough Group B, the world No. 49 Indian had to draw from his draining resources in the second match which pitch forked to the last-eight stages for the second successive quarterfinals. The 32-year-old Indian ace lost his third match 6-11, 7-11, 4-11 to world No.3 Fan Zhendong to finish second behind the Chinese in group B.

The championships also saw another major upset when world No. 12 Japanese Koki Nawa outsmarted world No. 2 Chinese Xu Xin, the favourites to win the title here, 11-6, 2-11, 11-5, 12-10 in group A.
But nothing thrilled the full-house audience more than the wins posted by Sharath. The Indian seemed down and out to a clever Korean’s game plan. The defensive Korean had ready answers to all the questions that Sharath posed—excellent cuts, chops and smart attacks, besides superb variations, that fetched clear winners for the Korean.

Showing great patience and not allowing Sharath to attack, he levelled the score 2-2 and led 7-2 in the decider. That was when the Indian rose from the dumps to play a much smarter game to be on match-point at 10-9. But the Korean saved it and did so again on the next before Sharath claimed an “extremely satisfying” victory on the third.

Incidentally, this was Sharath’s first win over his Korean rival. “He is the best defensive player around and beating Joo was sweeter,” admitted Sharath, whose last defeat to him came at the Incheon Asian Games last year. In fact, Joo is the Indian ace’s teammate at Borussia Dusseldorf and he had learnt a few lessons of how to play against defenders from the Korean.

For the twice Commonwealth Games gold medallist, the day began on a bright note. Taking on the same opponent en route to finishing an impressive sixth in the tournament’s 2014 edition in Wuhan, China, Sharatah beat Chuang rather easily.  Sharath, who is essentially a forehand player, used his backhand to greater effect whenever Chuang tried to exploit the Indian’s Achilles heel.

Though the Indian attributed his success to the time spent time in Denmark and Sweden with Chinese players and coaches in the run up to the tournament, what clinched the issue in his favour was his positive frame of mind right from the start. “I’ve lost to Chuang Chih-Yuan many a time in the before but in recent times, I have done much better against him,” he said. “Last year at the Asian Cup, in the 5-8 matches, I beat him but in our most recent meeting in the German Bundesliga, he won 3-2,” added Sharth, stressing on today’s win.
“I was playing on home ground; for him it was very different. He looked nervous initially and I was able to maintain the pressure,” he added.

As for other Indians, Soumyajit Ghosh and G Sathiyan failed against their higher-ranked opponents, losing to Tang Peng and Yang Zi, respectively, in three straight games. Mouma managed a futile win against Iran’s Neda Shahsavari 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 in group D to finish second behind group winner Nanthana Komwon who qualifies for the play-off knockout tomorrow. Poulami, who failed to win a match, finished last in her group. The fate of both Soumyajit Ghosh and G. Sathiyan was no different as they too bowed out from their respective group, without a solitary win.

A TTFI Press release


Friday, March 13, 2015

India crush Singapore 10-0 to enter semifinals


New Delhi, 12 March 2015: A spirited India defeated Singapore with a huge goal margin of 10-0 and booked its berth in the semi- finals of the ongoing Hero FIH World League Round  2 (Women) today at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

The game was totally dominated by the Indian eves. The game started with two early minute goals coming from the confident Indian side.  Just four minutes into the game, Poonam Rani through a penalty corner conversion swiped the ball into the net and opened the score card for India. Not wasting much time, Navjot Kaur in the sixth minute of the game added another goal to her side by comfortable strike through a field work to double the lead to 2-0. While all the attempts made by Singapore went in vain, India took the scores to 2-0 in the first quarter.

India continued to assert dominance in the second quarter of the game and in the 17th minute Vandana Katariya touched the goal post and notched field goal to take the lead for her team further ahead to 3-0. As the entire game was flooded with goals for India, it was Anupa Barla whose brilliant stick work gave India its fourth goal in the 19th minute of the game. Whereas, India scored two goals each in both the quarters, Singapore was unable to open its score card and the score stood 4-0 in favour of India.

Entering the second half of the game, Singapore displayed a better quality of game as the girls were in dire need of opening the score-card but India was in no mood to give away the goals  to them. Deepika created some space for herself and successfully converted the penalty corner in the 32nd minute advancing the lead to 5-0. This time it was Rani Rani who scored a tremendous field goal for India in the 35th minute of the game. The third quarter ended with a score of 6-0 with India leading from the front.

As the Indian eves were thumping goals at regular intervals, Singapore was seen in constant pressure of opening their score card. The fourth and the last quarter of the game started with an early goal in the 48th minute where Vandana Katariya surged ahead and made a clear finish resulting in a field goal. Jaspreet Kaur made no mistake and converted a penalty corner in the 51st minute of the game and escalating the scores to 8-0. 

Very satisfied with a huge score, Indian team displayed good coordination trying to close the gaps by holding on to the possession of the ball. With just four minutes into the game to end,  Vandana Katariya scored two back to back goals for India in the 56th and 57th minute of the game coming in from a field effort. While the Indian defence did not allow Singapore to score even a single goal, India emerged as the victors of the game and ramp it over Singapore with a 10-0 score on boards.

Excited on the entry to the semi- finals, Hockey India's High Performance Director, Roelant Oltmans said, "We were confident from the beginning about winning. We tried to defend as good as possible and the girls demonstrated some excellent hockey skills. Every player made great contribution and this led to the score of 10-0. I am really proud of the girls as they are taking women hockey to a higher level."


Post winning the match, Vandana Katariya, Player of the Match said, "It was team effort that helped me score three goals and I need to work even harder as I missed many opportunities in the match. Pressure will be more in the semi- finals as the teams are getting tougher now, but we will try and deliver even better results ahead."

HI Press release