Monday 4 November 2024

India women’s coach Harendra Singh on Mission 2028 and why the world is ‘scared of Indian-style masala hockey’

In an interview with The Indian Express ahead of the Women's Asian Champions Trophy, India coach Harendra speaks about his 'ghar wapsi' and how he is keeping the team motivated for LA 2028.

by Vinayakk Mohanarangan


(L) Indian women’s hockey team players at a training camp at Indian Naval Academy in July. (R) Head coach Harendra Singh (Photos: Hockey India)

There was excitement both ways when Harendra Singh returned from his stint in the USA to take over as Indian women’s hockey team head coach earlier this year. For the players, it was joyous to see a familiar face. For Harendra, it was ‘ghar wapsi’ — a chance to work again with the national setup after a while. But it was clear to him in the first few days that there was a need for a rebuild. After the highs of finishing 4th at the Tokyo Olympics, the women’s team failed to even qualify for Paris 2024. Harendra’s first thought was to press the reset button. He identified fitness as a primary focus area. A military-style boot camp was organised at the Indian Naval Academy in Kannur, Kerala late in July that included activities like boat-pulling, obstacle course, night camps and tugs of war. And now, ahead of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar starting November 11, Harendra believes a new cycle must begin. The Indian Express caught up with the head coach for an interview.

Den Bosch create Hoofdklasse history with unbeaten run



Den Bosch produced a Hoofdklasse record on Saturday evening as their 2-0 win over Huizen saw them go 51 games without defeat in the women’s competition.

Preview: 14th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship set to begin on Monday in Chennai

The tournament will feature 31 teams divided into eight pools

New Delhi: The 14th edition of the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship is set to kick off on Monday, November 4th, 2024, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A total of 31 teams, divided into eight pools, will compete in the tournament, which will run until November 16th.

Hockey Nationals 2024: Olympic bronze medallists Lalit Upadhyay, Rajkumar Pal set to shine for Uttar Pradesh

Forward Lalit and midfielder Rajkumar believe that representing the State in Nationals would inspire the next generation of players, who look up to them

K. Keerthivasan


India international Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (left) will represent Uttar Pradesh in the 14th Hockey India-Senior National championship. (File Photo) | Photo Credit: AP

Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Rajkumar Pal played quite an important role in the Indian men’s hockey team’s historic bronze medal win in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, the two players are eagerly looking forward to playing for their State, Uttar Pradesh, with as much passion as they did for the country, in the 14th Hockey India-Senior National championship to be held at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from November 4 to 16.

Weekend Round-Up: Irish League Leaders continue dominance, as Three Rock and Old Alex pick up crucial points.



Dublin: Several sides build on their strong performances last weekend to continue their journey upward in the table, with other sides faltering in their pursuit of the league title. In the Men’s EY Hockey League, Lisnagarvey secured top spot, now a point ahead of Three Rock Rovers following Three Rock’s bonus point draw against Banbridge. In the Women’s EYHL, Loreto made it seven games without a loss, increasing the gap at the top further thanks to Pembroke’s win over Catholic Institute. UCD climbed out of last place thanks to their win over UCC.

U SPORTS Canadian Championships Gold Medal Game

Vikes Crowned FHC U SPORTS Champions


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

The Gold Medal Game of the U SPORTS Field Hockey Championships took place Sunday afternoon with the host York Lions taking on the undefeated UVIC Vikes.

U SPORTS Championships Bronze Medal Game

Warriors Capture Bronze Medal at U SPORTS Championships


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

The final day of the U SPORTS Invitational Field Hockey Championship would begin with the bronze medal match between the UPEI Panther and Waterloo Warriors.

Field hockey wins sixth-straight U SPORTS championship

Alexis Chevalier



Toronto, Ont. – The University of Victoria field hockey team captured its sixth-straight U SPORTS national championship title with a 1-0 win over York University, Nov. 3 in the gold medal game.

NCAA Division 1 results - 4 November

Gritty Lancers Rally, Win Finale in Shootout

Tierney Scores Game Winning Penalty Shot, Longwood Downs Georgetown 2-1



FARMVILLE, Va. – Talk about grit. Longwood field hockey gutted out a tough win over Georgetown, winning in a shootout 2-1.

Hofstra’s Season Concludes at Vermont



Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra field hockey team's 2024 season came to a disappointing conclusion on Sunday with a 4-0 defeat at Vermont from Moulton Winder Field.

Aggies Grasp No. 6 Seed In The America East After Loss To UMASS



The short story: Despite a quick goal by Katie Kim in the first quarter, UC Davis field hockey fell to UMass 4-1, securing the sixth seed for the America East Championship Tournament and setting the stage for a tough fight in the postseason.

Terriers Fall to Cornell, 2-1, in Regular-Season Finale



BOSTON - The Boston University field hockey team dropped a 2-1 contest to visiting Cornell on Sunday afternoon in the regular-season finale at New Balance Field. The Terriers honored seven team members for a Senior Day ceremony before they played their final home game.

Penn field hockey falls to Brown to finish season

In a disappointing 4-3 loss to Brown, the Quakers missed out on securing a spot in the Ivy League playoffs.

By Ishani Modi


Credit: Anna Vazhaeparambil , Anna Vazhaeparambil    

Penn field hockey was left swinging for the fences after a 4-3 loss to Brown on Saturday.

Field hockey finishes off perfect Ivy League regular season, escapes Yale 1-0

Emilia Reay


Beth Yeager scored her sixth game winning goal of the season for Princeton, and the lone goal of the 1-0 win. Photo by Shelley M. Szwast | The Daily Princetonian

No. 10 Princeton field hockey (12–4 overall, 7–0 Ivy League) rallied to beat Yale (10–6 overall, 3–4 Ivy League) this Saturday. This matchup was a hard-fought victory as the game remained scoreless until the end of the fourth quarter, with the Tigers coming out on top to complete a perfect Ivy League season.

Owls close regular season with win against Lehigh

Temple Field Hockey earned a 2-0 Senior Day win against Lehigh on Sunday afternoon.

Colin Schofield


Temple Field Hockey closed out its regular season with a 2-0 win against Lehigh. | JEREMY SHOVER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

With Temple locked into the Big East Tournament, the Owls entered their senior day against Lehigh on Sunday hoping to continue building momentum. Neither team could separate themselves after nearly two-quarters of play despite Temple’s numerous chances to break the dam.