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Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Harendra's big challenge to revive Indian women's hockey team
The Indian women's hockey team raised hopes of a rosy future after finishing fourth in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, missing a bronze medal by a whisker. However, it has been downhill since then with the team hitting a new low almost every season since then. India ended 9th and last in the Pro League. (Hockey India) The failure to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics led to Dutchwoman Janneke Schopman being removed as chief coach. Hockey India appointed Harendra Singh for a second time, after almost six years. Under him, India lost all eight away games in the 2023-24 Pro League, although it could be argued that Harendra had just taken over. India just escaped relegation after finishing eighth. The team bounced back by winning the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, going undefeated in the tournament. But back in the 2024-25 Pro League, India just couldn't compete with the pace of the best in the world, ending ninth and last to be relegated. 'We are disheartened that we are out of the Pro League. We have identified the reason for the losses. Nikki (Pradhan), Udita and Sushila (Chanu) were injured before going to the Pro League – three dependable defenders – so we were handicapped. We had to shift midfielders Jyoti Singh and Vaishnavi (Vitthal Phalke) into defending,' Harendra said from Thiruvananthapuram. 'It was a major shift. Because of that we conceded 52 penalty corners, which is very high. And we conceded 35% of PC goals. That was a major difference.' Of the 16 games, India won just two, drew three and lost 11. It has led to being relegated to the Nations Cup that they won in 2022 to earn promotion to Pro League. 'The areas of concern are not giving away soft PCs. If you give, don't concede. Also, it's a young team which lacks experience. There were 6-7 who were playing in the Pro League for the first time. They have to learn game and time management. We gave away many soft PCs which were converted with seconds left on the clock,' said Harendra. 'We also have to improve our decision making, like when you are tackling inside the circle or entering the opponent's circle. Rest, we were very much competitive skill-wise, fitness-wise, playing the kind of hockey we wanted to.' Having failed to qualify for the Paris Games, it was vital that India took the Pro League route to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Not having achieved that, the next opportunity comes at the Asia Cup, to be played at Hangzhou, China from September 5-14. It won't be easy as Japan will look to defend their title. India's biggest obstacle could be hosts China, the top Asian team ranked world No.4, the reigning Asian Games champions and Paris Games silver medallists. 'Against China in the last two games (India lost both), we were very much there. We have a 50-50 chance (at the Asia Cup). We have to hold our nerves and keep in mind time and game management. If you know that and are not giving soft PCs, it's always 50-50 against China,' added Harendra. 'We have a new team which has earned many circle penetrations but that doesn't define the result. That's a challenge. The players should control their emotions. They're too eager to score rather than choose the quality of skills which gives you the result by either a goal or a PC.'
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Hockey: Indian women's team face relegation from Pro League – here are scenarios and what's at stake for Harendra Singh's side
Over this weekend in Berlin, the women's FIH Pro League season will come to a close with six teams in action in double-headers. There has been little doubt about which team will finish top of the table, because there really is no one close to the Netherlands in women's hockey at the moment. Having wrapped up the title, the Olympic champions will face Belgium in a no-stakes top three clash. It is at the bottom of the table where the real drama lies. And it involves an Indian team desperate to earn some points to stay in the league for the next season. The three teams that are locked in the battle to avoid relegation are Germany, England and China. While India will face Asian rivals – and arguably the most-improved women's international hockey side in the recent year or so – China, Germany and England go up against each other. With 9 teams competing in the Pro League (both men's and women's), there are two main storylines to follow. Closer to the top, there is a spot to be won at the World Cup next year (for teams that have not already qualified). And at the bottom, the last-placed team gets relegated from the Pro League for the following year. When the Pro League began, there were initially doubts around the importance of the tournament in the calendar and not many teams were sold on it – including India. But gradually, it has gained prominence and relevance. Many teams still see it as a platform to groom talent but results have a meaning because there are end-goals to work towards. After 14 matches played, India are at the bottom of the table with 10 points, having won twice in regulation time, and once earning the shootout bonus after a draw. Germany and England have 13 points and 11 points, respectively. A reminder of the points system: An outright win within regulation time of four quarters means a team will be awarded 3 points. A draw means both