Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

Daily Hockey news updated @ 10:00 GMT

News for 15 June 2018

All the news for Friday 15 June 2018


Belgium 1-1 Great Britain



Great Britain started their five-match European Tour with a 1-1 draw against world number three ranked side Belgium.

Liam Ansell put GB into the lead in the first quarter before Gus Meurmans levelled for the hosts. Both sides had good chances to win the match but were well matched. The game also saw young striker Will Calnan make his senior international debut.

It was an entertaining opening quarter with both sides attacking from the off. Belgium went close early on as they hit the post but it was Great Britain who took the lead.

A bobbling ball found its way into the circle where Ansell pounced to collect and convert to score his second goal for GB.

The first penalty corner of the game was won by GB but it was well chased down by Vic Wegnez. Belgium responded though and levelled on 24 minutes as Gus Meurmans slammed home a powerful shot.

GB ended the half strongly winning two penalty corners but some solid defending and a smart save from Loic Van Doren kept the score level.

After the break the contest settled down with fewer chances created but Belgium ended the quarter strongly with a flurry of penalty corners. George Pinner made a fine glove save though and the teams entered the final fifteen minutes with nothing between them.

The penalty corners kept coming in the final quarter for the hosts but a determined defensive effort from GB continued to frustrate Belgium. GB though maintained a threat of their own and Van Doren again had to be at his best in the Belgian goal making two fantastic stops to prevent GB grabbing a winner.

We next face Belgium on Saturday at 2pm UK time as our European Tour continues. After this GB face the Netherlands on the 18 June before two matches in Germany on the 20 and 22 June.

GB Starting XI: George Pinner, Henry Weir, Michael Hoare, Brendan Creed, Dan Kyriakides, Adam Dixon, David Ames, Barry Middleton, Chris Griffiths,  Sam Ward, Alan Forsyth

Subs: Harry Gibson, Ollie Willars, Phil Roper, Ed Horler, Liam Ansell, Jonty Griffiths, Will Calnan

England Hockey Board Media release



Great Britain's men draw first of two matches against Belgium


Liam Ansell was part of the England men's team that won hockey bronze at the Commonwealth Games

Great Britain's men registered a 1-1 draw in the first of two matches against third-ranked Belgium.

Will Calnan made his senior international debut for the visitors, before Liam Ansell put Britain in front in the first quarter.

However, Gus Meurmans equalised in the 24th minute and neither side was able to find the breakthrough.

The match is part of GB's European tour, which sees them play five matches in 10 days against three countries.

Britain face Belgium again on Saturday, before travelling to face the Netherlands and Germany.

BBC Sport



2018 Test Matches: NED v FRA (M) - 1st Test
Amsterdam (NED)

NED v FRA     3 - 1

FIH Match Centre



2018 Test Matches: ARG v USA (W) - 3rd Test
Tucuman (ARG)

ARG v USA     4 - 0

FIH Match Centre



USWNT Drops First Two Games in Test Series against Argentina


Photo: Rodrigo Jaramillo

TUCUMAN, Argentina  In their final preparation test series before they head to the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup next month, the U.S. Women’s National Team has two games under their belts in a five-game event against FIH Hero World Ranked No. 3 Argentina. In their opening match, the score line did not reflect that of the performance of Team USA. Argentina finished well and was fueled by a hat trick to take the game, 5-1. Match two saw a scoreless first half before Los Leones scored three unanswered goals as the USWNT fell 3-1.

Game 1:

USA 1, ARG 5

In front of an animated home crowd at the Swimming and Gymnastics Club in Tucuman, Argentina, both sides took the field eager to start the series. What started from a long build up from down field, Argentina had a close chance a few minutes in which forced USA goalkeeper Jackie Briggs (Robesonia, Pa.) to come off the line to make the clear. A few minutes later, Argentina tested USA’s defense again when Maria Granatto found herself with the ball aside of Briggs but was unable to convert. Argentina and USA shared possession, and even a few good build ups toward goal, in the remaining minutes as the first quarter finished scoreless.

