Oh Sir Alex Ferguson, seldom called Chapman,

A lad from Govan, an inspiration, a motivation,

A knighted champion.

Thee on field displayed artistry,

Spawned us history, left a legacy,

For the rivals, drenching misery.

Oh Sir Alex Ferguson,

I was a straying sperm,

When you reached Old Trafford’s helm,

Now a man in making.

You are our dearest teacher,

A scholar, an advisor, a caring shoulder,

And that colossal godfather.

Twenty six years it was,

Many a hurdle did you surpass,

With time you swam across,

With patience and elegance.

You’re the heart and zest of time,

Life’s cardinal shine,

You’re the earth and skyline,

The soil and life beneath sea line.

Oh Sir Alex Ferguson,

I swear in the name of heaven,

I will go with you forever,

Here there, near and far.

And, I with you dearly,

Like Burham’s Barmy army,

Forever will be your red army.

Here is the list of the top 10 players to have never been red-carded in the EPL.

*Stats current upto 18th May, 2013 

The flying fish from Baltimore – Michael Phelps, one of the most celebrated athletes ever will be forever synonymous to Swimming and surreality. Here are a few quotes by the legend:

“It’s tough to put into words right now, but I finished my career how I wanted to. Through the ups and downs of my career I’ve still been able to do everything that I’ve ever wanted to accomplish.”

“If I want to achieve the goals I’ve set, I’ve got to be in tip-top shape.”

“Every rivalry is different.  Crocker and I was different from what Ryan and I have. Ryan and I, we swim so many different strokes against each other. Crocker and I really only swam one event. But it is fun.”

“Ryan definitely brings out the best in me.”

“I am excited to have the opportunity to help provide the same swim instruction that I received as a child when I was enrolled in a water safety class at five-years-old.”

“If you dream as big as you can dream, anything is possible.”

“I wanted to do something nobody ever did. This goes hand in hand with my goal of changing swimming.”

“This is all a dream come true. Doing all best times. Winning every race. Everything was accomplished that I wanted to do. It’s been one fun week, that’s for sure.”

“Everything had to go perfect. Everything had to fall perfectly into place and I was able to have probably the best week of my life.”

“I’m tired and sore, but I’m still feeling decent in the water.”

“Not having to travel and being able to settle in has helped me in training life and school life. I’ve learned to get a grip and take care of myself.”

“If you’re not on your game every day, you’re going to get smoked. Our environment is very energetic.”

“Everything can’t go perfect. It’s all about how you adapt from those things and learn from experiences, learn from mistakes.”

“Swimming is normal for me. I’m relaxed. I’m comfortable, and I know my surroundings. It’s my home.”

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

“I won’t predict anything historic. But nothing is impossible.”

“If I didn’t swim my best, I’d think about it at school, at dinner, with my friends. It would drive me crazy.”

“I love to race the best people in the world and the fastest people in the world.”

“I have reached a place in my life where I need to sit down and say, ‘Well, what do I do? What’s best for me?’ I need to look into options for the future.”

“I’m the same kind of guy before all this happened.”

“Being compared to Ian Thorpe, that could be one of the greatest compliments you could ever get in swimming—being compared to him and Mark Spitz.”

“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.”

“I’ve always been fortunate in that I’ve been able to put myself in my own zone and relax. It comes naturally. I’m lucky to be that way.”

“My goal is one Olympic gold medal. Not many people in this world can say, ‘I’m an Olympic gold medallist.’”

“Every day after I wake up, I think, ‘Wait … this can’t be real; I’m still going to wake up.’”

“Swimming is more than a once-every-four-years sport. My goal is to bring attention to swimming—to give it some personality.”

“I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.”

“I have the opportunity to be part of swimming history. To take the sport to a new level would be an honour for me. There’s no better time to try this than now.”

“I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I’d like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.”

One of most iconic players on the football field, England’s David Beckham has finally left the game he once ruled. Here is what those associated with football had to say about David Beckham at one point of time.

“He’s a normal, likeable, straightforward boy.” - Sir Alex Ferguson

“David impresses by his example on the field. He never stops running, he plays with supreme confidence, he always tries his hardest and he scores important goals.” – Sir Alex Ferguson

“He’s a winner. There’s no doubt about that, and it’s stating the obvious to say that he’s a tremendous talent.” - Former English soccer great Kevin Keegan

“He is such a great player that he has the capabilities to let no one affect his game.” – English coach Steve McClaren

“He is a tremendous player and he has contributed so much to the success of Manchester United. He is a world-class performer, so any team would want to accommodate him.” - French star Zinedine Zidane

“We’ve never had a pop-star footballer quite like David. People here simply can’t get enough.” –  Daily Telegraph writer Alan Smith

“In my opinion David Beckham is the one footballer of the modern generation who has done the game a great service. Football needs someone like him terribly badly, and providing he can keep a lid on his temper, he’s the perfect frontman for the game.” - Media personality Michael Parkinson

“His football does not seem to suffer by all of this going on around him. You look at his passing and he makes it look so simple. When he passes the ball, it always seems to go where he wants it to go. That sounds simple, but believes me, it is not.” - Coach Graham Taylor

“It’ll be interesting to see how he integrates socially into the team.” –  LA Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan

