Author: Abhishek Mishra

As the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2025-26 Season 2 approaches, all eyes are on the Ranchi Royals, who’s going to play all the matches in it’s home ground. The tournament begins on December 28 with the finals slated on January 10. All the matches of women’s HIL will be played at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi. The tactical blueprint of the Royals for the upcoming season has a distinct South American flavour. After acquiring five of Argentina’s finest talents, the team is signalling a shift toward a high-press, attacking style of play while controlling…

In the world of professional sports leagues, the withdrawal of a franchise owner is usually seen as a death knell for a team. Just a few days before the auction for the 2025-26 men’s and women’s Hockey India League season, the owners of Team Gonasikas and UP Rudras from the men’s HIL, and Odisha Warriors from the women’s HIL, pulled out of the league due to financial sustainability concerns. The future of the players hangs in the balance. The league that made a comeback after a seven-year hiatus again raised some serious questions. While Team Gonasikas and Odisha Warriors were…

Against familiar foes in a high-pressure encounter in Hangzhou, the BWF World Tour Finals campaign of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty came to an end in the semi-finals. They had beaten China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang during their all-win run in the group stage. When it came to the crunch, they lost to the home favourites. Having won three-game thrillers after going down earlier in the competition, Sat-Chi won the first game in the last-four stage. Eventually, they were beaten 21-10, 17-21, 13-21. They failed to maintain the rhythm found in the opener and also made too many unforced…

Three matches and three elite pairs outclassed. At the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou in China, the third-seeded Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty turned the ‘Group of Death’ into their personal playground with tactical maturity and explosiveness. Just days after stunning China’s Paris Olympics silver medallist Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, and outclassing Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Fikri, the former World No. 1 pair dismantled their long-time nemesis Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in a thrilling final group stage clash. They won 17-21, 21-18, 21-15. The Indians topped Group B and moved into…

After downing China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, Paris Olympics silver medallists, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty proved their mettle once again by outclassing the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, to move one step closer to qualifying for the semi-finals of the BWF World Tour Finals 2025. Facing two elite pairs back-to-back, the 2023 Asian Games champions have looked unstoppable, winning two straight matches. The 2025 World Championship bronze medalists rallied past the Indonesians in a three-game thriller, winning 21-11, 16-21, 21-11 in 60 minutes. The Indians are now level at 1–1 in their head-to-head record…

The stage is set for the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou from December 17-21. The prestigious season-ending badminton showdown brings together top eight players and pairs in each discipline from all over the world and for Indian fans all eyes are firmly set on the men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as they’re the only Indians to make the cut. The world No. 3 pair from has been drawn in Group B. The pool is also dubbed as the ‘Group of Death’ where the Indians will face the ultimate test of their tactical maturity and explosive…

The FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 in Chennai will be etched in the memory of Indian hockey fans for the team’s spirited comeback in the last quarter. Trailing Argentina 0-2 until the 48th minute, India pumped in four goals in 12 minutes to snatch the bronze medal. At the heart of that comeback was a dramatic penalty-stroke conversion by Shardanand Tiwari. The defender and penalty-corner specialist from Lucknow, who started from humble beginnings, emerged as a key performer in the knockouts. He not only helped India secure a podium finish, but also delivered when the team looked up to…

Germany added another feather to their cap. They won an eighth junior hockey World Cup and showed why the German machine is unstoppable. At Chennai’s Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium after a tight 1-1 finish in regulation time, German goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer put up a brilliant show. His heroics helped his team prevail 3-2 over Spain in the tie-breaker. It was a match worthy of a final in the true sense. It was Spain’s first-ever final appearance in this competition and they gave their opponents a run for their money. Not as big or muscular as the Germans, the Spaniards demonstrated skilful…

At the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, in a thrilling atmosphere, the Indian colts found redemption by winning the bronze medal playoff 4–2. After trailing 0–2 until the 48th minute, a late comeback helped them seal a spirited victory. For India, Ankit Pal (48’), Manmeet Singh (51’), Shardanand Tiwari (56’) and Anmol Ekka (57’) scored, while for Argentina, Nicolás Rodriguez (2’) and Santiago Fernandez (43’) found the net. The proceedings began with uncharacteristic defensive lapses. Argentina pressed heavily inside India’s half and soon capitalised, finding an early goal within the first three minutes of play. Rodriguez dribbled through India’s circle, and…

Reeling from a tough 1-5 semi-final loss against defending champions Germany, hosts India will now play for pride in the men’s Junior Hockey World Cup bronze-medal match against two-time champions Argentina. Incidentally, Argentina went down to Spain in a thriller. For India, the key to redemption will be to quickly shake off the mental toll of the semi-final defeat. The hosts wouldn’t want to disappoint the home crowd and as they eye a podium finish, on Wednesday, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai. “Going home empty handed is more painful than this disappointment,” a hopeful PR Sreejesh said…