Living up to his legacy has been the cornerstone of Indian hockey player Hardik Singh's career. Having won bronze medals in successive Olympic Games in Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024), the midfielder is now targeting a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. This will be the second Olympic gold medal in his family, adding to the one that his uncle Gurmail Singh bagged as part of the Indian men's hockey team in the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Hardik says there is no pressure and no competition to upstage his uncle but to keep going the family's history of serving the country on the hockey field. "There is no competition, but it is a legacy that is going on in my family. I am always inspired by what my uncle has won. So, I will be a lot more focused on winning the gold medal. Hockey is India's national sport and I want to claim the gold medal for my country and my family," Hardik told IANS in an exclusive interview. Winning the Olympic gold is his long-term target, the immediate aim is to win a medal in the upcoming 2026 World Cup in Belgium and Netherlands. A fifth-generation hockey player, the 26-year-old from Khusropur, Jalandhar district of Punjab has followed in the footsteps of his father Varinderpreet Singh, his uncles Gurmail Singh and Jugraj Singh and aunt Rajbir Kaur, all of them are international players. His grandfather Preetam Singh Rai has a hockey association as he has coached many players. Also Read: Mumbai Customs win Masters Hockey Carnival in Goa Hardik has taken this legacy forward though there was a day in 2012 when he had contemplated quitting the game for good and settling in the Netherlands, as he was finding it difficult to break into the national team. He was persuaded by his uncles, particularly Jugraj Singh, and friends not to lose heart and to continue pursuing the sport and success would come to him. Hardik did just that and the rest as they say is history. He now has two Olympic medals, an Asian Games gold medal (Hangzhou 2022), a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and many more international accolades. The icing on the cake was the FIH Player of the Year he won in 2024, cementing his position among the top players in the world. Though winning an Olympic gold medal is his ultimate aim, Hardik says currently his focus is to continue giving his best to the Indian hockey team in whichever way possible. Hardik will have to play a crucial role for the Indian hockey team in the next two seasons. India go into a hectic season with the revived Hockey India League (HIL) in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, which will be followed by the FIH Pro League matches starting in February. The team will also play Asia Cup next year which will be followed by the World Cup qualifiers in case India fail to grab a direct berth to the quadrennial extravaganza to be hosted jointly by Belgium and Netherlands in August 2026. Hardik has already played two World Cups, in 2018 and 2023, both in India. "At the moment, we are going step by step that we have Asia Cup now so we will focus on that and then there is World Cup and we will focus on that. Because when you have such a big aim, you have to go step-by-step. Right now our main aim is that we continue to go talk stock of where we are going, grow strong as a team and play good and error-free hockey," said Hardik. Hardik, along with some senior members of the team and the coaching staff led by coach Craig Fulton have already embarked on that journey. They are currently in Breda, Netherlands for a series of exhibition matches to prepare for the upcoming events. Fulton has picked a number of youngsters to test them and help them integrate into the team. The creative mind of the team as the midfield general who goes running tirelessly up and down the field, Hardik is now a senior player and sees himself playing a key role in guiding the youngsters and helping them assimilate into the team's playing style and culture. "Training here in Breda makes me a bit nostalgic. I remember a few years back I had come to this same place as part of the Indian squad in which I was the youngest and my seniors helped me integrate into the team. Now I have to perform the role my seniors played at that time," Hardik told IANS from Breda on Friday afternoon as he enjoyed a rare off-day from hockey training. The new-look Indian team will play some exhibition matches will some Dutch clubs and is also hoping to play two matches against the Olympic champions Netherlands team. They will then embark on a new journey in the Hockey India League (HIL) another legacy event for Hardik as he took part in the 2017 edition as a very young player. "It is a great opportunity for us and the young players to play some of the top international stars, watch them closely and compete with them as part of rival franchises. If you see the Indian team that won bronze in Tokyo in 2021, all of those players had come through the HIL. So, HIL is going to play a big role in our success in 2028 and beyond," said Hardik. Outside of the hockey field, the 26-year-old is a Punjab government employee and wants to get married and settle down. He says parents and spouses play a key role in keeping hockey players going. So, to complete that setup, Hardik says he wants to get married soon. "Away from hockey, my aim is to get married," he says laughing out loud. That would prove an easier target to achieve for Hardik as he is currently one of the most eligible bachelors in the Indian hockey team, a star player with a good government job. