7th Women's Asia Cup 2009 Day 4 Results Pool Table

Some more updates are available on the website.

http://womenshockeyasiacup2009bangkok.blogspot.com/

The Points (Pool) Table, Fixtures, Results are updated as well.

7th Women's Hockey Asia Cup 2009

The following site will track all the developments,news, results, fixtures, pool standings and table of the 7th Women's Hockey Asia Cup, 2009, in Bangkok, Thailand.

http://womenshockeyasiacup2009bangkok.blogspot.com/

India beats Canada 6-0 in 7 Test Series

In the 7 Test Series, India beat Canada 6-0 thereby registering a comprehensive victory in 7 match Test Series between India and Canada hosted by Canada from 10th Oct to 24th Oct 2009.

1st Match: India Won 2-0 Tushar Khandkar(FG), Sandeep Singh(PC)
2nd Match: India Won 4-3 Dhajanay Mahadik (2PC), Mohammad Amir Khan (FG), Shivendra Singh (FG)

3rd Match: Draw 4-4 Sandeep Singh (4PC)

4th Match: India Won 2-0 Vikram Pillay(FG), Rajpal Singh(FG)

5th Match: India Won  3-1 Danish Mujtaba(FG), Sandeep Singh(PC), Sandeep Singh(PC)

6th Match: India Won 3-1 Shivendra Singh(FG), Sarwanjit Singh(FG), Shivendra Singh(FG)

7th Match: India Won 3-2 Prabhjot Singh(FG), Gurvinder Chandi(FG), Tushar Khandkar(FG)

Congratulations to the whole team and their coach, Jose Brasa!

Source: http://www.fieldhockey.ca/

I love Indian Hockey Players but...

I am deeply saddened by something that has happened recently with regards to my Hockey life.

I heard from unreliable sources, that a lot of people are upset with regards to my not-for-profit efforts in the field of Hockey. Reason, is simple: They wonder and doubt what makes me come to Hockey.

If I say, I love Hockey and that's what makes me do work and spend for Hockey -> Is percieved as, I have some hidden agenda.

Who am I? I am just another simple looking face in the crowd. I am an ordinary man in Bangalore. By his (whomsoever created this World) grace, I have things that a person of my age can dream of having.

Apart from that, I just love Hockey. But it doesn't end here. I dream of a future where children of today grow up tomorrow and feel a pride in saying, 'I love Hockey.' I don't want my children to be like the way many of my friends are. Many people in my circle don't know about Hockey. I want to change this tomorrow. I want to see a better tomorrow.

Now, what do I get? The question is simple, but if one can understand, the answer is simple too. And the answer: A happiness of my face which not many people have today.

Now the criticism and apprehension come from none other than former players, whom I respect enormously. I have seen their videos and their games. They were the best and some still are, even today.

However, I saw the darker side of their characters. I realized how ordinary human beings they are that they feel ignored and threatened by my efforts in the field of Hockey. Remember, not more than 200 people know me all over the World.

These people are the ones whom the whole World knows and loves. The media writes about them. Hence, the city, the state and the country looks up to them. They are award winners.

They say when they, who are the official lovers of the game are not involved in such activities, then who am I?

I am saddened to say, we have very less role models in the Hockey fraternity.

With a very low state of mind, I have to say, I am a fan of all such players but only of their on-field activities.

However, one thing even this low state of mind knows -> Criticism makes a person more strong in what he wants.

I will pursue my vision of tomorrow, this time with added passion.

Should Government help Indian Hockey?

Disclaimer: By this blog, I am not targetting any individual. I am targetting a mindset - the mindset of getting things without 'earning' them, the mindset of recognition only in India and not abroad. By no means, I intend to dishonour any awarding systems or awards such. I respect each and every player or individual who ever made it to the playing-11.

Check this link:
http://blogs.cricinfo.com/surfer/archives/2009/09/harsha_unplugg.php
Harsha Bhogle has a point. A person of his calibre anyway can't just simply blabber anything.

