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Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Harmanpreet Singh's well-being in focus as India's hockey team shifts focus to Asia Cup
A hamstring and lower back injury at the Asian Champions Trophy last year. An ankle injury during the Hockey India League, in addition to the strain caused by the earlier two niggles. A wrist injury in the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Pro League. And last month, during the European swing of the league, a damaged finger tissue. Or, in the words of coach Craig Fulton, 'smashed with the ball on the finger that split his whole finger open and couldn't hold a stick.' 'He's had a hard time,' Fulton adds. And so has India, without their MVP Harmanpreet Singh. As India shift focus to next month's Asia Cup — a World Cup qualifier and a tournament that, in Fulton's words, is the 'priority of the year' — two things will be closely observed. First, if the seven defeats in eight matches in the Pro League last month were merely an aberration. And second, whether Harmanpreet can — for the first time in a year — play an entire tournament without worrying about his body. Harmanpreet was the player of the tournament at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy, scoring nearly one-third of India's goals in the triumphant campaign. And across the two legs of the Pro League, he netted half a dozen more goals to the team's joint highest scorer in the competition along with Abhishek. With him, it's not just about goals. Harmanpreet marshals the defence line with aplomb, giving others like Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh the freedom to move forward. His aerial balls and sharp diagonal passes along the turf open up defences and create opportunities for the forwards. 'While you have him, he's a powerful force,' Fulton says. 'But at the same time, when you don't have him for four games (like in the Pro League last month), it makes a big difference.' Then do you manage his workload, the coach is asked. Fulton didn't think it was immediately needed. 'He's working hard. We're going to be in a good position now going into this tournament (Asia Cup) because I think we've had a real focus on our physicality in the training camps. We've upped it in terms of being better prepared physically,' he said. A follow-up is fired at the coach: Does the team need to rethink its penalty corner strategies when Harmanpreet isn't on the field? In short, does the team have a replacement for its go-to drag-flicker or anyone who can support him? 'There's a short and a long-term view on this. Because, obviously, he is not going to play for the national team forever,' Fulton says. 'So what does that look like in a few years' time? But while he's here, how do we find someone who can support him?' Amit Rohidas, Fulton adds, has a 'flick and a hit'. The defender, prone to mistakes, scored a couple of goals from PC against Belgium with a powerful hit. Jugraj Singh, the coach says, has a 'good flick'. However, he tends to be a little wayward and lacks consistency to hit the target. Fulton has tried youngsters Rajinder Singh, Sanjay and Nilam Xess, too, as India hunt for different options. 'But, yes, it's difficult to replace Harmanpreet. You know, it's not something that you think about…' Fulton is with India 'A' in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where the team will face two matches each against Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, along with one each against England and Belgium. The eight games will also be an audition for the drag-flicking role. 'We've got a lot of talented guys here with the India A group. Varun (Kumar) is training well. (Amandeep) Lakra is training well in terms of the flick. Rajinder's here. We've got a lot of talented guys behind… We'll be monitoring them to see how they approach the penalty corner attack,' Fulton says. 'So, yeah, everything's possible. Yes, there is a challenge to replace Harman. But we're not replacing him now. That's for sure,' Fulton adds. 'We also have some variations, some other options that we haven't used yet. But at the same time, Harman is the main drag flicker. We've got to find guys that can complement him while we build into qualifying for the Asia Cup and beyond.' Fulton will return this weekend to Bengaluru, where the national team camp will begin for the Asia Cup. There, his focus will turn to his captain. There may be a lot on his mind, but for now, the coach is looking at the positives. 'At least he's injury-free from a finger point of view. He'll have recovered nicely now.'
United News of India
03-07-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
FIH Pro League poor show a temporary dip in form: Aslam Sher Khan
New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Former India hockey great Aslam Sher Khan feels the Indian Men team's poor show at the European leg of the FIH Pro league should not be seen as a big cause of concern as the team has shown that it can peak at the right time. The Indian team suffered a run of seven successive losses in the European leg of the FIH Pro League recently finishing eighth on the points table. In an exclusive interview to UNI, the 1975 World Cup winner asserted that fans should not lose faith in the team. "They have been performing well for a long time, it is natural that there will be a dip, they were off-colour. But they are a good side with a lot of quality players. They will come back strong. They have shown that they can peak at the right time," Aslam Sher Khan said. Khan, who scored the crucial equaliser against Malaysia in the 1975 World Cup semi-final, said that with the introduction of the Hockey India League (HIL) a lot of Hockey is being played these days, so a balanced calendar needs to be followed. "A lot of hockey is being played nowadays, so a streamlined calendar needs to be there which prevents burnout. And rotation of players of course is important, so that bench strength is built. Europeans do a lot of rotation and follow a balanced calendar. They know for which tournament their best side should be fielded, in which competitions their number two side can be fielded, and where a mixture of experience and youth needs to be fielded," he explained. He noted that tournaments like FIH Pro League provide a lot of international exposure to players, but hosting tournaments in India is equally important. "When top teams come to India to play it boosts spectator interest, which will eventually translate into a robust club hockey culture," he added. UNI RKM RN
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India-A squad