Six minutes into the second quarter, the deadlock broke when Julieta Jankunkas sped down the field and fired on goal to put Los Leonas on the board. Argentina was close to extending the lead less than a minute later, but the shot went wide. USA had a few close chances of their own but struggled to break through Los Leones’ solid circle defense. The halftime score stood in favor of Argentina, 1-0.

Scoring picked up for Argentina in the third quarter as they started to expose USA’s tactical errors. Los Leones captain Delfina Merino found the back of the net in the 34th minute off a low-angled backhand shot. USA tried to recover from the deficit but in the 40th minute, Jankunkas tallied her second goal of the game to give Argentina 3-0 lead. USA continued to work hard and just a minute later cut the goal margin by one. Off a penalty corner, Erin Matson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) grabbed and tucked a rebound in to make it 3-1. Two minutes following, Argentina would answer back with a penalty corner goal of their own. Julia Gomes Fantasia perfectly placed drag flick sailed in to make it 4-1.

The fourth quarter saw the Los Leones add one more to the scoreboard as Jankunas rounded out her hat trick with the final goal. She took advantage of a fast break to slip the ball past USA’s goalkeeper and secure the 5-1 win.

“Regardless of the score line, it was a good start to the series to allow up to get up to the proper speed and skill level for the World Cup,” said Stefanie Fee (Virginia Beach, Va.), USWNT defender.

Game 2:

USA 1, ARG 3

Ready to redeem their first performance, the U.S. Women’s National Team came out on fire in the second game and matched Argentina’s tempo. With a revised game plan USA negated Los Leones’ quick transitional play and limited unforced turnovers.

The first 30 minutes of the game was all defense for both sides as halftime was scoreless. This came on some big diving saves by USA’s goalkeeper Briggs, including denying Argentina their first penalty corner in the closing seconds of the second quarter.

Argentina came out strong in the third quarter and were able to capitalize on their forward momentum and high tempo play. Just two minutes in off a set penalty corner, inserter Agustina Habif got the ball back and slipped it past Briggs to make it 1-0. Argentina tried to double the lead minutes later, but their shot dinged off the right post.

In the fourth quarter, Argentina continued their drive. Within a minute span, back-to-back goals by Lucina Der Heyde extended Argentina’s lead to 3-0. The first came when Los Leones earned a penalty corner after Briggs saved another shot. While the initial attempt was saved, the ball found Lucina Von Der Heyde who swept a rocket into the goal. The second was off another penalty corner drag into the net.

USA was able to regain the intensity of the first two frames and earned their first penalty corner of the night. Ali Froede (Burke, Va.) initial sweep was blocked but Jill (Witmer) Funk (Lancaster, Pa.) controlled the rebound and sent it back to Froede, who’s second attempt went just wide. USA continued to press hard and regained possession. Funk sent the ball to Catherine Caro (Martinsville, N.J.) who was being met by a defender and slipped it left to Matson who finished strong on the backhand in 50th minute. The final score stood in favor of Argentina 3-1.

“It was definitely an improvement from game one,” noted Michelle Vittese (cherry Hill, N.J.), USWNT midfielder, on the second game’s performance. “We have more room to grow and are looking forward to the next game.”

Watch the U.S. Women’s National Team in their third match of the Argentina series this evening at 7:00 p.m. ET live by clicking here. #Gr1tForGlory

USFHA media release



Four Years Later, USWNT Eye Even Better Finish at 2018 World Cup



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four years ago in the wake of the London 2012 Olympic Games, field hockey’s biggest stage was the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague, The Netherlands. As the stage shifts back to the home of Big Ben and the London Eye for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, the U.S. Women’s National Team is eyeing a better finish than their last appearance with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on the horizon.

