Follow the latest in India Sports News, Reports & Features

The Indian hockey team has been placed in a relatively easy group for the FIH Series Finals, the first-round qualifiers for the Olympics, to be played in Bhubaneswar from June 6. India didn’t get a direct qualification for the Olympics after losing to Malaysia in the Asian Games semi-final.

Striker Rani Rampal will lead the Indian women’s hockey squad with Savita as her deputy in the upcoming tour to Spain starting from January 26. Defender Sushila Chanu has made a comeback into the Indian side after missing the World Cup for the tour where India will meet Spain and Ireland. 

Former skipper Sardar Singh has been named in the 13-member selection committee of Hockey India which is headed by another former player BP Govinda. Sardar had earlier announced his retirement from the game after India’s disappointing performance at the Asian Games in August last year. 

In a letter to SAI, Harendra Singh has lashed out at the senior officials of Hockey India and revealed that he was asked to remove the names of Rupinderpal Singh, SV Sunil, and Birendra Lakra from the World Cup squad. India suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Netherlands in the quarter-finals.