The thing that bothers me, all the while, is the dependency of the whole system on the Government. For everything that went wrong, Government is responsible. Government is not taking care of development of Hockey, Government is not providing the facilities, Government is not taking care of health and care, players future, and the list goes on.

I actually feel, we need a scapegoat and we have picked "Government" for that.
Many Hockey players pursue sports like bread and butter. They don't study, they just play Hockey with the eventual dream to play for the country. They play finally, get themselves a Public Sector job through Sports Quota (remember, it comes irrespective of qualification) and then keep blaming that company itself (read it, Government) for various things that go wrong in their professional lives.
It doesn't stop at that. When they don't get assistance when they expect, you know who you can blame!
Answer me a question: You played and only played all your life. If you ask me, you had fun through out. You pursued "your passion". How come you can ask Government for freebies in that case?

When it come to awards, our aim is only to get Government recognition, i.e. Arjuna Award. That is what they fight for, year after year.
I beg your pardon, there are other awards as well, remember FIH Player of the year?
Not many think about this is evident from the fact that not many know when and where Champions Trophy is happening, because India is not playing in that. Our knowledge of International Hockey is below average.
Leave aside International award, Indian Players fail to make it to FIH All Star Hockey team either every year. If not the saving grace by Dilip Tirkey, (that too in 2007) Indian players don't even feature anywhere close to that list.
Can you blame the Government for that as well?
India doesn't win any major tournament that's a different (and debatable) topic but shouldn't Indian players feature in such lists? Fair enough, the coach, the system, the Federation is all screwed up but why doesn't your name go beyond Arjuna Award?

But somewhere we think small and we contend with small things. And then, when, one wins Arjuna Award or a Dronacharya Award it is sufficient to pave his way with the Government (officials) and we all, being title obsessed ( e.g.: My visiting card may read: Shashank Gupta, xyz Awardee), start saluting an Arjuna Awardee and treat them as demi-Gods.

We have to think big, only then we can achieve that. One thing I know, for sure, is big things are not achieved by dependency on a State, it's achieved by creating a system that's not dependent on freebies and continous non stop grants...

Jose Brasa does well with Indian Hockey

Jose Brasa did well to keep the expectations of Indian people low. He stated clearly: This tour is to give the team the exposure of new techniques rather than winning.
Here's what they did:
India v England, Birmingham
First Test: Lost 1-3
Second Test: Won 3-2
Third Test: Lost 3-4
England won the series 2-1
India v Belgium, Braxgata,Boom
First Test: Lost 3-6
Second Test: Won 4-3
Third Test: Won 2-0
India won the series 2-1
India v Spain, Terassa, Spain
First Test: Lost 8-2
Second Test: Won 1-0
Third Test: Lost 4-5
Spain won the series 2-1
India v Netherlands, Amsterdam:
First Test: Lost 3-5
Second Test: Draw 3-3

Current FIH ranking is as follows:
Spain - 3
Netherlands - 4
England - 7
Belgium - 9
India - 12

Getting beaten by Spain 8-2 and then making a comeback of 1-0 is no joke by any means.
Beating England in the test series is not that simple. The same England was nearly invincible in Chile Olympics in early 2008. So, I give points to the Indian coach here as well.
India has met Belgium in Azlan Shah as well. So, beating a better ranked team is surely a morale booster.
However, the pleasant surprise comes with Netherlands. First Test lost 3-5. NOT BAD! .. and 2nd test, finishes 3-3. Netherlands is one of the tuftest teams of contemporary Hockey.
I will peacefully believe that Jose Brasa is not doing that bad at all.
I hope and wish this momentum keeps going on.
Well done, Mr. Brasa! Keep going on like this!

Indian Hockey goalkeeper Baljit Singh may loose his eye

It's a sad and very unfortunate news.
While training in Pune, 2 days back, Baljit Singh, got hurt in his right eye, really badly.
He was rushed to AIIMS, Delhi, and there, he has undergone operation. The doctors have not given anyone any hope of his vision being saved.

With absolutely no comment on anything apart from my concern for him, I wish and pray that he recovers with minimal damage to his vision. I feel sad and bad for him...