“David is the most iconic of all footballers.” – David’s business manager Simon Fuller

“There’s no doubt that he’s the biggest sports star in the world now.” - British writer Nick Hornby

“Whereas Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan are respected, Beckham is loved, adored, worshipped in some parts of the world. He has an almost godlike status.” - Staffordshire University professor Ellis Cashmore

 ”David is a model dad.” - David’s wife Victoria

“Real Madrid now without David Beckham is unimaginable.” - Sportswriter Tom Watt

“He is the best passer of a ball in the world, and Real’s style fits him.” – Welsh star Ryan Giggs

“Signing players of Beckham’s stature would be a wonderful step in the right direction not just for the Galaxy but for soccer in America.” - Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas

With the advent of time and its recent lackadaisical outings, hockey in India has lost its shine. However, it’s the game that took India onto the world stage. So here’s a few facts one should know about World Hockey and Indian Hockey.

Facts about World Hockey:

• Blackheath Rugby and Hockey Club is the first hockey club in the world. It was set up in the year 1861 in England.

• London was the first city in England to popularize this game in the 1870s.

• In the year 1886, Hockey Association of England was formed in London.

• The apex institution of hockey is ‘Federation Internationale de Hockey’, which was established on January 7, 1924, with headquarters at Vienna (Austria), which was later shifted to Paris (France). The first International Hockey Match was played between Wales and Ireland in Rayle on June 26, 1895.

• Hockey was introduced in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1908 in London.

Facts about Indian Hockey:

• Since 1944, National Hockey Championship is organized by the IHF every year.

• All India Women’s Hockey Federation was formed in 1947.

• India took part in Olympics for the first time in 1928 (in Amsterdam Olympics).

• In Olympics, India has won the hockey title a maximum of 8 times. The first Hockey World Cup was played in Barcelona in 1971.

• The Indian Hockey Federation was formed at Gwalior in 1925. India joined the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1928, becoming the first non-European member of the FIH.

• The first Indian sports teams to ever set foot in Australia/New Zealand (1926), Europe (1928) and Japan/USA (1932) were the Indian hockey teams.

• The first Indian sports team to do around-the-world tour was the 1932 Indian hockey team. They played matches in Colombo, Malaya, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Oman, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Budapest, before triumphantly returning to the shores of India.

• India also has to her credit the largest victory margin in a pool match (India 24 – USA 1 in the 1932 Olympics), and the largest number of consecutive victories (30 wins on the trot from 1928 to 1960).

• Sansarpur, a tiny village on the outskirts of Jalandhar, has the distinction of producing 9 Olympians – Gurmit Singh (1932), Udham Singh (1952, ’56,’60, ’64), Gurdev Singh (1956), Darshan Singh (1964), Jagjit Singh (1964,’68), Balbir Singh – Services, Balbir Singh – Punjab and Tarsem Singh (1968),and the World Cup winning captain Ajitpal Singh (1968, ’72, ’76).

• The most common surname among Indian hockey players is Singh. As a foreign journalist wrote in his dispatch, “Singh initiated the move. After dodging past a defender, Singh passed the ball to Singh, who centered it to Singh and Singh scored the goal with a reverse flick.”

Here are a few stats related to Manchester United‘s unprecedented feat of winning the league title for the 20th time.

• The Old Trafford club’s 20th title is the highest any club in England has won. Liverpool with 18 and Arsenal with 13 titles occupy the 2^nd and 3^rd positions.
• Chelsea now has four top-flight titles while Manchester City has only three.
• This triumph is the 13^th Premier League title for Manchester United’s boss Sir Alex Ferguson and his 49^th trophy. Manchester United have scored 78 league goals so far this season, which is 12 more than any other club.
• The Red Devils rank first in the shot conversion rate this season by a staggering 19.8% of attempts on goal.
• Manchester City have a record of conceding lesser number of goals this season (30) than United (35), who are second in keeping clean sheets (13) as compared to City (15).
• Robin van Persie’s hat-trick against Aston Villa took his goal tally to 24 this season and is now leading the Premier League’s top goal scorer’s list.
• RvP has struck the woodwork seven times, the most by any EPL player this year.
• Of custodians who appeared more than 10 times, Manchester United’s Spain International David De Gea stands second at 76% to Swansea’s Gerhard Tremmel’s 82% in terms of goal saves.
• Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) stands first in terms of goals scored per minute ratio, one goal every 97 minutes.
• Manchester United are yet to concede a penalty this season. The last team to achieve this feat of having not given away a penalty is the Arsenal team of 1999 – 2000.
• The Red Devils now have 84 points from the 34 games they played this season, second to Chelsea’s record of 85 points at this stage of the season achieved in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
• Manchester United has scored 78 goals after 34 games and are 9 goals adrift of their own league record of 87 goals in 1999-2000.

• If United win their remaining four fixtures starting against Arsenal this coming Sunday, claiming 96 points, they would set a new record of points tally in the Premier League, overtaking Chelsea, who secured 95 points in the 2004 – 2005 season.
• The Red Devils have won 27 times so far this season. The record of 29 was set by the Chelsea team of 2004-2005 and 2005–2006 seasons.
• Manchester United currently lead their rivals City by 13 points. The previous record for the largest points difference between the champions and second placed team was 18 in 1999–2000, when United finished first followed by Arsenal.

