Sambalpur University Is All-India Inter-University Champion |

Photograph courtesy Stick2Hockey.com
he
month of March in USA is when the national inter-university basketball
tournament takes place. The tournament is affectionately called March Madness,
every single match is shown live on television, and the value of the
television contract between CBS/Turner (telecasting networks) and the
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is worth over 1 Billion
dollars a year! The 2017 inter-university basketball championship was
played in front of 72,000 fans in a football stadium in Phoenix,
Arizona, and 23 million viewers watched the final on television.
The month of March in India is when the Inter-University hockey
tournament takes place. Not a single match is shown on television,
whether live or recorded. There is no television contract with the AIU
(Assocation of Indian Universities). In fact, this tournament is so utterly
non-lucrative and low key that the AIU outsourced the hosting of the
tournament to the Delhi-based Nehru Hockey Society. If 72,000 fans
watched the inter-university basketball final in the US, less than 72
people watched the inter-university hockey final in India.
USA is India times 1000 when it comes to university sports.
The Nehru All-India Inter-University Hockey Tournament was held from
March 1 - 10, 2017 at the Shivaji Stadium in Delhi. The following top 16
university teams from the country participated:
- North Zone: Guru Nanak Dev University
(Amritsar), Punjabi University (Patiala), Punjab University
(Chandigadh), Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana)
- East Zone: Veer Bahadur Singh Poorvanchal
University (Jaunpur), Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth (Varanasi),
Sambalpur University (Sambalpur)
- West Zone: Barkatullah University (Bhopal),
Sant Gadge Baba University (Amravati), Savitribai Phule University
(Pune), Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education
(Gwalior)
- South Zone: Acharya Nagarjuna University
(Guntur), Bangalore University (Bengaluru), University of Madras
(Chennai), Sri Ramasvami Memorial University (Chennai)
Sambalpur University and Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal Unversity
reached the inter-university final, with the following match results:
Stage |
Date |
Sambalpur University |
Date |
Veer Bahadur Singh
Purvanchal |
League |
Mar 4 |
beat Punjab Agricultural University 5-3 |
Mar 1 |
drew with Guru Nanak Dev University 3-3 |
|
Mar 5 |
beat Savitribai Phule University 9-3 |
Mar 2 |
beat Barkhatullah University 3-2 |
|
Mar 6 |
beat Bangalore University 3-1 |
Mar 3 |
beat Acharya Nagarjuna University 10-1 |
|
Mar 7 |
beat Sri Ramasvami Memorial University 7-3 |
Mar 8 |
beat Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth 4-2 |
Semis |
Mar 9 |
beat Guru Nanak Dev University 2-0 |
Mar 9 |
beat Bangalore University 6-5 |
Final |
Mar 10 |
beat Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal 4-3 |
|
|
In the final that took place amidst incessant rains, the score was
tied 1-1 in regulation time, 3-3 in the first round of penalty shootout,
before Sambalpur University posted a sudden death victory to become the
All India University Champions
Earlier, Guru Nanak Dev University beat Bangalore University
3-1 to clinch the bronze.
|
Indian Eves Whitewash Belarus 5-0 In 5-Test Series |

India vs. Belarus, Photograph courtesy Press Trust of India
orld
no. 12 India outplayed no. 20 Belarus by winning all 5 matches of a
5-test series played at the Bharatiya Khel Praadhikaran (SAI) sports complex
in Bhopal. For both the teams, this series was preparation for the
upcoming Hockey World League Round 2 tournament in West Vancouver, Canada
in April, which serves as the 2018 World Cup qualifier.
The match results of the 5-test India-Belarus series was as follows:
Date |
Result |
Goal Scorers - India |
Mar 2 |
India 5 - Belarus 1 |
Navjyot Kaur (11 min-PC, 15 min) Poonam
Barla (29 min) Deep Grace Ekka (57 min), PC Gurjeet Kaur
(60 min), PC |
Mar 3 |
India 2 - Belarus 1 |
Rani Rampal (9 min), PC Lalremsiami (60 min), PC |
Mar 5 |
India 3 - Belarus 1 |
Rani Rampal (35, 39 min) Deepika (42 min) |
Mar 6 |
India 2 - Belarus 1 |
Renuka Yadav (6 min) Gurjeet Kaur (12 min), PC |
Mar 8 |
India 3 - Belarus 1 |
Vandana Katariya (6 min) Gurjeet Kaur (15
min), PC Rani Rampal (55 m), PC |
The India-Belarus head-to-head record is as follows: Played - 6, Wins
by India - 6, Goals for India -20, Goals for Belarus - 6.
The Indian team for the India-Belarus test series was as follows:
Members (partial list): Rani Rampal (captain), Renuka Yadav, Gurjeet
Kaur, Deepika, Navjyot Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami, Poonam
Barla, Deep Grace Ekka
Officials: Sjoerd Marijne (chief coach)
|
Foreign Experts Bringing Professionalism to Indian Hockey |