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. 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01 December,2024 08:52 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSTop Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen cruised to the women’s and men’s singles finals with dominating victories at the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament here Saturday. Top seed Sindhu outclassed the 17-year-old compatriot Unnati Hooda 21-12, 21-9 in just 36 minutes in the semifinal, while Lakshya outclassed Japan’s Shogo Ogawa 21-8, 21-14 in 42 minutes. Hooda struggled to challenge Sindhu, committing a series of unforced errors that allowed her illustrious opponent to maintain control throughout the match. “I am happy with today’s performance. From the beginning, I maintained the lead. I was just trying out a few strokes and overall, I was confident with the way I was playing,” Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, said after the match. Also Read: Sindhu on song, Lakshya off tune “Unnati played her best, but I didn’t give her a chance to overtake me. She is an upcoming player, and I wish her all the very best.” A former world champion, Sindhu, currently ranked 18th, will face China’s Wu Luo Yu in the final as she chases her third Syed Modi International title. “I need to go back and prepare for tomorrow because it’s not going to be easy. From the beginning, I need to give my best,” said Sindhu. Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya, on the other hand, will face Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh in the summit clash. India’s mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila advanced to the final with a convincing straight-game victory over China’s Zhi Hong Zhou and Jia Yi Yang. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 December,2024 08:49 AM IST | Lucknow | PTIDefending champions India delivered a commanding performance to storm into the semi-final of the men’s Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament with a resounding 16-0 win over Chinese Taipei here on Saturday. Dilraj Singh led the charge with four goals, while Rosan Kujur and Sourabh Anand Kushwaha scored hat-tricks, as India completely outclassed their opponents. Also Read: High five for Kabir With three consecutive victories, the PR Sreejesh-coached side sit atop Pool A with nine points, ahead of Japan (6) and have qualified for the last-four with a round to spare. India will face Korea in their final group match on December 1, with the semi-final scheduled for December 3. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 December,2024 08:48 AM IST | Muscat (Oman) | PTIOscar Piastri was gifted victory by his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in Saturday’s sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix as the British team consolidated their bid for the constructors’ title for the first time since 1998 with a 1-2 triumph. In an example of perfect teamwork, Norris led from pole to flag before slowing to allow Piastri to win by 0.136 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in third. Also Read: McLaren lose appeal over Norris penalty The result secured 15 points for McLaren in their bid to resist Ferrari, extending their advantage to 34 points with two Grands Prix remaining. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished fourth ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas. “It was defence all the way the whole race for me,” said Piastri. “I had a good start and then Turn One, but not the pace I needed and then I was struggling, but it was great teamwork and a great McLaren 1-2!” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 December,2024 08:47 AM IST | Doha | AFPIndian challenger D Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw with white pieces in the fifth game of the World Chess Championship against defending champion Ding Liren of China here Saturday. The second draw in a row left both players with an identical tally on 2.5 points apiece, still shy of 5 more points in order to win the championship. The two players signed peace after 40 moves. It was the third draw of the match. The 32-year-old Liren had won the opening game before the two played out draws in the second and fourth game. The 18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest ever challenger for the crown and had won the third game on Wednesday. Gukesh’s rook trade blunder After missing out on a simple rook trade that could have made life easy, Gukesh admitted that he blundered midway, though he survived the scare. “I realised I blundered but I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t know how bad it was really... my position almost collapsed. Yeah, I just blundered but it was OK... I was confident that I would hold on,” said Gukesh in the post-game press conference. Also Read: ‘Chess is our gift to the world’ On the 14th and 15th move, Liren spent a lot of time and found the best solution when it just looked that Gukesh was ready to press for more. However, the aggression shown by Gukesh only made things worse for him when a draw looked imminent. “I just should have gone for the rook’s trade and the game would have been a draw anyway,” said Gukesh. “I am not sure why