Stats current up to 25th April, 2013.

“Amma, I have failed you, Amma. Three Olympics I have played and I couldn’t get a medal back… Amma, forgive me, I have failed”, says the blurb on the back page of “Forgive me Amma – The life and times of Dhanraj Pillay” by Sundeep Mishra, elucidating a rather extraordinary tale of a man who unfortunately belonged to the sorry state of Indian Hockey. The picture on the front page with head bowed down, shoulders dropped, holding the hockey stick in the left hand will nothing but make your  heart weep. No second thoughts here, this forward in hockey is one of the most gifted players the world has ever seen, possibly the greatest in his hey-days, and the author of this book is one of the celebrated hockey writers of the nation. The author is one who has travelled immensely with the team, covering as many as five World Cups, two Olympics, ten Sultan Azlan Shah tournaments, and many a domestic event, and therefore is in the best position to talk about the legend. As a book, it will never for any moment disappoint an ardent hockey fan nor any voracious sports reader for it opens the game before the eyes in a rather poetic way.

The foreword by another of the game’s great, a doctor of medicine from Australia, Dr Richard Charlesworth tells in short about how devoted a player Dhanraj was and what hockey meant to him. It also unveils how Indian hockey declined when the rest climbed up the ladder and how an individual’s passion and pride in representing the country were never taken into consideration by the spoilt selection committee, that hardly respected a player for his performances on the field. This silver medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in his book “The Coach”, names Dhanraj Pillay in the ‘best international team’. The other two Indians to have made to that list are Ajitpal Singh and Mohammad Shahid. The final sentence of the foreword reads “Of Dhanraj, all that is left to say is that he will be missed. The game is the lesser with your departure” clearly depicting the legendary picture of Dhanraj Pillay.

The forward in hockey is a responsible role and an advanced one, demanding the attentiveness of the player who will be positioned nearest to the opponent’s goal. It requires speed, accuracy and strength from the players enough to sense a scoring opportunity. A forward is one who would shift to the midfield and either of the wings depending upon the changing dynamics of the game. Not only did Dhanraj justify his position, but was also one who played with gumption, took the game to the opposition and never allowed them to settle down for even once in the entire game.

Balbir Singh Sr, a triple Olympic gold medalist, throws a question to readers asking to decide whether they want their wards to be crowd-pullers or medal-winners. Yes, Dhanraj did invite crowds in huge numbers whenever he took to field, but unfortunately, victories and medals on the international scene were not to be. As a player, Dhanraj was one who always took to the game with passion; one who considered the team’s failures and victories as his personal ones; one who played the game with nothing but pride and fervor.

Sundeep Mishra adapts a new style of writing, by dividing Dhanraj’s career into 19 brilliant chapters, starting with his birth and family, his ability early in the career to position himself perfectly upfront, showing immense control over the ball to grab the attention of selectors, tasting stardom at the 1995 SAF games, his performance at the 1998 Bangkok Asian games and describes many such ebbs and tides in his glorious career, before ending the book with a heart touching chapter “We all grow old”. In a celebrated career that spanned from December 1989 to August 2004, Dhanraj, who was initially more passion more than confidence, matured mentally enough to analyze his own game, came back stronger with every passing game and uplifted his team almost single handedly from the abyss on many an occasion.

The eleventh chapter “I don’t think I will ever get over it”, on the Sydney Olympics 2000, where Dhanraj, after the match against Poland, went into the hotel room and sobbed over the phone with his mother on the other side will make one notice what winning a medal for his nation meant for this great man. Sundeep used very simple language so that even the beginners could understand every sentence put forth in describing this legend. He brings to light a perfect picture of many international events that featured our hero. Also, Dhanraj’s uneasiness with the coaches and the Hockey Association has been written in a very decent, elegant and inoffensive manner by the author.

Sundeep’s book is highly rich about the man and his art in the battle field. Talking about his tackles, goals and moves on the field is a bit easy, but narrating those vital factors that went into the making of one of the greats of the game demands that extra bit of effort; Sundeep achieved it with grace. It’s no wonder that had a player of this stature represented any other nation like Australia, or Germany, they would have struck gold at almost every tournament that involved this man. He was under-appreciated by the Indian hockey federation, underrated by many; yet his unparalleled passion for the game saw him represent India with pride.

In the course of bringing the life of Dhanraj into black and white, the author quotes about this great man in an awe-inspiring way on two occasions as follows:

“Watching Dhanraj play was magical, it tells us a story so personal, so universal – the story of one man’s pride and passion being humbled by the whim and fancy of the gods”.

“Will any kid or someone brought up on diet of television induced cricket would ever recognize a player of the stature Dhanraj Pillay? No one could ever play for India with the kind of passion and attention Dhanraj displayed”.

Of all, in a rather short volume that accounts for 395 rupees, Sundeep Mishra has written a perfect hockey biography – incontrovertible, close to reality, adorned by several pieces of enlightenment. A worthwhile addition to a rich tapestry in Hockey’s literature.