USA entered the 2014 World Cup as the 10th seed of the 12 competing teams, just in front of South Africa and Belgium. The team earned their bid to The Netherlands by qualifying at the Investec Hockey World League Semifinal in London. USA placed fifth in that tournament, but with second reserves Japan and the already qualified Argentina winning their respective continental championships, the World Cup ticket was handed to USA as the third reserve. From there, USA sailed through pool play one after another before ultimately claiming the top spot with a record of 4-0-1, totaling 13 points ahead of Argentina, and advancing to the semifinals. That set a date with No. 4 Australia in the second semifinal matchup on June 12.

The two squads went scoreless in the first half before Australia claimed the game’s first goal courtesy of Kellie White in the 38th minute. It would remain that way until late in the fourth quarter when Kelsey Kolojejchick (Larksville, Pa.) tied the game 1-1 in the 48th minute. However, the celebration would be short lived for USA when Anna Flanagan gave the Hockeyroos the 2-1 advantage on a successful penalty corner in the 52nd minute. With time running short, USA set up one last press as Kolojejchick scored her second of the game to tie it in the 68th minute, forcing the match into shootouts. Katie (O’Donnell) Bam (Blue Bell, Pa.) and Paige Selenski (Shavertown, Pa.) would both miss for USA on the team’s first two attempts. On the other side, Australia captain Madonna Blyth also missed, but the next three shooters gave the team a 3-1 advantage, putting the pressure on USA. Michelle Kasold (Chapel Hill, N.C.) could not convert on USA’s fourth attempt, sending the team into the third-place match against Argentina.

Argentina and USA met previously during pool play where they tied 2-2. In their second meeting, Luciana Aymar put Los Leones out to an early 1-0 lead in the 8th minute. Moments later, Lauren Crandall (Doylestown, Pa.) tied the game for USA on a penalty corner in the 11th minute. Ten minutes later, Aymar would score her second of the game on a field goal to put Argentina up for good, ending USA’s World Cup run and a fourth place finish.

Four years later, under the guidance of Janneke Schopman, USA is primed to return to the semifinal stage in London after a rigorous training schedule following the team’s first place finish at the Hockey World League Semifinal in Johannesburg, South Africa. The U.S. Women’s National Team is currently in Tucuman, Argentina for a five-game test series against the host nation from June 7-10. Tune in to usafieldhockey.com for a live stream throughout the series and cheer on USA next month at the World Cup! #Gr1tForGlory

USFHA media release



Italy levels the Italian Series despite battling Scotland comeback


14 June 2018 at the National Hockey Centre, Glasgow Green. Scotland v Italy, game 2 – photo by Duncan Gray

A late comeback by Scotland women in match two of the Italian Series was not enough to snatch a draw with Italy at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

Two strikes by Millie Brown set Scotland up for another grand finale in the series but the Italians held on to level the series with one match to play.

It was again an even opening to the contest. The first chance of the match went to Scotland and it was Hanna McKie from the top of the D who stung the pads of the goalkeeper with a powerful strike.

The Scots earned a penalty corner towards the end of the first quarter and Kaz Cuthbert was denied by the goalkeeper diving low to her right.

A lightning second quarter saw Italy bag a few goals before half time.

The opening goal came from a short corner converted by Maria Socino low against the backboard. 1-0.

Italy went 2-0 up through a penalty corner rebound by Lara Oviedo before Sofia Maldonado finished from the right to make it 3-0.

There were two quality saves by Lucy Camlin to stop a fourth goal as half time approached and Scotland managed to see out the quarter with just a three-goal deficit.

A strong start to the second half by Scotland was typified by Bex Condie sending a sublime long pass for Kate Holmes, she played it to the D and Italy managed to clear under pressure from Amy Costello.


14 June 2018 at the National Hockey Centre, Glasgow Green. Scotland v Italy, game 2 – photo by Duncan Gray

A short corner for Scotland towards the end of the third quarter saw Millie Brown pull one back for Scotland with a neat finish.

