Author: Bharath Ramaraj

On a pleasant Wednesday evening, all one could hear was the echo of the ball hitting the back of the net at the hockey stadium in Ranchi. Only a few of the USA’s players had come for practice ahead of their Olympic Qualifier semi-final against Japan. The volunteers were moving around, providing finishing touches to the arrangements. In a matter of a few hours, you expect the stadium to turn into a hub of cut-and-thrust activity, especially in the backdrop of India clashing against Germany in the other semi-final. The big incentive for the four teams is booking a place…

Just a simple Google search for Diamond gives you the following description, “It is one of the most admired stones on the planet Earth and has been one of the most sought-after jewels for thousands of years.” For the Indian women’s hockey team, that is currently partaking in the Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, the word is as precious but in a different sense. India’s diamond-shaped formation worked wonders against New Zealand and Italy, as they won both matches to book their place in the semi-finals. The home team also moved one step closer to qualifying for the Paris Olympics. The…

While Nikki Pradhan, Indian team’s vice-captain, goes about her job of stopping the opponent from netting a goal, all you can notice is her blue-coloured jersey and the diligence at work. But there is something else that is hidden beneath it: The perseverance to overcome challenges at different periods of her journey. That, on occasions, she had to leave for practice sessions with an empty stomach gives you an idea about her struggle. “We are five kids, the state of our livelihood at that time, we couldn’t afford (much). We used to play by making a stick out of broken…

Just around 25-30 minutes before the commencement of the crucial India-New Zealand Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Ranchi, Savita Punia, the skipper, and Janneke Schopman, the head coach, were involved in an intense battle. It was a practice session, where Schopman’s only aim was to beat the goalkeeper with either the drive or reverse hit. Meanwhile, Savita had to read the shot early and stop it. The intensity on display was such that it didn’t feel like a routine practice session. Schopman, who collected five Olympic and World Cup medals during her playing days, missed the target only once. Savita…

Bharath Ramaraj in Ranchi As New Zealand took a 2-0 lead over Italy in the FIH women’s hockey qualifiers for the Paris Olympics in Ranchi on Saturday, something caught the eye of this writer. It was a hockey fan sitting in a stand next to the media box. It felt like he was following every minute detail related to the match. A little bit of inquisitiveness made me ask him a question or two. Who is your favourite Indian player? By how many goals will India win today? “I’m a casual hockey fan, I don’t know much about the game,…

There is a goal on YouTube from the German captain Nike Lorenz, in a FIH Pro League game against South Korea, which leaves you spellbound. While taking the penalty corner, Germany completely outmanoeuvre their opponents a couple of times with variations before the skipper comes from virtually nowhere to score a goal. The way the drag-flicker and the German side combined to score that goal against a hapless opposition just provides an indicator of how the European team went about their training at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, ahead of the Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifiers…

It is 8.30pm on Thursday and the flight has just made a safe landing at the Ranchi airport. The first few steps you take out of the plane and you end up noticing quite a few banners of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren alongside the eight national captains taking part in the FIH Paris Olympics Qualifiers for women. The event will be held from January 13 to 19. The banners are a clear indicator of the city gearing up for the big-ticket event. India, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in…

The following question would make for good trivia. How many hockey players from Ranchi have represented India at the Olympics? The answer is Jaipal Singh Munda, Ajit Lakra, Nikki Pradhan, Salima Tete, Late Shri Michael Kindo, Late Shri Marang Gomke, Silbanus Dungdung and Manohar Topno. The footprints of Jharkhand’s rich hockey heritage would be on full display in the forthcoming Olympic Qualifiers to be held in Ranchi from January 13 to 19 as four local players – Pradhan, Beauty Dungdung, Tete and Sangita Kumar are from the state – have been named in the squad. Those four players and the…

September 24, 2007 – a day etched in the memory of every Indian cricket fan. Misbah-ul-Haq attempted the scoop and S Sreesanth pouched the all-important catch off Joginder Sharma’s bowling as the MS Dhoni-led side lifted the World T20 trophy. A little less than 17 years later, that remains the only time a bunch of Indian players hoisted that piece of silverware. That the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League hadn’t even taken place makes the triumph even more noteworthy. Leaving aside all the nostalgia surrounding India’s golden run in that tournament, it was quite evident that a group…

Rafael Nadal suffered a setback in his preparation for the 2024 Australian Open after he was laid low by a hip problem during his Brisbane Open quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson, at the Pat Rafter Arena. Incidentally, he had sustained a career-threatening hip flexor injury last year, which required arthroscopy surgery. The 37-year-old Nadal seemed to be gesturing to his box during the latter half of the second set that he was feeling some pain in his leg. In the third set, at 1-4, he also left the court for a few minutes for treatment. Eventually, in a gruelling match…