I belong to a nation that remembers Ranjitsinghji more than Richard Allen, C. K. Naidu more than Kishan Lal, Pataudi more than Balbir Singh Senior, Gavaskar more than Sylvanus Dung Dung and Sachin Tendulkar more than Dhanraj Pillay. India is a nation which speaks volumes about the 1983 cricket World Cup victory, more than its impeccable hockey record at the Olympics, and Laxman’s Aussie demolition in 2001 more than Dhanraj’s Asian Games magic in 1998. Well, there’s something in the above stated facts, isn’t it? What links these far–flung occurrences is an alarming reality of admiring one sport to an extreme and under-rating the rest. This behaviour is evident throughout the country. Hope you got my point here. I often moan about the lack of attention of sports aficionados towards games other than cricket. Rather than speaking about cricket now, I’d like to bring to your kind notice, the abasement of Indian hockey and its impeccable past.

Participating in Olympics is the dream of every sportsman. History has been made, records have been broken, disappointment has reached its boundaries, and happiness has seen no limits. It’s all life, oscillating between ecstasy and agony at the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet. For a few, the long wait of standing at the podium is over, but for many, it might never happen again. One such example is the Indian hockey team which participated in last year’s Olympics. From qualifying to the event in London on 25th February, 2012, to the start of the sporting spectacle on 27th July, 2012, many back home kept immense faith in the team hoped, that at least they will be ending up in the top four. But that was not the case.

As the days went by, and the hooter blew at the end of those 70 minutes, the decline story began. As the hockey aficionados back home awaited at least one good performance after repeated disappointments in match after match, the players and the team just took the downhill bridge. Forget about finishing in the expected top 4, nobody expected this bad a performance from the Indian team. For a true supporter like me, I still can’t come to terms with that disappointment.

It was a horrendous, humiliating, disgusting and simply pathetic performance from our team. Whatever you call it, the worst ever performance from the team that has been witnessed, finishing with the wooden spoon at Olympics. Let me tell you, I would have been much happier if the team had failed to travel to London rather than failing in London like this. It was an extremely humiliating moment for Indian hockey. Well, you might wonder why I moan about the Indian hockey’s outing at London Olympics even today, after the success of the cash rich Hockey India League this year. It’s because as a hockey fanatic and a patriot from the sub-continent, I want nothing but to see the eight times gold medallists at the Olympics regain their lost pride, exorcising many a recent ghost.

I myself can’t do anything at this moment for the resurrection of the game. It’s the current administration’s responsibility to create a joint hockey body at the national level and start developing and promoting the game from the ground level. At least then we would be called competitive and fight with the mightiest rather than just being happy with the tag of Olympians. Hope this happens at the earliest, and that the podium finish of Indian hockey is witnessed in my life time.

The year was 1998. Indian hockey was struggling and struggling hard. After finishing 8th at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the team piled on more misery and finished 9th at the World cup in Utrecht, which concluded in May 1998. Within 6 months, the focus would shift to Bangkok for the Asian games. Players like Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar, Dilip Tirkey, Baljit Dhillon and Mohammad Riaz were in the form of their lives. Ashish Ballal was the goalkeeper. The Asian Games, Bangkok, 1998 started on 6th Dec. This tournament is remembered as one of the highlights of Dhanraj Pillay’s career, for he single-handedly bamboozled and baffled the opponents with his inimitable knack and guile.

India opened its account on 9th Dec, comprehensively beating Singapore 9–0. Dhanraj scored four goals and Baljit Dhillon netted in 3. The way they beat the defenders and ran down the middle was superb. After a day’s rest, the men from the subcontinent played Bangladesh on 11th Dec. The show began from where it was left. Within 16 minutes, Dhanraj scored two goals. The confidence levels of the players were sky high. There was great aggression in the team. Under the captaincy of Dhanraj, the team was leading some 5–0 at the lemon break. Once the referee resumed play, India unsettled the opponent’s defense and looked very promising in their approach. The highlight was that Dhanraj not only scored but also created chances for his strikers, who netted in a few goals and the match was won 7–0. It was really blissful to see the players. There was praise among the players and were happy with the results. The next opponents were the Chinese on 13th Dec. As things would go by, Dhanraj opened the scoring for Indians. However, the Chinese came back strong. They pressed our defense and capitalized on the evident gap in the midfield, pushing in an equalizer. After the break, Dhanraj and his men ran hard and created chances. Finally, Mukesh Kumar who scored the winner for India with less than 10 minutes left in the match. With three wins in as many as three matches, the eight-time Olympic gold medalists were almost in the semi finals. The last game in the group stage was against the then-reigning champions South Korea on 14th Dec. A win would put them on the top of table in Group B. The result was 2–1 in favour of India. Dhanraj and Mukesh were the scorers. India topped the table in Group B with South Korea coming second. Japan and Pakistan were the other two semifinalists from Group A.