Then after the restart Scotland hit the post through a crowded D as they battled back into the contest.

With seven minutes remaining it was Brown at the double as Scotland pulled it back to 3-2. Brown went twisting and turning in the D and smashed the ball low into the net – a great finish.

Scotland pegged the Italians back as they went on the hunt for an equaliser but they were beaten by the clock and Italy levelled the series.

The final match will see the winner take all in the Italian Series at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on Friday at 7pm.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Indian defender Sushila Chanu completes 150 international caps

NEW DELHI: Indian defender and former captain Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam completed 150 international caps for the country when India faced Spain in the second game of the five-match series.

The Manipur defender has been an integral part of the Indian team since making her debut in the Test Series against New Zealand in Christchurch in 2009 when she was 17.

Sushila took up hockey at the age of 11 when she joined the Posterior Hockey Academy in Manipur.

The 26-year-old then shifted to the Madhya Pradesh Women Hockey Academy in 2007, when she developed into a great prospect for the national team, making her junior international debut at the Under-21 Asia Cup held in Malaysia in 2008.

The highly-rated defender went on to win the silver medal at the 6th Junior Women Asia Cup in Thailand and featured in the senior team's gold medal winning campaign at the FIH World League Round 2 held in New Delhi in 2013.

She was then selected to captain the Indian team which won the bronze at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup in Germany.

Sushila's meteoric rise saw her become a regular fixture in the senior team post the tournament.

She has since represented the country in various tournaments including the Asia Cup 2013, Asia Cup 2017 when India won the gold, 17th Asian Games where the team won the bronze, 2014 and 2018 editions of the Commonwealth Games, and most importantly the 2016 Rio Olympics where she captained the team which had qualified for the Games after 36 years.

"I had always dreamed of representing the country at least once in my lifetime, but to have put on the national team colours 150 times, it makes me a very proud citizen of the country," said Sushila ahead of the match in Madrid yesterday.

"It's been a memorable journey with the Indian team and I hope I can contribute to the growth of the team and bring laurels to the nation in the future," Sushila added.

The Times of India



Softco Series offers chance to stake claims for World Cup spot


Nikki Evans celebrates with her UHC team mates. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek

The Irish women’s team have one of their last few chances to stake a claim for a World Cup spot this weekend as they take on Canada over the two-match Softco Series at Pembroke Wanderers in Dublin.

Graham Shaw will name his reduced panel on June 26, cutting it down from the current expanded list up to 28 currently in the wider panel. It follows three strong wins over Scotland followed by two uncapped defeats to England at Lee Valley on the World Cup pitch.

Nikki Evans is one big name to be rested for the Canada series having only just finished her club season. She helped UHC Hamburg to silver in the German championship, adding to the European Cup silver she won with the club in May, leaving her with somewhat mixed emotions.

Megan Frazer made her return to on-pitch action in the closing weeks of the German campaign with Mannheimer HC. The skipper had been out of action since October 2016 following a cruciate knee ligament injury which required a second surgery in 2017.

Her first action in 20 months was a couple of classification games at that European Cup and her club was involved in the German playoffs last weekend, missing out on the final at the hands of UHC. Whether she can get back to full flow in time for July 21’s first World Cup game is the question mark.

Canada, the world number 21 side, offer a robust opponent and enter the competition following an easy run to top spot in the Hockey Series Open, scoring 71 goals in four games.

Following this tournament, Ireland will head to Germany for three games with a panel of 23 from which the final panel will likely be selected from on June 26.

After that, Ireland will play a three game series against Japan in Cork from July 4-7 and then goes to Three Rock for a three nations event with Italy and Chile.

Tickets for the Softco Series games against Canada cost €10 for adults while children go free; a pass for both games is €15.