he
coaching and administrative personnel of Hockey India comprise many
foreign nationals, as can been seen from the table below:
Category |
Level |
Post |
Expert |
Country |
Hockey India |
|
High Performance Director |
David John |
Australia |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer |
Elena Norman |
Australia |
Men's |
Senior |
Chief Coach |
Roelant Oltmans |
Netherlands |
|
|
Scientific Adviser |
Scott Conway |
Australia |
|
|
Analytical Coach |
Hans Streeder |
Netherlands |
|
Junior |
Scientific Adviser |
Robin Anthony Webster Arkell |
South Africa |
Women's |
Senior |
Chief Coach |
Sjoerd Marijne |
Netherlands |
|
|
Scientific Adviser |
Wayne Patrick Lombard |
South Africa |
|
|
Analytical Coach |
Eric Wonink |
Netherlands |
|
Junior |
Scientific Adviser |
Daniel Barry |
Australia |
These Hockey India positions are staffed from three countries -
Australia, Netherlands and South Africa. This international staffing
distribution of senior positions in the national federation is unlike
that of any other sports body in India.
|
S. V. Sunil and Harmanpreet Singh Win AHF Player of the Year Awards |

Mercurial Forward S. V. Sunil in action against Pakistan
ce
forward S. V. Sunil and young dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh have been
named as the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) 2016 Player of the Year and
2016 Promising Player of the Year respectively.
The nominations for these awards were made by coaches of the national
teams across Asia and the criteria of nomination was based on performances
in 2016.
Harmanpreet had a stupendous 2016,
winning the gold in the Junior World Cup in Lucknow, silver in the
Champions Trophy in London and also part of the senior
men's team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"I am very excited to receive this award.
Awards and recognition are motivations for a young player like me to
improve on my skills and come up with memorable performances. I believe
2016 was a great year for Indian hockey and I would like to thank the
AHF for honouring me with this prestigious award and Hockey India for
their ongoing support," said Harmanpreet.
Sunil, on the other hand, played a vital role in India's historic
silver medal in the 2016 Champions Trophy in London, where he led the
forwardline. Considered to be one of the fastest men on the pitch in the world, Sunil
has also served as the team's vice-captain.
"I believe Indian hockey is growing
year by year and we have enjoyed some memorable victories in 2016. This
award is an icing on the cake. This
award could not have been possible if not for our team work. I would
like to thank Hockey India for their efforts, and our coaches and support
staff too, who work with us day in and day out as one big family," said Sunil.
In addition to the two players, Hockey India Chief Executive Officer Elena Norman was
awarded with the Diploma of Merit, for her contribution as the CEO
of Hockey India, which has had an outstanding impact on the development
and promotion of Asian hockey within the continent and beyond.
On recieving the prestigious award, Norman said, "I would like to thank
the Asian Hockey Federation for recognising the efforts of Hockey India.
Over the years, we have strived towards making
hockey a popular sport not just in the region but world over, with our
events like the Coal India Hockey India League. I would like to thank
the entire team at Hockey India, Executive Board and our players for
their contribution. This rare distinction will only inspire us to do
better work in promoting hockey."
All these awards were announced during the AHF Congress that was held in Muscat.
The event was graced by Prince AHF President Prince Abdullah, FIH CEO
Jason McCracken, Executive Board Member of AHF Akhtar Rasool and
President of UAE Hockey Ismail Ali Al Banna, among other distinguised
dignitaries.
|
Bhubanesvar To Host Two Global FIH Hockey Events |

Graphic courtesy FIH
he
International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Government of Odisha have
officially confirmed that the Men's Hockey World League Final 2017
and Hockey Men's World Cup 2018 will be held in Bhubanesvar, India.
It was also confirmed that the State of Odisha will be Title Sponsor
of both events. As a result, the official event titles will be the
'Odisha Men's Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017' and the
'Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018'.
The Odisha Men's Hockey World League Final will be held from 1-10 December,
2017. The Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup will take place in
late November/early December in 2018.
The venue is already familiar to hockey fans. Not only did it
successfully host the 2014 Men's Hero Hockey Champions Trophy, it is
also home to the current champions of the Coal India Hockey India League
- the Kalinga Lancers.
The multi-purpose stadium, built in 2010, has facilities for
athletics, football, basketball, tennis, table-tennis and swimming,
ensuring that it is well equipped to host international sporting events.
Speaking about this announcement, FIH CEO Jason McCracken said:
"Each time we return to the country
for major events, Hockey India raises the bar, embracing goals outlined in our 10-year
Hockey Revolution strategy. We have no doubt that the Odisha Men's Hockey
World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 and the Odisha Hockey Men's World
Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will be unforgettable events for everyone involved."
FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra added: "Bhubaneswar is a city
ready to welcome the world. Its passionate sports fans and our
experienced hosts will create an incredible environment for our stars to
shine during what are the two of the biggest events in our sport. We
encourage fans from across the world to come together and share the
glory with their teams, and also get to
experience first-hand the rich culture and warm hospitality offered in
this amazing part of the world."
|
Photograph of the Month |