In the semifinals, India played Japan on 17th Dec. Due to the irresistible form of skipper Dhanraj, it was an easy outing. Two goals in the first half, one each from a penalty corner and penalty stroke calmed down the nerves and a second-half goal from the stick of Dhanraj; his tenth in the tournament from five matches placed India in the finals. In the other semifinal, Pakistan lost to South Korea and had settled for a fourth place after having lost again to Japan in the playoff. Every one in the Indian camp was upbeat and was chastely concentrating on the final to be played against the South Koreans on 19th Dec. There were a lot of expectations from the team after having made to the final frontier. A gold medal would diminish the ignominy of the Atlanta Olympics and the Utrecht world cup. It was a dream for everyone in the team and to its loyal supporters back home. India had never won the Asian games gold after 1966 and everyone was awaiting the moment it would happen again. But as the law of averages would have it, the final did not start the way we expected. The opponents showed some class early in the final, pressed our defense, and opened the scoring. All of a sudden, in an all-important match, India was a goal down. It was the time for the tensions to touch the heavens. As luck would have had it, the in-form skipper Dhanraj scored the equalizer. The pressure eased and heartbeats came back to their normal rhythm. With the result undecided in the mandatory 70 minutes and in the extra time, it was for the penalty corners to decide the winner. There were nails beneath my seat and my heartbeat was at its all-time high. This time around, the focus shifted to the custodian, Ashish Ballal. One who watched that final can never forget the way he stopped those two strokes from the Korean sticks. Mohammed Riaz, Baljit Dhillon and Ramandeep Singh had scored for India. It was now in the hands of Mukesh to script history for his country. I was totally glued to the television set. It was an hair-raising moment. As the referee whistled and Mukesh scored the winner, exorcising the ghosts of Atlanta and Utrecht, I could do nothing but shout “Mukeshhh Bhai scoreddddd !!! Bharat jeet gaya, Bharat jeet gaya, Bharat jeet gaya”  as tears kept running down my cheeks and covered my face. It was a rapturous night as there were tears of ecstasy, elation and pride on the faces of players and people. For the hockey fraternity and its ardent supporters back home in India, that was a new beginning, a rejuvenation for the game as the quest for conquering the world would continue on.

The moment when skipper Dhanraj lifted aloft the winner’s trophy, with gold medals hanging around the necks of the proud players accompanying him on the podium that day is something that’s etched in my mind forever.

It was on the 10^th of Oct, 1924, four years before the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928 that this legend was born in Punjab’s Haripur Khalsa.

Early Life

Inspired by the wizardry of hockey’s immortal Dhyan Chand, Balbir the senior started playing hockey in that center–forward position which his idol Dhyan Chand played. They say, it doesn’t matter if one has talent, it only matters if it gets recognition. And yes, fortunately, this man’s talent saw light very soon. It was Harbail Singh, the then coach of Khalsa College hockey team, that noticed our legend and persuaded him  to move from Sikh National College, Lahore to Khalsa College, Amritsar. Five years before the Indian Independence in 1947, Balbir did heed the good advice and moved to Amritsar. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Soon, he was seen captaining the Punjab  University  team that won the All India Inter University title in 1943, 1944 and 1945. In fact, this man was the member of the last undivided Punjab team that was the National Champion in 1947. After India’s partition,  his family moved from Lahore to Ludhiana and captained the Punjab Police team from 1941 to 1961.

Impeccable work at the Olympics

Balbir’s first taste of Olympics was in London in 1948. His first match for India as an Olympian was against the Argetinians. In what was a goal fest, Balbir scored 6 goals, including a hat-trick. And later, in the first encounter against the hosts Great Britain, he scored 2 goals as independent India won its first gold medal when the final scoreline read India 4-0 Great Britain. Four years later, the Olympics shifted to Helsinki and the year was 1952. This flag-bearer of India in the opening ceremony scored a hat-trick against Great Britain and put the team at a touching distance of yet another gold medal with the final against the Netherlands. It was then in that final game that Balbir created a timeless record. In India’s 6-1 win, our legend scored a whopping 5 goals, which still remains the Olympic record of most goals by an individual in an Olympic final. On an astounding note, he scored 9 of India’s total goals. The result – a gold medal to the nation. However, there were a few erratic reports in the media saying that the record for the most number of goals in an Olympic final go to Dhyan Chand for his 6 goals in the 8-1 demolition over Germany at the 1936 Olympics. However, Major Dhyan Chand in his autobiography titled “Goal!” wrote as follows.

“When Germany was four goals down, a ball hit Allen’s pad and rebounded. The Germans took full advantage of this and made a rush, netting the ball before we could stop it. That was the only goal Germany would score in the match against our eight, and incidentally the only goal scored against India in the entire Olympic tournament. India’s goal-getters were Roop Singh, Tapsell and Jaffar with one each, Dara two and myself three.”

As time went by, in 1956, the games moved to Melbourne down under in Australia. This time around, Balbir suffered a few injuries after the first game against Afganistan in which he netted 5 goals. However, he played the semi final and final and played a pivotal role in India winning  yet another gold medal.

Life after the Olympics

In 1957, Balbir became the first recipient of the Padma Shri in sports category. He was the coach of the National team that won bronze medal at the 1971 Hockey World Cup. He was the manager of the 1979 Hockey World Cup winning team. In fact, Balbir was also a member of the team that won silver at Asian games in 1958 and 1962.

After having been adjudged as the ‘best Sikh hockey player’ and receiving the award from the former member of the International Olympic Committee and former president of the Indian Hockey Federation, Ashwini Kumar, this octogenarian said, “I am a secular and a Nationalist to the core. So I was not convinced about the idea of having a list of players on the basis of religion. But slowly I realized that it would do good to the image of Indian hockey and I agreed”.