Women’s senior international test matches (both at Serpentine Avenue, Ballsbridge)
Friday: Ireland v Canada, 7pm
Saturday: Ireland v Canada, 5pm

The Hook



Mission Complete - #OpEndureHockey for Heroes



Last year it was the men with Operation Stretcher, this year the women with Operation Endure.  From the outset, one thing that is synonymous with Hockey for Heroes is the level of endurance and both mental & physical fatigue that this group put themselves through to help raise vital funds for their charity partner Help for Heroes.

When Hockey for Heroes formed their women's team in December of 2016, CEO Joe Forrester said "I believe we have formed a band of women that will become one of the closest-knit sports teams we have seen.  In the next few years they will be putting themselves through everything we can throw at them.  At the start of next year, we will sit down and start planning their first tour."

After numerous meetings and a year in the planning, Operation Endure was here. 1620 miles, 8 Military Challenges and 28 hockey matches; all within 8 days.

Starting at the Bisham Abbey, National Sports Centre in Buckinghamshire, the Hockey for Heroes ladies took advantage of a photo opportunity with the World Cup trophy before the start of the tour.  Their journey would take them to Canterbury, via Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Reading and Guildford.

There was a sense of excitement and apprehension as the team left for Glasgow and the start of OpEndure.  Speaking to team Captain, Chloe Hobson said “The people involved in this journey are inspirational! Everyone’s reason for being a part of Hockey for Heroes may be different, but our values, passion and sheer determination bring a force so positive and so mind-blowing it’s infectious. Struggles develop your strength, and when you’re going through hardships we never surrender, that is our strength. I’m truly humbled to captain this amazing bunch of people on OpEndure".

With Scottish Hockey star Nikki Alexander-Lloyd, back from Commonwealth Games duties, adding vital international experience to not only bolster the squad on the pitch but also off it.  Each day the team will pushed themselves to the limit as they took on various gruelling military challenges from 10 Mile stretcher carries, 3.5-mile log runs through Windsor Great Park to a 5-mile casevac around a reservoir.

“This tour has been years in the making, and we are all so excited for it to start!  This is going to be one of the toughest challenges many of us have ever faced, both mentally and physically, but what we are putting ourselves through is nothing compared to the service men and women.  We are doing this to raise awareness and funds for them, so it is worth it for sure” Said Nikki Alexander-Lloyd as they arrived in Glasgow for day 1 of OpEndure.

There was one day where the ladies were given a relative rest, instead of the daily physical challenge the team paid a visit to Tidworth, Wiltshire where they had the humbling experience of seeing for themselves the impact that their fundraising has at Tedworth House.  Whether returning from duty or transitioning to civilian life the centre aims to inspire those who have been wounded, injured or become sick while serving their country and enable them to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives.

Following the morning challenges, the Hockey for Heroes team went on to play up to 4 games of hockey each day.  Opposition teams varied from local under 18's to national and international teams.

"Each game offered something different, but all were competitive and friendly. The ladies played their hearts out in every single game. We turned potential loses into incredible wins and scored some amazing goals, along with some great saves by our Goalkeeper Aurora" said Lara Wilkinson, Vice Captain, Hockey for Heroes.  The words “I can’t believe they continue to play at such a high level, after all they have been through” were often heard by spectators and opposition.

The success of this tour was only possible because of support from all the host clubs, the hockey family and our sponsors Celixir, Colgate and Guardian Pro. The hockey family came out in force to support the ladies in their fundraising efforts and came up with creative ways to raise money.  From cake sales and raffles to inflatable hockey pitches and fire-walks.   Thank you so much to everyone involved for making the tour success, with your help we're on target to raise in excess £40,000.

Hockey for Heroes media release



Canadian junior women to host Chile in test series in Victoria

By Ali Baggott



VICTORIA, BC – Field Hockey Canada is pleased to host the U21 Chilean National team for six games in Victoria from June 29 to July 6. The Canadian Women’s Junior National Team (JWNT) is excited to have their first set of international competition after what will be a vigorous few weeks of camps and ahead of a busy summer competition schedule in the early build up to the 2022 Junior World Cup.