teams will earn 1 point before a shootout is played. Then 1 bonus point is awarded to the winner of the shootout. There are no points to the loser of a match in normal time. For tiebreakers, the first criterion is number of wins, followed by goal difference and then goals for. Former India coach Janneke Schopman is the current head coach of Germany and she'd have been mighty relieved after beating China in a tense match on Wednesday, getting one over a familiar rival in Alyson Annan. Germany have destiny in their own hands as they just have to avoid losing outright against England in both matches. England, just below Germany, would be hoping to pull off at least one outright win. David Ralph's side had a fairly productive home leg in London, where they registered two important wins to earn six massive points – one against Australia and another versus Spain, a mighty impressive 4-1 win in the last match at Lee Valley. It is that result that pushed them above India into a relatively comfortable position. India meanwhile, face two daunting matches against Alyson's China, who'd be smarting after the defeat against Germany. China are, of course, the Paris Olympics silver medallists too and will be red-hot favourites to win the Asia Cup later this year. India coach Harendra Singh, on the other hand, has seen his side suffer two close defeats against Australia, and managed to hold Argentina to a draw, and then lost twice against Belgium. For Schopman's Germany, it's simple and in their own hands. They just have to win more points than England. Two draws against England would be enough if they lose both the shootouts. Given their much better goal difference, one outright win for Germany would be enough as India can only equal them in that case. If they lose both matches, however, they'd be under pressure. England are just one point ahead of India, so they are vulnerable too if they can't get a couple of points at least from Germany. England will be safe if India lose both their matches. If England win at least one match against Germany, India will need at least four points from six against China. Finally, India have the toughest task of all three teams. They need at least one positive result from the two matches against China, not easy to begin with. If India get 3 points at least out of 6, England will be forced to win at least one match against Germany. If India somehow get 6 points, they'd still be dependent on England dropping at least one point against Germany. If India do get relegated, then they would have to compete in the next edition of FIH Nations Cup – which is the route they took to earn their current spot in the league. The biggest downside of not being in the Pro League, especially leading up to a World Cup-cum-Asian Games year in 2026, would the lack of structured matches against the best teams in the world. Teams outside the Pro League would be dependent on arranging bilateral Test matches against top teams, and that would be contingent on said teams having time off from their calendars. Even when Pro League wasn't always a priority tournament, it played a big role in the Indian men's team's run to bronze in Tokyo – just the regularity of competing at the top. Having already suffered the setback of not qualifying for Paris 2024, this would further set Indian women's hockey back. Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. ... Read More
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Business Standard
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
FIH Pro League 2025: India women lose to Australia 1-2 after late error
The Indian women's hockey team came agonisingly close to holding world No. 3 Australia to a draw, only to be undone by a late defensive lapse in their FIH Pro League 2025 encounter on Sunday at London's Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. India led for more than half the match and looked set to share the points until Australia converted a last-minute penalty corner to snatch a 2-1 win. Indian coach Janneke Schopman later reflected that the team showed tremendous spirit but needed to manage key moments better. Early Spark Gives India the Edge India made a dream start, with Vaishnavi Phalke finding the net in just the third minute through a brilliant field goal. Her quick anticipation and cool finish gave India a surprise early lead. The Indian midfield, buoyed by the early goal, played with composure, denying Australia any clear chances in the first half. With resolute defending and good ball circulation, India entered half-time with a deserved 1-0 lead, showcasing one of their best starts in the league so far. Australia Strike Back in Second Half The Australians came out with more urgency after the break, and it paid off in the 37th minute. Midfielder Amy Lawton capitalised on a momentary lapse in India's marking to level the scores. The equaliser shifted the momentum slightly in Australia's favour, but India responded with strong counters and stayed in the contest. Despite some close chances for both sides, the deadlock continued deep into the final quarter. Final Minute Heartbreak Just when it seemed India would earn a morale-boosting draw, disaster struck. In the final minute, Lexie Pickering converted a penalty corner variation, catching the Indian defence off guard. The goal, timed at 60:00, sealed India's second straight loss to Australia after Friday's 2-3 defeat. India now turn their focus to Tuesday's match against Argentina, aiming to bounce back with sharper execution in the dying stages.