Having said all the above, I’d like to end this write-up briefing some his notable achievements.

Balbir Singh was Chief Coach and Manager of the five medal winning Indian National Teams at World Level Tournaments:

Gold Medal Kuala Lumpur World Cup, 1975.

Bronze Medal Barcelona World Cup, 1971.

Gold Medal Ahmedabad International, 1962.

Bronze Medal Amsterdam Champions’ Trophy, 1982.

Silver Medal Melbourne Esanda Cup, 1982.

Balbir Singh was the Flag Bearer of the Indian Contingent at:

Olympic Games, Helsinki ——————–1952.
Olympic Games, Melbourne —————– 1956.

Balbir lit the Sacred Flame at the Opening Ceremonies:

New Delhi Asian Games ——————- 1982.

He received the Indian National Award Padma Shri in 1957.

Guest Of Honour at many international events including:

- Olympic Games, Moscow — 1980.
- World Cup, London ——— 1986.
- Champions’ Trophy, Berlin – 1995.

He was adjudged Indian Sportsman of the Century in an India-wide opinion poll in 1982.

Balbir served in the Punjab Police and later the Punjab Sports where he retired as Director & Head of the Department.

Balbir Singh has four children and seven grandchildren. He has just published his second book, The Golden Yardstick, a technical manual for testing and improving hockey skills. His first book, an autobiography “The Golden Hat Trick” was published in 1977.

He spends part of each year in India and the rest in Canada.

As an avid fan of Hockey, he takes a keen interest in the sport and loves to communicate with other Hockey Fans.

“On and off the field, Jaisimha was the personification of elegance and charm. He could not do a mean thing or play a mean stroke even if he tried. Grace came naturally to him. There was something about him that made Jai the darling of the masses. His slim figure, which he maintained till his last day, the boyish good looks, the inimitable gait, the trademark silk shirt and scarf, the sleeves buttoned at the wrist or the collar turned up – all these attracted immediate attention”. ~  Partab Ramchand, an author with ESPN Cricinfo, on the demise of M L Jaisimha. 

Motganhalli Lakshminarsu Narasimha was a pioneer in using the wrist to class and perfection. On a geographical note, this stylish ambassador of the game hailed from a middle class family in Secunderabad, South India, when it was under the rule of the Nizams. As a kid, he excelled in cricket, tennis and swimming. But it was through the game of cricket that he achieved fame. He played the Ranji Trophy for 23 straight seasons and the Duleep trophy for 12 straight seasons. ‘Jai’ appeared first in Indian colors at Lords, England, three years after the nation became a republic.

Jai neither had a lure for money, nor a longing for fame and publicity as the current crop of the modern day cricketers have. He, in fact, was a man of the bygone era where the aim was to play the game in its primitive (orthodox) format. To be subtle, he was elegance, ingenuity and craftsmanship rolled into one. Such legendary packages happen only a few times in a generation. Mohammad Azharuddin and V V S Laxman are surely his successors by virtue of playing the game in a stylish way.

He was not fortunate to play countless matches and pile up tons and tons of runs like some of our modern day greats, nor does he have that unconquerable average of Sir Donald Bradman, yet he possessed something remarkable. Jai’s batting style was graceful and elegant. Erapalli Prasanna, in his autobiography ‘One More Over‘, writes, “Jai was one of the elegant ones. Being highly intelligent, Jai worked his way against spin initially, getting his runs slowly. Once set, he was a very different proposition. He could collar the bowling, and could lift the ball too. Nobody hit the on-drive off the back-foot wide of mid-on better than he could”. As a batsman, in the 39 Tests he played, he scored 2056 runs at an average of 30.69.

He was an intelligent and an educated cricketer. He was his own tutor and guide. At the end of the day’s play, he’d have a nice bath, comfort himself on a cushion and would analyze his game; his day on the field. He had his own dictionary of ideas and approaches to the game. When speaking about his intelligence, we should mention his bowling skills. As a kid of the 80’s, I’d compare Jai to Waqar Younis. He contained in him that much- needed variety and variation while bowling. Let me make one point here. He was not a man of endurance or forbearance on the field like those Caribbean speedsters who would approach the crease like an infuriated bull, but used his wisdom and presence of mind in bowling a swinger or an off-break, or even an occasional yorker. Our Jai was a medium pacer in his times.

Jai was as articulate in his cricketing strokes as he was in speaking English. He was a good orator, with the knowledge and information that he had on varied subjects. To one correspondent in the 1980’s, he told, “It’s not enough to be merely a good or talented player. You should have a good mind, too. I mean the combination is likely to bring more success. Of course, this applies in other fields also. Cricket is such a game that it’s often played in the mind than on the field, if you get me.”

He was a rare kind of legend who opened both bowling and batting in Tests and the first cricketer ever to bat on all days of a Test match. He achieved this distinction against the visiting Aussies in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the 1959 – 1960 cricket series. Jai’s sense of humor was such that he could entertain people for hours without any feeling of boredom.

Our beloved Jaisimha should be a source of inspiration and motivation for young players of today who should play the game for the sake of the game.

“Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food”

- Socrates

Sports are not all about living on the field, and walking home drenched in sweat and never-ending emotions. It also deals with handling the metabolism of our body. I echo what Socrates said above. Food should be our only medicine, because every artificial medicine contains chemicals. On a medical note, every medicine, which contains chemical, is useful in a limited quantity. Else, they would develop immunity to our internal systems, and would turn carcinogenic in the latter part of our lives.

Football is the game of the world. It’s a field game in which we see the magic of the feet, the head and the chest of players, who exhibit great skills and stamina, as well as physical and mental strength. In this write-up of mine, I’d like to put some emphasis on nutrition in football. Here’s a list of foods to be taken as a diet for football players:

1) Venison: This is the flesh of an animal that’s hunted, usually that of a deer. Deer is here preferred for its high protein nature, and low cholesterol levels. The presence of amino acids, iron and Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamine) increases the stamina and the endurance levels of the players. Proper care should be taken while buying this, as it is believed that chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmittable one, spreads at a good rate from animal to humans when taken.

2) Mackerel: This is a forage fish mostly found on the edges of oceans and rivers. It is susceptible to human hunting, and is a favorite food for sea creatures like whales, sharks, dolphins and sea birds. As a fish by nature, it’s highly rich in oils and fatty acids. This is good for vision and digestion. Cholesterol levels are also low in mackerels. It is believed to play a good role in muscle metabolism, and thereby elevating the mood levels.

3) Broccoli: This is from the family of cabbage, rich in vitamin A, useful for the player’s vision. This is highly rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants, facilitating good digestion. The good thing about this is that it safeguards the lungs, thereby increasing the player’s endurance and ensuring that he doesn’t get tired very early. As football players travel a lot, and get to encounter various foods and climates, broccoli protects their changing metabolism and thereby increases their immunity. However, players should only eat this raw, either slightly steamed or in salads – cooking destroys the anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties of this vegetable.

4) Almond: This nut is a good source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It has unique properties to remove brain debility, and strengthen the brain, thereby increasing the common sense of the player while guessing his partner’s pass, and passing the ball perfectly during pressure situations. The amino acid also facilitates for good blood flow, as it contains decent amounts of  B-complex vitamins. While consuming it, it is suggestible to soak the nuts in water for two hours, grinding the blanched one into a smooth paste and adding to boiled and cooled water to get good almond milk.

5) Spinach: Spinach, like any leafy vegetable, contains a high amount of vitamin D, and is a rich source of anti-oxidants, which prevents the damage of the cell by free radicals. This aids the player attain better energy levels due to its good iron content. The calcium in spinach protects the player by providing better nourishment to his/her bony tissues. This improves the cardio-vascular endurance, fair transportation of blood around the body, a strong agent for improving the player’s vision. It also lowers the cholesterol levels.

Besides the above, foods like beetroot juice, curry spices, green tea, milk, banana are most helpful to football players. I would like to sum up my write-up with the following quote:

“Water is the most neglected nutrient.”

Bobby Jones Golf Quotes

No-one will ever have golf under his thumb. No round ever will be so good it could not have been better. Perhaps this is why golf is the greatest of games. You are not playing a human adversary; you are playing a game. You are playing old man par.

You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.

Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.

It is nevertheless a game of considerable passion, either of the explosive type, or that which burns inwardly and sears the soul.

A leading difficulty with the average player is that he totally misunderstands what is meant by concentration. He may think he is concentrating hard when he is merely worrying.

I never learned anything from a match that I won.

Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But such is certainly not the case.

Many shots are spoiled at the last instant by efforts to add a few more yards.

The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two.

The best exercise for golfers is golfing.

The moment the average golfer attempts to play from long grass or a bunker or from a difficult lie of any kind, he becomes a digger instead of a swinger.

Golf is said to be a humbling game, but it is surprising how many people are either not aware of their weaknesses or else reckless of consequences.

Rhythm and timing are the two things which we all must have, yet no one knows how to teach either.

You might as well praise a man for not robbing a bank as to praise him for playing by the rules.

One reason golf is such an exasperating game is that a thing we learned is so easily forgotten, and we find ourselves struggling year after year with faults we had discovered and corrected time and again.

In order to win, you must play your best golf when you need it most, and play your sloppy stuff when you can afford it. I shall not attempt to explain how you achieve this happy timing.

I get as much fun as the next man from whaling the ball as hard as I can and catching it squarely on the button. But from sad experience I learned not to try this in a round that meant anything.

I always like to see a person stand up to a golf ball as though he were perfectly at home in its presence.

The best exercise for golfers is golfing.

Arnold Palmer Golf Quotes

How did I make a twelve on a par five hole? It’s simple. I missed a four-foot putt for an eleven.

It’s a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get.

I never rooted against an opponent, but I never rooted for him either.

I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that i didn’t have a chance to win.

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.

Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.

Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger.

Jack Nicklaus Golf Quotes

Don’t be too proud to take a lesson.  I’m not.

Nobody ever remembers who finished second at anything.

A kid grows up a lot faster on the golf course. Golf teaches you how to behave.

Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20 percent of the time, you’re the best.

It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it.

A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke.

Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.

If there is one thing I have learned during my years as a professional, it is that the only thing constant about golf is its inconstancy.

Keeping the head still is golf’s one universal, unarguable fundamental.