A 24-member roster was declared for the summer training that includes a two-week camp at the artificial pitch and grounds of Shawnigan Lake School in Shawnigan Lake, B.C., June 11-24, the Chile Series in Victoria, June 29-July 6 and a 6-Nations tournament in Antwerp, Belgium from July 9-22. A narrowed-down roster has been selected for both the Chile series and Belgium-hosted tournament.

“With UVic now the designated training centre for the Canadian field hockey program, it is exciting for the junior women’s national team to have their first international series in Victoria,” said Shiaz Virjee, head coach of the JWNT. “The JWNT had a hugely successful camp at UVIC and are excited to play and host the series against Chile. The new JWNT group is excited and wants to follow the successful trail blazing by the WNT this year.”

Virjee led the UBC Thunderbirds men’s field hockey program for 13 seasons and prior to that was the Canadian men’s national team coach for seven years. He led Canada during the 1998 World Cup and helped the Canadians win gold at the 1999 Pan American Games, which garnered the team their spot at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Three juniors named to the team will get a rare opportunity to play on home turf during the Chile series including Cowichan defender Sara Goodman and Victoria defenders Lexi De Armond and Anna Mollenhauer.

Goodman, alongside Ontario’s Samantha McCrory will be fresh off senior international competition as they were named to the senior list that competed and won the Hockey Series Open in Mexico on June 5-10. McCrory scored six goals in her debut for Canada and was the team’s top goal scorer in her first international tournament.

Hannah Eborall, Margaret Pham, Jordyn Faiczak and Thora Rae, as well as Goodman, are all current UBC Thunderbirds players who will provide a lot of the experience to the squad. The team is a good blend from West to East as Ontario is well represented with the talents of Anna Constanzo, Dani Husar, Katie Lynes, Mackenzie Janzen and Frankie St. Louis being named.

Canadian fans can have the opportunity to watch and cheer on the Canadian juniors in Victoria with game dates set for the below dates, all with start times 4:00 p.m. pacific time.

    Match 1 – Friday 29 June
    Match 2 – Saturday 30 June
    Match 3 – Monday 2 July
    Match 4 – Tuesday 3 July
    Match 5 – Thursday 5 July
    Match 6 – Friday 6 July

Admission is by donation. Minimum suggested donation is $5-10 per person. All proceeds support the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team and Junior National Team. Fans are encouraged to wear their Canadian colours and can meet the players after each match.

CHILE SERIES ROSTER

Sanehprett Basra
Bronwyn Bird
Anna Constanzo
Alexis DeArmond
Grace Delmotte
Hannah Eborall
Jordyn Faiczak
Isabelle Fraser
Nora Goddard Despot
Sara Goodman
Dani Husar
Mackenzie Janzen
Katie Lynes
Camilla MacGillivray (GK)
Lonica McKinney
Samantha McCrory
Anna Mollenhauer
Aerin Park (GK)
Margaret Pham
Thora Rae
Brianna Ricker
Kate Rogers
Julia Ross

Field Hockey Canada media release



'Soorma' director Shaad Ali reveals why Diljit Dosanjh was the obvious choice for the Sandeep Singh biopic


Diljit Dosanjh in Soorma

Diljit Dosanjh starrer Soorma has been creating immense buzz ever since the trailer has released.The actor is essaying the role of the former captain of the National hockey team, Sandeep Singh. Soorma showcases Sandeep's struggles to get on his own feet after getting paralyzed for two years after an accidental gunshot injures him right before the world cup. The trailer even takes us through the journey of India's campaign in the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which they won under his captaincy.

Shaad Ali, who decided to choose Diljit Dosanjh for the film, says the actor was most suited to play the role of Sandeep Singh. He says, “Diljit was the obvious choice for the film because he looked the part. I was not trying to find too much resemblance. That was not my criteria, because I was just trying to go with the look, who would look honest in that part.”

