News for 04 September 2021
All the news for Saturday 4 September 2021
Is India going to pull out of Birmingham CWG?
According to a message shared by the Indian Olympic Association President Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, Hockey India is not interested in fielding its men and women’s teams for the next year’s Commonwealth Games.
IOA and FIH President Batra suggests India's hockey teams will skip Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
By Patrick Burke
Indian Olympic Association and International Hockey Federation President Narinder Batra has said India's hockey teams are likely to prioritise the Asian Games over the Commonwealth Games next year ©Getty Images
Narinder Batra, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as well as the International Hockey Federation (FIH), has suggested that India's men’s and women’s hockey teams could miss next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Indian men's hockey team 'needs to keep getting better,' says coach Graham Reid
The Indian team won a bronze at the Tokyo Games last month, ending a 41-year wait for a medal in the sport.
File image of Graham Reid. Image Courtesy: Hockey India
Chief coach Graham Reid feels the Indian men's hockey team should not get complacent after the Olympic bronze medal, adding that the next six months will be spent analyzing and understanding the way in which the side can elevate its performance to the next level.
Hockey coach Avtar Singh felicitated for his contribution
Avtar Singh, Coach
After the Indian hockey team won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics after a long gap of 41 years, captain Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Varun Kumar brought Jalandhar into the limelight as the trio hail from the district. Besides the threesome, their coach Avtar Singh also grabbed the headlines. Avtar was felicitated by Admiral Karambir Singh for his stellar contribution to Indian hockey recently.
How Odisha nurtures Indian hockey
The Odisha Government, which sponsors the Indian hockey teams and has rewarded the national players for their sterling performance in the Tokyo Olympics, has entrusted the two homegrown stalwarts - Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla - to produce the next generation of star players.
Y.B. Sarangi
Indian Hockey team goalkeeper PR Shreejesh receiving the reward from Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. - BISWARANJAN ROUT
Once Olympians Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla used to guard the Indian hockey team’s defence solidly at the highest level, these days the village mates from Sundargarh district have shouldered the responsibility to lift the standard of Odisha hockey, to nurture the inflow of talent.
The Odisha Government, which sponsors the Indian hockey teams and has rewarded the national players for their sterling performance in the Tokyo Olympics, has entrusted the two homegrown stalwarts to produce the next generation of star players. Tirkey has been given the dual responsibility of Odisha Hockey Promotion Council and as the chairman of the ad-hoc committee for hockey in Odisha, while Barla has been appointed the deputy director (coaching) with the primary objective of providing good coaching facilities to the youngsters. “The primary focus is on developing grassroots hockey. Initiatives like the 17 astro-turfs being laid in Sundargarh district and the academy in Bhubaneswar aim at providing better facilities and training to players at the grassroots level.
"Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thinks youth can go forward through sports and how more youngsters can participate in sports. If the young ones can start practising on astro-turf and get good coaching from the beginning, then we can tap talent early and produce fine players in good quantity,” says Tirkey.
The Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre (ONTHHPC), which provides advanced training with latest facilities, has 30 girls and 31 boys as trainees and aims to raise the number to 40 each by the end of 2022. The trainees get quality residential facilities opposite their training field at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Amid the Covid-19 uncertainty, this has enabled them to train regularly in the safety of the bubble. The hostel has a study room, recreation rooms with table tennis tables and other board games along with TV and access to computers.
Judicious use of the Abhinav Bindra Target Performance Centre (ABTP) is an integral part of the ONTHHPC programme which caters to physical fitness tracking, recovery management and rehabilitation process. A top-class gymnasium, international-standard swimming pool, enrolment of players in different schools, steps for holistic development of the trainees, support of a sports science team (consisting of a dedicated sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning expert, sports nutritionist and mental trainer along with a sports scientist and data analyst) are among the facilities offered to the trainees.
What's more, they also get exposure to international players and teams and coaching by qualified coaches with technical support from the Bovelander Hockey Academy. While the State Government has provided all the infrastructure and ground support, Tata Trusts and Tata Steel provide the funding apart from managing the entire technical and operational part of the academy.
