News for 28 January 2025
All the news for Tuesday 28 January 2025
2025 Indoor Test matches CRO v NAM (W)
Sveti Ivan Zelina
All times GMT +1
27 Jan 2025 19:45 CRO v NAM 0 - 4
28 Jan 2025 17:30 CRO v NAM
29 Jan 2025 18:00 CRO v NAM
Live scores
FIH Match Centre
Namibia off to solid start
By Helge Schutz 
Kiana Cormack in action during their 4-0 win against Croatia. Photo: Helge Schütz
Namibia’s women’s indoor hockey team got off to a solid start in their test series against Croatia with a 4-0 win in the first test in Zelina on Monday night. 
Bowen in, Quan Chan out Indoor World Cup squad
by Nigel Simon
The experienced Dwain Quan Chan has been forced to withdraw from the T&T senior men’s indoor hockey squad which leaves on Tuesday for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Porec, Croatia. The tournament flicks off on February 3 and concludes on February 9.
Squad Announcement: Competition heats up as Kookaburras launch title defence in Sydney
Kookaburras coach Mark Hager has announced an exciting mix of powerful new talent and returning Olympians in his first 22-man squad for the FIH Pro League’s return to Sydney.
Hockey India League 2025
All times GMT +5:30
Men
Rourkela
27 Jan 2025 06:00 PM Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers v Delhi SG Pipers 2 - 1
27 Jan 2025 08:15 PM JSW Soorma Hockey Club v Vedanta Kalinga Lancers 5 - 3
28 Jan 2025 08:15 PM Team Gonasika v Hyderabad Toofans
Standings
Official HIL Website
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers make surging comeback, beat Delhi SG Pipers 2-1 to progress to semifinals
Rourkela: The Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers made a comeback for the ages by scoring two goals in the final five minutes to beat the Delhi SG Pipers in the Men’s Hero Hockey India League clash on Monday. By virtue of their stunning come-from-behind victory, the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers have qualified for the semifinals by amassing 18 points from nine matches.
JSW Soorma Hockey Club clinch crucial 5-3 victory over Vedanta Kalinga Lancers
Prabhjot Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Nicolas Keenan and Maninder Singh scored for Soorma 
Rourkela: JSW Soorma Hockey Club secured a hard-fought 5-3 victory against the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers in the Men’s Hero Hockey India League 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela today. Dilpreet Singh (5’) gave the Lancers the lead in the game but Prabhjot Singh (26’) restored parity for Soorma. Harmanpreet Singh (32’, 54’) and Nicolas Keenan (33’) extended Soorma’s lead with quickfire goals in the third quarter, however, Theirry Brinkman (44’) pulled a goal back towards the end of the quarter. Maninder Singh (51’) and Harmanpreet Singh found the back of the net to extend Soorma’s lead further and even though Gursahibjit Singh (56’) pulled a goal back in the dying minutes, Soorma walked away with three crucial points.
Bengal Tigers book semis spot with win over Pipers; Harmanpreet fires Soorma past Lancers
Pipers, who are eliminated from the running for the semis, held on to a lead for the majority of the game but was once again undone is the final five minutes, conceding twice.
Aashin Prasad
Sebastien Dockier of Bengal Tigers celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Delhi Pipers during the Hockey India League (HIL) at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. | Photo Credit: VEDHAN M/ The Hindu
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers pulled off a last-gasp 2-1 win over Delhi SG Pipers to become the first team to qualify for the Hockey India League (HIL) semifinal here at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Monday.
Rarh Bengal Tigers beat Delhi SG Pipers to book semi-final spot
The Rarh Bengal Tigers booked their spot in the semi-finals of the 2024-25 Hockey India League following a 2-1 win over the Delhi SG Pipers at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Monday.
Bengal Tigers book semifinal spot; Soorma climbs to third
Eight teams for the men’s tournament are placed in a league to play round-robin matches. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stage.
File photo: Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers booked its spot in the semifinal after beating Delhi SG Pipers 2-1 | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP/The Hindu
Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 is back after a seven year hiatus with a tournament featuring eight teams in the men’s competition which begun on December 28, 2024.
Women’s Hockey India League Review: A success story, some challenges and the road ahead
Looking back at the tournament, it seems that Hockey India’s best decision was to forgo the revenue it would have generated from ticket sales by offering free entry for both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Santadeep Dey
Odisha Warriors players celebrate after winning the Women’s Hockey India League title. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/The Hindu
The inaugural edition of the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL-W) can be best compared to that one terrifying ride at a theme park. You break out in a cold sweat and call out to all your gods the moment you are strapped in, but once it winds up, you’re somehow left craving for more.
‘If not here then where’: Can Hockey India League change coaching system as it transformed players?