Ali also talks about the challenges one faces while dealing with a biopic. “Biopics comes with an added responsibility because you are dealing with a real-life person. It's not easy to make a biopic, but if you work with that persona and his or her family, things get easy,” says Ali.

The trailer is an inspiring true story of the human spirit, about a player, who made headlines for his miraculous comeback after an unfortunate accident. It is a lesser known fact that, Sandeep Singh has been hailed as one of the world' most dangerous drag-flickers of all time with drag speeds of over 145 km/hr which led to his nickname, ‘Flicker Singh’.

Sandeep Singh's inspiring story has had the makers keen to bring his life on the silver screen. Soorma will feature Diljit Dosanjh essaying the role of Sandeep Singh alongside Taapsee Pannu and Angad Bedi in pivotal roles.

Produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Chitrangda Singh and Deepak Singh, Soorma is written and directed by Shaad Ali and is slated to release on July 13, 2018.

Daily News & Analysis



Sandeep Singh On His Attempt to Keep Soorma Real, His Bonding With Diljit Dosanjh And More

Shaad’s Soorma will highlight Sandeep’s comeback to international hockey in 2008 to winning Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2009 and single-handedly propelling India to London Olympics in 2012.

Navleen Lakhi


Image: Abhishek Bhardwaj

The trailer of Diljit Dosanjh and Taapsee Pannu starrer Soorma is out, and as expected, it has been trending on YouTube with over 6.5 million views. The film, directed by Shaad Ali, is based on international hockey player Sandeep Singh. A couple of years after his international debut, Sandeep was injured after he was accidentally shot in August 2006. He was paralysed and left wheelchair bound for a couple of years, but went on to lead Indian national team in 2009.

Shaad’s Soorma will highlight Sandeep’s comeback to international hockey in 2008 to winning Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2009 and single-handedly propelling India to London Olympics in 2012.

While speaking exclusively to News18.com, Sandeep shared that Chitrangada was shocked to know about his accident. “Chitrangada knew that I was captain of Indian Hockey team, but was unaware of my accident. She was unable to believe and was in complete shock when I narrated the incident to her. Since she couldn’t believe it, I told her to Google it. And after she searched for it online, all she wanted was to put this story on screen. Ultimately in 2014, I shared my story and the team started working on it.” Perhaps that’s why Chitrangada (who turns producer with Soorma) and the film’s team created #DontLetThisStoryPass.

As Sandeep says, when film’s director and writer Shaad Ali started working on the script, he had just one concern – he wanted every detail to be real. “Even in biopics, director picks up a certain theme while showcasing one’s life. Shaad wanted to focus on the fact that I never gave up. Each one of us wanted to give the message that when someone decides to achieve something, nothing is impossible.”

Shaad and Sandeep started working on the script in 2015, and there were occasions when the two faced a clash of opinion. “However, the bottom line was that we both wanted the story and scenes to be real. Every scene that you’ll see in the film has happened in real life and has a proof backing it. Every aspect - from number of goals that I made in different matches to the journey post that tragic accident and how I recovered – is real,” says Sandeep, adding, “I don’t want to sound as if I’m criticizing other biopics, but most of them that released recently had certain things that never occurred in real life of that individual. But in Soorma, everything will be authentic.”

Sandeep informs that most of Soorma’s team – Diljit, Taapsee, Angad, Chitrangada and Shaad – had some connection with sports. Arjuna award-winning hockey player says, “Diljit bhaji and Taapsee – both their fathers were national level hockey players. Angad Bedi’s father Bishan Singh Bedi is a known former Indian cricketer. Then our director Shaadi Ali had been hockey player. Chitrangada also has a sports background. So it wasn’t difficult for them to understand me. A sportsperson thinks differently; therefore they understood my concern to keep things as real as possible. After watching the film, no one can point out that any scene is unreal.”