Photograph courtesy Harper's Bazaar India
he
Photograph of the Month for April 2017 is of drag flicker Rupinder Pal
Singh, who features in the Harpers Bazaar India - Bride edition.
The photoshoot has a hockey goalpost as the backdrop, and a bride is
shown with a hockey stick, with hockey balls and cones lying on the turf.
The handsome, smiling bridegroom in the picture is Rupinder Pal Singh.
|
Money Matters |

Photograph courtesy FIH
he
FIH held a workshop at Lausanne, Switzerland, during the weekend of
March 3-5, 2017 to help federations complete their formal
applications for the forthcoming global Home and Away League, due to begin in 2019.
15 national federations attended 3 full days of workshops in
Lausanne, the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee. This was an opportunity
for executives from each of the candidate federations understand the expectations of
the FIH with regard to this new competition in the international calendar.
FIH CEO Jason McCracken said: "The FIH has an important period ahead in order to
plan the logistics and operations of what we are trying to achieve on a
global scale. Playing hockey at home, in front of full
stadiums, over a five to six month period every year, and significantly
increasing our television and digital exposure with sponsors and broadcasters,
is very compelling. The global Home and Away League is crucial to
growing our game. The federations now have an incredibly important
couple of months ahead as they pull together their application documents."
The following national federations have progressed to the
candidate stage of the selection process for Global Home and Away League:
No. |
Men's League |
Women's League |
1 |
Argentina |
Argentina |
2 |
Australia |
Australia |
3 |
Belgium |
Belgium |
4 |
England |
China |
5 |
Germany |
England |
6 |
India |
Germany |
7 |
Ireland |
India |
8 |
Japan |
Ireland |
9 |
Malaysia |
Italy |
10 |
Netherlands |
Japan |
11 |
New Zealand |
Netherlands |
12 |
Pakistan |
New Zealand |
13 |
South Africa |
South Africa |
14 |
South Korea |
South Korea |
15 |
Spain |
Spain |
16 |
|
USA |
During the candidate application stage, each federation will submit in-depth information about financial sustainability, commercial vision, legal
compliance, proposed venues, organisation and personnel, event delivery
and presentation, marketing strategies, proposed legacy impact and any added value they can bring to the competition.
The deadline for submitting the next application information is 30,
April 2017. The final evaluation process will then take place and the
selected countries will be officially announced at a launch event in June 2017.
|
Media Matters |

Graphic courtesy MakeMindASport hashtag on Twitter
he
Twitter hashtage #MakeMindaASport is a campaign run by Mindsports
Academy, aiming to get games such as Chess, Scrabble and Go, which have
participation numbers of more than one billion worldwide, recognised as
sports.
28-year-old Sam Quek, who was part of the Great Britain women's
hockey team that won a historic gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, is at the
forefront of this campaign.
As Sam said in a recent interview with the
Daily Express,
"To be able to concentrate for hours and maintain your performance [in
mind sports] you have to be very physically fit - when you're playing,
your blood pressure goes up, your heart and respiratory rates go up. I
like to see the brain as another muscle, which can be trained and which
can be improved."
Chess and Bridge are among 26 sports that have applied for inclusion
in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The chances of either mind sport
being admitted into the Olympics is low.
|
Visitor of the Month |

he
April 2017 Visitor of the Month is Nikhil Jacob, who is the Class
Representative of the Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences, located in
Lavale, Pune. Nikhil sent the following email to BharatiyaHockey.org:
My name is Nikhil Jacob. I am pursuing my MBA in Sports
Management from Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences. Currently I am
doing a case study on India vs. Pakistan hockey statistics. If you
do have the available statistics from the last 3 years, kindly share
them with me. It would be of great help. Thank you.
|
Fun With Numbers |

Statistics by B. G. Joshi
he
April 2017 edition of Fun with Numbers is on the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup,
the 26th edition of which is being held in Ipoh, Malaysia from April 29 - May 6, 2017.
- The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is the longest running international tournament of Asia
- Host nation Malaysia has never won the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament, in 25 attempts
- Malaysia reached the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final 5 times, and lost all 5 finals
The participants of the 2017 Azlan Shah Cup and their tournament records
are given below.
Country |
App |
MP |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
Best Finish |
Australia |
16 |
95 |
66 |
13 |
16 |
330 |
160 |
9 Gold (1983, 98, 2004, 05, 07, 11, 13, 14, 16) |
India |
19 |
114 |
53 |
47 |
14 |
247 |
228 |
5 Gold (1985, 91, 95, 2009, 10) |
New Zealand |
16 |
96 |
35 |
45 |
16 |
200 |
220 |
2 Gold (2012, 15) |
England/Great Britain |
8 |
45 |
16 |
19 |
10 |
95 |
90 |
1 Gold (1994) |
Malaysia |
25 |
143 |
37 |
74 |
32 |
266 |
386 |
5 Silver (1985, 2007, 09, 13, 14) |
Japan |
2 |
9 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
10 |
27 |
6th (1987) |
|