Recently-retired India internationals and those who have toiled in domestic circuit for years are hoping HIL will be a springboard for their coaching ambitions.
by Mihir Vasavda
Hyderabad Toofans team director Siddharth Pandey (R) with coach Pasha Gademan (L) and PR Sreejesh, the director of hockey at Delhi SG Pipers. Credit: Siddharth Pandey / Instagram)
Sardar Singh has a vision, like he’s always had, of how hockey should be played. “Fake body dodge,” begins the past master of feints, “long passes, strong basics, forwards with better tackling abilities than even the defenders and defenders with better skills than forwards”. Total hockey, if you will.
Jyoti’s hockey journey: A mother who couldn’t afford her school fees met a former India captain, and it led to a shining career
While Sonepat coach Pritam Siwach brought her into the game and trained her, national coach Harendra Singh is remodelling her as an ace defender, who is a fan of Belgian legend Arthur van Doren.
by Vinayakk Mohanarangan
(From left): Jyoti with coach Pritam Siwach; Jyoti in action; Jyoti gets HIL player of the tournament award. (Credits: Jyoti and Hockey India)
When Jyoti’s name was called out in Ranchi on Sunday night, she ran towards the stage to pick up the Player of the Tournament award, a glittering trophy and a check for Rs 20 lakh. At the end of the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League, the 25-year-old from Sonepat, who represented JSW Soorma Hockey Club, took home the most significant individual award.
Hockey India League diary: Lucky parents and six sixes link
The Hockey Paper has taken in the inaugural women’s HIL before travelling to Rourkela for the men’s finale
By Rod Gilmour
Lilly Stoffelsma's parents decked out in Odisha Warriors colours
Lilly lands lakhs with parents watching
Lilly Stoffelsma is not yet a star hockey name but she goes home to Germany a champion with Odisha Warriors – and had her parents here for good measure.
Penalty corners: face masks mandatory for all FIH events
FIH has decided today to make it mandatory for all players when defending penalty corners to wear a face mask. This measure has been taken in order to further protect players when defending during this very special moment of the game of hockey.
OUTsurance Partners with the South African Hockey Association
OUTsurance is proud to announce its partnership with the South African Hockey Association. The partnership aims to enhance umpiring standards and to elevate the profile of South African hockey on a local and international level.
FIH launches specific portal for National Associations on FIH website
Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that it has launched a portal specifically dedicated to its National Associations on its website FIH.hockey.
Uganda Olympian Avtar Singh Bhurji passes away
by Dil Bahra
Avtar Singh Bhurji
Avtar Singh Bhurji, who represented Uganda at Munich 1972 Olympic Games, passed away in a hospice in Esher, Surrey, England on Sunday 26 January 2025 aged 80.
He was born on 15 December 1944 in Bika, India and his family emigrated to Uganda in the same year. He studied at Demonstration Primary School and Kololo Secondary School in Kampala, Uganda. He played hockey at the Secondary School and his school captain in those days, Rajinder Singh Sandhu, went on to Captain the Uganda team at Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
After his secondary schooling in Kololo, in 1964, he went to England for further education. He studied at Kingston College in the UK and played for Spencer Hockey Club and Middlesex U21 in 1968. That year he also played for London Indians.
Avtar in action against Pakistan at Munich Olympics
Avtar returned to Kampala in 1969 after completing his studies. He joined Sikh Union Kampala in 1970 and was selected for the Uganda team for the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
After the Olympic Games he returned to the UK and played for Blackheath H C in 1973, winning the National Indoor Championship with the Club in 1976. He played for Surrey County team from 1973 to 1978 and was awarded his Surrey Colours in 1975-76 season. He played for London Indians from 1973 to 1978, captaining the team for five years.
Blackheath Hockey Club - winners of London sixes 1975. Avtar is middle, front row.
In 1978 he moved to Kenya and played for Nairobi Gymkhana.
After a short stay in Uganda, he returned to the UK in 1988 and settled in Surrey, UK. When injury brought an end to his playing days he took up to coaching.
He was a Coach since 1991 and held the National Level 3 Coaching badge. He coached London University; Imperial Medics; Greenwich University and Spencer teams. He was the Director of Coaching at Richmond Hockey Club from 2008 to 2011.
During the last decade he turned to photography and was regularly present in the media centres at international hockey tournaments all over the world.
At Munich Olympics.
Shahid Khan, his team mate at Blackheath and London Indians paid this tribute: “I first came across Avtar in the successful Blackheath team of 1970s and later as the captain of the acclaimed London Indians team. He always brought sense of fun on the pitch and was a great hockey stalwart as a player, coach, and media photographer in recent years. A great loss to the hockey fraternity who will be missed by us all”.
Sikhs in Hockey