the opponent did not play [a Bishop manoeuvre] that I was very worried about,” he added. On his performance so far in the match, Gukesh said, “It is still early, not even halfway through. Important games yet to come. Considering I was trailing after losing the first game, it is nice to be here. I am trying to take one game at a time.” Liren was his usual self and conceded that he did not realise he had advantage in the endgame. When asked if a draw was a good result as black, the defending champion said, “I always try to play my best and somehow it settled for a draw. “Results are not ideal because I have got some chances in the games till now, even today I had advantage but I didn’t realise, there is something to improve in the next rounds.” It was the first time in the match so far that Liren did not have any problems with his black pieces. The defending champion was at ease as Gukesh yet again employed the King’s pawn opening and faced the French defense for the second time in the match. Having lost the first game in the same opening, caution was the name of the game for Gukesh as he went for the Exchange variation only to find Liren well equipped. The opening, though has been tried at the top on and off, did not present black with any herculean defensive task as Liren showed after exchanging the queens early. A pair of rooks changed hands soon after, leaving Gukesh with a level position. But, the Indian, true to his style, tried to create an imbalanced position soon after by allowing Liren to get a protected passed pawn on the sixth rank. Equal endgame Liren did not find the most tested continuation and instead went for an equal endgame with Bishops of opposite colours. There was no doubt about the result of the game anymore but Liren decided to part with a pawn and got a fortress which did not allow any player to make further progress. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 December,2024 08:47 AM IST | Singapore | PTIOlympic mixed doubles badminton gold medallist Zheng Siwei of China announced on Friday that he will retire from international competition and next month's BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou will be his "last dance." "Many people expect me to play at least until the Los Angeles Olympics or even longer. Considering our competitiveness, we just won the Olympic gold and ranked among the top in the world rankings. As for why I suddenly stopped playing, my answer is, this is my life plan," the 27-year-old wrote on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Zheng said that returning to the family is one of the important reasons for him to retire from international competition, reports Xinhua. Also Read: "Trust your game like Virat Kohli": Ponting tells these Australian batsmen "My life pursuit focuses on both family and career. Everyone knows that I married relatively early, and now I've just had a second baby, so I want to return to the family." After finishing runners-up at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Zheng and his partner Huang Yaqiong won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, finishing the tournament with a 6-0 record without dropping a set in the process. "Along the way, we constantly made breakthroughs and broke records. We faced challenges and doubts, but we never stopped and we finally achieved the Grand Slam," wrote Zheng. Zheng added that he chose the BWF World Tour Finals as his farewell event as the host city of Hangzhou is where his professional career began. The season-ending BWF World Tour tournament will be held from December 11 to 15. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 November,2024 01:43 PM IST | Beijing | IANSRomania’s Simona Halep on Friday rounded on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for discrepencies in the treatment of World No. 2 Iga Swiatek after testing positive for a banned substance. The ITIA announced a one-month ban on Thursday for Swiatek after the 23-year-old had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024, when the Polish player was ranked No. 1 in the world. Also Read: Leclerc on top for Ferrari in practice Halep, now 33, returned to tennis in March this year after her own career had been on hold since October 7, 2022, the date of the start of her provisional suspension after testing positive for roxadustat at the US Open. The winner of the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon singles titles was then caught up in a second affair, this time “irregularities” in the data of her biological passport. She was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA, but Halep successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in February. “I wonder why there is such a difference in treatment and judgment? I don’t find and I don’t think there can be a logical answer,” Halep said in a long message posted in Romanian on her Instagram account. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 November,2024 08:46 AM IST | Paris | AFPCharles Leclerc demonstrated Ferrari’s potential for wrecking McLaren’s bid for a first title in 26 years when he topped the times ahead of Lando Norris in Friday’s opening practice at the Qatar Grand Prix. Also Read: Solid Samridh ensures draw for Parag English The Ferrari driver clocked a best lap in 1min 21.953sec late in the session to finish 0.4 seconds clear of nearest rival Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri who are bidding to seal McLaren’s first constructors’ championship success since 1998. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 November,2024 08:42 AM IST | Doha | AFPDelhi SG Pipers have announced the appointment of experienced Australian and three-time Olympian, Jacob Whetton and India’s double Olympic medallist, midfielder Shamsher Singh as co-captains of their men’s team for Season 1 of the revamped Hockey India League. Besides, the Delhi franchise of HIL also named India vice captain and striker Navneet Kaur as their skipper for the women’s team. The franchise also named Belgian defender Emma Puvrez as Navneet’s deputy. The four-team women’s HIL will make its debut this season. Also Read: Shuttlers Harshit, Ketaki emerge champions “I am honoured and it is an absolute privilege to be named co-captain of the Delhi SG Pipers for the upcoming Hockey India League with Indian hockey superstar Shamsher. The Hockey India League provides such a fantastic opportunity to play with and against the best hockey players in the world in a competitive environment every day!”, Whetton said on being named the co-captain. Whetton was a part of the Australian team that won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is a highly decorated player with multiple achievements to his credit. He is also a 2014 World Cup winner, two-time FIH Pro League Winner, three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a double Champions Trophy winner. Shamsher too was thrilled with the responsibility entrusted to him. “I would like to thank Delhi SG Pipers for making me the team’s co-captain along with Whetton. I would also like to thank the entire team management including chief coach Graham Reid and mentor PR Sreejesh for trusting me. I am really excited for the league and we have put together a strong squad. We will promise to give our best and perform well,” Shamsher said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 November,2024 08:36 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSDefending champion Harshit Mahimkar of Blossom High School (Marine Lines) and Ketaki Thite of Rose Manor International (Santacruz) emerged victorious in the boys and girls U-16 categories, respectively at the MSSA inter-school badminton tournament at the Cricket Club of India (boys) and Bombay Gymkhana (girls) on Thursday. Also Read: A Battle of Equals In the boys’ U-16 final, top-seeded Harshit displayed dominance and composure. Having being down 3-6 against Akshat Raisurana of Bombay International School (Gamdevi). Harshit’s wrist work and strategic play wore down his opponent in the second game to secure the title with a 21-10, 21-13. Ketaki showcased a fine performance, upsetting top-seeded Riya Vinherkar of Bombay Scottish International (Mahim) in the final with a 21-18, 21-16 scoreline. In the boys’ U-14 final, Sharvil Tembulkar of Yashodham HS (Goregaon) defeated Shoubhit Das of Universal High School (Thane) 22-24, 21-17, 21-11. In the girls’ U-14 final, Anvisha Ghorpade of Sane Guruji English Medium School (Dadar) defeated Imaan Motorwala of Fazlani La Academia Globale (Mazgaon) winning 21-13, 21-19.
30 November,2024 08:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamIndian Grandmaster D Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren played out a mostly risk-free draw in the fourth round to remain level on points in the World Chess Championship battle here on Friday. The two players signed peace after 42 moves vide repetition and are tied on two points each after four games of the 14-round showdown. The first to reach 7.5 points will be crowned the champion. Big prospect Gukesh, 18, who was playing with black on Friday, is the youngest ever challenger for the title and had won the third game on Wednesday. “Towards the end, I had some chances to press better but with black, this is all you can expect,” Gukesh said after the game. Also Read: SL in trouble at 103-5, chasing 516 for win v SA “I am just trying to make good moves,” he added when asked about the prospect of becoming the youngest world champion. Liren, 32, had won the opening game before the two played out a draw in the second game. “This round, I tried to play safe. It turns out I got a little bit of an advantage. The score is still balanced. There are more games to come,” Liren said. “I had a rest day to recover from the tough loss. I am in a very good mood. It worked well, not so bad,” he added. With just 10 games remaining under the classical time control, Gukesh will have the advantage of playing white in the fifth game. Liren banking on skills On Friday, Liren started with the bird’s opening trying to take out on the queen’s bishop early in the opening which was a clear indication that the Chinese wanted to fight the Indian on the skill rather than preparation. Gukesh was up to the task in responding as he matched Liren move for move and the pieces traded hands leading to equality. The players eventually reached rook and pawns endgame which was theoretically drawn and the split of a point was a just result. Viswanathan Anand is so far the only Indian to have won the title, having claimed it five times in his career. The semi-retired legend made the ceremonial first move for Gukesh on Friday. The game took shape sans theThe two players will have their second rest day on Monday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 November,2024 08:31 AM IST | Singapore | PTIADVERTISEMENT