Besides, the trainees, who join at the age of 13 years for a four-year programme, get a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500. A steady stream of tournament exposure readies them for tougher assignments, and to chase the dream of playing for the state and country. Apart from work at the grassroots level, Tirkey, a former India captain, feels organising big hockey events, including the World Cup, also boosts the sport. “Earlier, just being there in the World Cup was a dream. With Bhubaneswar hosting the 2018 World Cup, many people could see the iconic event in their own backyard. It raised the popularity of the sport in the state.
“Now, with a hockey centre like Rourkela co-hosting the 2023 edition of the World Cup, think of the impact it is going to have in that region. Hockey enthusiasts will see international and Indian stars in action with their own eyes. It can inspire many youngsters to take up the sport seriously,” says Tirkey.
He also thinks that the new 20,000-capacity international hockey stadium being built in Rourkela for the 2023 World Cup could serve as another hub for the sport in the state. “With world-class facilities, we can host camps and tournaments in Rourkela. Since the Jharsuguda airport is operational now, there are no issues of air connectivity,” says Tirkey.
Even as the overall development of hockey has been a priority for Odisha, the government has tied up with different business houses and world-class sportspersons to set up high performance centres in other sports -- including athletics, badminton, football, swimming, weightlifting and shooting -- to nurture talent. The state has announced construction of 89 indoor halls in urban centres to facilitate infrastructure for various indoor sports. These centres can also double up as shelters during natural calamities. The Odisha government has also collaborated with the Xavier Emlyon Business School to begin the country’s first Indo-French dual master’s degree programme in Sports Industry Management. “This step complements the other initiatives being taken by the state government. If we produce good sports industry managers, it will only enrich the whole sports ecosystem,” says Tirkey, a former Rajya Sabha member.
Sportstar
No room for error as Dragons look forward to new Belgian season
KHC Dragons’ Felix Denayer says his side will need to extremely consistent if they are to retain their Belgian Honor Division title.
UNC Field Hockey Defeats No. 13 Princeton, Nabs First Win of Season
By Michael Koh
After a weekend in Iowa they’d like to forget, the No. 1 UNC field hockey team got back to its winning ways Friday in New Jersey. The Tar Heels played their second true road game in a row, this time against No. 13 Princeton, and pulled away from the Tigers late to secure a 4-1 victory.
Boston College uses early onslaught to beat Maryland field hockey, 3-2
Shane Connuck
Julianna Tornetta carries the ball down the field during Maryland field hockey's game against UMass Lowell. The game was eventually rained out. (Collin Riviello/The Diamondback)
With just over two minutes left, Maryland field hockey drew a penalty corner. Down 3-2, this was one of its last chances to tie the game against a stellar Boston College squad.
Second half spark propels UMass field hockey to a 3-1 win on Friday
A sloppy and gritty win gives the Minutewomen its third straight at home
By Lulu Kesin
Parker Peters/ Daily Collegian
A gritty and ugly 60 minutes of play, but the Massachusetts field hockey team put another game in the win column after defeating Vermont, 3-1 on Friday.
UMass field hockey is spreading the love offensively in first three games
Offensive contributions have come from all over the field in UMass’ first three games of the season.
By Colin McCarthy
Anish Roy/ Daily Collegian
The summer separating the Massachusetts field hockey team’s 2020-21 season from this year’s campaign was shorter than ever, but the break came with an opportunity to focus on offensive success, and the Minutewomen took advantage.
No. 8 field hockey opens the season with one win and one loss
After a loss against Penn State and a win against Delaware, the Cavaliers look to polish themselves
By Sarah Pettycord
Senior back Amber Ezechiels tallied a total of four points this weekend — an incredible start to the season. Courtesy Virginia Athletics
In the first two games on Virginia field hockey’s 2021 slate, the team delivered a mixed bag of results. The Cavaliers (1-1, 0-0 ACC) fell to No. 16 Penn State in overtime, then defeated No. 17 Delaware with ease.
No. 15 Rutgers Field Hockey Takes Down No. 6 UConn in Double Overtime
Scarlet Knights win 2-1 to improve to 3-0 on the season
STORRS, Conn. – No. 15 Rutgers field hockey continued its hot start to the season, winning 2-1 in double overtime at No. 6 UConn on Friday evening. The victory extended RU's record to 3-0 to start the season and was the team's second win over an opponent ranked in the top-12 this season. It was Rutgers' first win over UConn since 2001.