A 20-member India-A men's team will tour Europe later this month as Hockey India hopes to cultivate and improve the national team's bench strength ahead of a crucial 18 months, culminating in the Asian Games next year. The squad was announced on Tuesday and includes a bulk of players from the senior core group and youngsters who impressed during the Hockey India League. The team will play eight games in 13 days, from July 8 to 20, with two matches each against Ireland, France and Netherlands and one each against England and Belgium as the teams prepare for the European Championships. Two players from the Pro League squad – Sanjay and Rajinder Singh – will be part of the team with the former leading the side. While India assistant coach Shivendra Singh will be in charge, chief coach Craig Fulton is likely to join directly and return with the side towards the end of the tour. The squad: Goalkeepers: Pawan Malik, H.S. Mohith; Defenders: Pratap Lakra, Varun Kumar, Amandeep Lakra, Parmod, Sanjay. Midfielders: C.B. Poovanna, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Pardeep Singh, Rajinder Singh; Forwards: Angadbir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Maninder Singh, Venkatesh Kenche, Aditya Lalge, Selvam Karthi, Uttam Singh.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
‘Proud father' Jacques Brinkman lauds son Thierry's leadership in earning long-awaited Dutch glory
Kolkata: This Father's Day will be quite special for Jacques Brinkman. It's not every year that your son wins a gold medal at the Olympics and his son Thierry did exactly that at the Paris Games when he led the Netherlands hockey team to a gold — a first after 25 years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Incidentally, the last time the Dutch side won the gold at the Sydney Olympics, Jacques played a pivotal role as they beat South Korea in the final via penalty shoot-outs. But seeing his son lead the team to the top of the podium after beating Germany in the final was something even more special for Jacques. "It was fantastic to see your child achieve the highest possible goal in sports. Being surrounded by all the family and friends made it unbelievable. After the winning shoot-out, when they secured the gold medal, there were definitely tears — happy tears," said Jacques, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, during an exclusive interview with TOI. While Jacques did have a huge influence on Thierry becoming a hockey player, he took a step back after a while and left it to the coaches to train him properly. "I helped out until Thierry was about 14 or 15. After that, I stepped back to support my other children — Tim and Julie. Thierry is the oldest, so I was more involved in his early years, but then shifted focus as they grew," he added. Whatever he did worked wonders and Jacques is extremely more than proud of what Thierry has become today. "I'm a proud father, of course, but his leadership as a captain is something special. During the celebrations in the Netherlands, Thierry gave a speech to his teammates, and it really showed how naturally he leads," he added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jacques was also impressed with the way Thierry handled the situation following the Olympic final when a brawl broke out after Duco Telgenkamp of the Netherlands scored past German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg and performed a shushing gesture in his face, before appearing to slap his helmet. Besides his performance for the national team, Jacques also followed his son's exploits in the Hockey India League where Thierry played for the Kalinga Lancers. While Lancers failed to make it to the knockouts, Jacques is quite hopeful that the tournament will certainly change the landscape of Indian hockey in the coming years. "The difference between top teams is very small. Winning two Olympic bronzes is a fantastic achievement. India have great players like Harmanpreet Singh, who's excellent with penalty corners. Their goalkeeper (PR Sreejesh) retired recently, which is always a big change. But they're definitely back at the top. The Hockey India League has helped with that," added Brinkman senior. While many believe that will indeed be the case, for now, all eyes are on the World Cup set to take place in the Netherlands and Belgium in a year's time — where Jacques is hopeful of yet another Dutch victory.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Birendra Lakra joins Indian junior men's hockey team as assistant coach
New Delhi: Hockey India on Saturday announced that former Indian men's team stalwart Birendra Lakra has joined the Indian junior men's team as assistant coach. The 35-year-old veteran defender will work closely with legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who currently serves as the coach of the team. Lakra's transition from a player to a mentor is expected to strengthen the Indian junior men's team's defensive structure and overall game temperament, key elements as they gear up for a highly competitive FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2025 at home, scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 10 in Chennai and Madurai. A seasoned international, Lakra made his debut for India in 2010 and went on to become one of the country's most consistent and reliable defenders. He represented India in two Olympic Games – London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, where India won a historic bronze medal. Over an illustrious career spanning over a decade, Lakra played a key role in India's campaigns at the World Cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and other major tournaments. His impressive career highlights include a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games, bronze in 2018, silver at the 2013 Asia Cup, silver at the 2014 CWG, and silver at the 2018 Champions Trophy. He was also part of the Indian squad that won bronze medals in the World League Finals in 2015 (Raipur and Bhubaneswar) and achieved podium finishes at the Asian Champions Trophy (gold in 2016, silver in 2012). Most recently, Odisha-born Lakra showcased his fitness and zeal playing for Team Gonasika in the Hockey India League 2024-25, further underlining his enduring commitment to Indian hockey. Speaking about his new role, Birendra Lakra said, 'It is a great honour to be part of the Indian Junior Men's setup at such an important time. I know what it takes to wear the India jersey, and now I look forward to helping the next generation of players prepare for the big stage. Working alongside someone like Sreejesh, who has been a teammate and an inspiration, is an exciting challenge. We are committed to building a fearless and well-prepared team for the tournaments ahead, especially the all-important Junior World Cup, which will take place later this year.' PR Sreejesh, coach of the Indian junior men's team, expressed his enthusiasm about the addition and stated, 'Having Birendra join us is a massive boost. He brings a wealth of experience, tactical intelligence, and calm leadership that will be invaluable to these young players. We have shared many battles on the field, and I'm confident we will bring the same synergy and commitment to this new chapter as coaches. Together, we want to nurture a squad that can make the country proud.'