Besides Diljit and Taapsee, Soorma also stars Angad Bedi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Vijay Raaz in pivotal roles. Each one of them has wonderfully transformed into their characters. For Udta Punjab actor Diljit, he knew that portraying a hockey legend won’t be an easy task. In one of his interviews to news agency IANS, he mentioned, “I told the producers to cast me in any film for free but don’t cast me in a hockey-based film because it will require a lot of hard work and I think I will not be able to pull this off. I would have taken a wrong decision in my career if I had not done Soorma.”



However, Sandeep is quite happy and thankful that Diljit agreed to do this film. “Diljit bhaji started working on Soorma around eight months before the shoot kicked off. Though he had a singing tour and some films to wind up, he took time out of his schedule to talk to me and know more about me. We both would take time out of our schedules to meet each other or were at least regularly in touch on the phone. The best part was that bhaji always behaved like a learner. He never showed any star tantrums. All he wanted was to learn as much he could.”

Sharing another secret about his bonding with Diljit, Sandeep says, “During the time I spent at the rehab center, I would listen to songs from bhaji’s music album Smile. I still remember on the album cover; he was wearing a white turban. I would only listen to his tracks when I was playing for the national team. I strongly wanted him to play my character as I felt that only a real Sardar would fit in the best.”

Ace drag-flicker Sandeep didn’t take much time in connecting with Diljit, Taapsee or Shaad. He says, “Punjab and sports connection played a huge role.”

For all those who are thinking if Sandeep was abandoned by his love in real life as shown in the trailer, Sandeep is not in the mood to reveal much. When you ask him to tell more about Taapsee’s role who plays athlete Harpreet Kaur and Diljit’s love interest, Sandeep dodges the question. “Her role is a secret,” he says.

Losing hockey and then his special someone, what made him bounce back with a ravishing comeback? “When the 9mm pistol hit me, it fractured my lowest rib, punctured my pancreas and a part of my spine was chipped. My liver and kidneys were slightly damaged. I was paralyzed on the spot and immediately taken to PGI, Chandigarh. I was unconscious for four weeks. I had lost more than 40 percent of my body weight. I still remember, four weeks after my accident, I was in the ICU and on a ventilator when a team of doctors sitting in front of me was telling me that I’m fortunate to have survived this tragic accident. They said they weren’t sure if I’ll ever be able to walk or play hockey. I told the doctors to leave the room as I had no room for negativity.”

Later, Sandeep called his brother and told him to get a hockey stick for him – which he still loves unconditionally. “After few days, I told my brother that I wanted to stand. Every night he would help me stand up with the help of that hockey stick and without letting the doctor or my parents know about it. When I sat on the wheelchair, I immediately sensed it is not made for me. I was only meant for the hockey stick. For all the time that I was in the hospital, I would stay up for as many as 23 hours. Doctors had to do give me sleeping pills so that my mind gets relaxed. But I kept telling myself that I have to make a comeback and play hockey,” recalls Sandeep.



Did Sandeep wallow in self-pity and think why he had to go through a rather strained phase following his accident? “Gradually I realized that God has a plan for everything. There was a reason for all the pain I underwent. I never thought that a movie would be made on my journey or I’d be the first hockey player in the entire world to get a wax statue at the Jaipur Wax Museum at the Nahargarh Fort.”

Dhyan Chand who is Sandeep’s idol will get his wax statue installed post-Sandeep’s wax statue.

Sandeep who is also ACP Haryana is quite excited about Soorma’s release on July 13. His further plans include taking Haryana sports to another level. “I’m thankful to Haryana police that they have always cooperated with me on times when I had to give complete attention to my sport. And I often say that national team’s performance and the level will only improve if we bring change at the grass root level. Unless young and emerging sportsperson of India will not have skilled trainers, the national team will never improve. If they keep playing with same techniques, I don’t think they can bring results.”

View the trailer here

News18

Fieldhockey.com uses cookies to assist with navigating between pages. Please leave the site if you disagree with this policy.
Copyright remains with the credited source or author