When you lip out several putts in a row, you should never think that means that you’re putting well. When you’re putting well, the only question is what part of the hole it’s going to fall in, not if it’s going in.

When I want a long ball, I spin my hips faster.

Imagine yourself watching the golden red in the eastern sky when the sun rises after a night’s rain, that sweet odour of the earth, and a cool breeze often splashing your face. What comes to your mind?

Or, imagine yourself walking in the countryside with rough terrains, bumps and ditches. What comes to your mind?

Well, you might have guessed the answer by now if you possess a sporting brain. It involves walking with a club and hitting the ball into those widely dispersed holes. Yes. I’m talking about golf. Not many would love playing the sport, especially those from the cricket mad subcontinent, who would hardly ever think about it. We may see it a pastime, but for some, it’s a profession and more than that, a passion.

Across the ages, the sport has seen quite a few legendary characters. From the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to the modern day heroes like Ernie Els, Rory Mclroy and Tiger Woods, golf has seen it all. I’d, however, like to stress upon one legendary character who revolutionized the sport of golf, thereby paving way for the modern generation. As they say, “Brevity is the soul of wit”, I’d only like to mention a few of his many achievements. I understand that if I keep writing about each of his numerous feathers in the cap, my write-up would end up as a short novel.

Sixty three years of age is three years into retirement in my nation. But it wasn’t so for a man who hit three birdies on a golf course. In a game which involves encounters with water, wood and lusty green grasslands, Arnold Daniel Palmer was more than a sensation, in fact, one of the greatest golfing gentlemen.

Golf happened to confront him at a very young age. By the age of eleven, he was seen caddying and was seen beating older caddies around him. He grew up in Pennsylvania’s La trobe with his father, Deacon Palmer at the La trobe country club. Honing his skills with the golf club under his father’s tutelage, Palmer rose strongly, yet gracefully. Before he joined Wake Forest University, he had won a West Penn Amateur Championship. But things did not run smoothly for this talented kid. He withdrew from college in his senior year following his close friend’s (Bud Worsham) death and started working as a salesman with the coast guard. Despite the trauma, he continued his love affair with golf. It would be better to say that golf itself continued its tryst with this legend and he was seen playing amateur events. In the fall of 1954, Palmer won his first US Amateur event. This legend tasted superficial stardom in the 1955 shortly after his marriage with Winifred Walzer. The rest is history. He would later go on to win a staggering 92 tournaments, of which 62 were achieved on the PGA tour.

If there was anyone who brought golf to television, thereby revolutionizing it in terms of drawing people towards the game, it was surely Palmer. In fact, this witty, humble man, full of sensible thoughts was the first athlete to achieve lucrative success in this sport. That legendary stance, taking the aid of his club to aim for the hole, that majestic swing and the picturesque approach of the ball towards the hole are a few of many graceful memories associated with this legend. The period around 1963 was another golden time in the unmatched history of Palmer. Not only did he win the prestigious Ryder’s Cup as the captain of the USA team, but also took one giant step in the business and financial sector. He is the President of the Arnold Palmer Enterprises, stationed in Cleveland and also the lone owner of Latrobe Country Club. Palmer and P.B. Seay combined in management and teaching of business and golf course design in Palmer Course Design Company. The Palmer-Seay team has designed over 200 courses on this planet. The annual Pan Tour’s Arnold Palmer International tournament is named after this skilled golfer. This father-figure of golf has been at the receiving end of innumerable honours, trophies and citations. This Charter member of the World Golf Hall of Fame has literally received every national award in golf. To name a few, Hickok Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year after a fruitful 1960 season.

Palmer left a strong legacy behind him. He never left golf even after retiring. It would be more correct to say that golf never left him. He was the first golfer ever to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the second golfer after Bryon Nelson to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. The airport in Latrobe was renamed as Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. It was in the runway of this airport way back in 1939, that Palmer watched the first ever airmail pick-up. Even now, when asked about golf, this immortal golfer in all humility said,

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.”

He has nearly 10 books to his credit. His autobiography “Arnold Palmer, A Personal Journey; in conversation with Thomas Hauser” is a must read. However, I would like to end this article by listing out Academic Honours, Awards (golf and general) and golf books and videos made in his name.

ACADEMIC HONORS

Honorary Doctor of Laws, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Thiele College, Greenville, PA
Honorary Doctor of Laws, National College of Education, Evanston, IL
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL

AWARDS

GOLF:

Charter member, World Golf Hall of Fame, Pinehurst, NC – 1974
American Golf Hall of Fame, Foxburg, PA
PGA Hall of Fame, Palm Beach Gardens, FL – 1980
All-American Collegiate Golf Hall of Fame, Man of Year – 1984
Ohio Golf Hall of Fame – 1992
Phoenix Open Hall of Fame
Bob Jones Award, U.S. Golf Association – 1971
Walter Hagen Award, International panel of selectors
William D. Richardson Award, Golf Writers Assn. of America – 1969
Charles Bartlett Award, Golf Writers Assn. of America – 1976
Herb Graffis Award, National Golf Foundation – 1978
Gold Tee Award, Metropolitan (NY) Golf Writers Assn. – 1965
Golf Digest “Man of Silver Era” – 1975
Old Tom Morris Award, Golf Course Supt. Assn. of America – 1983
Golfer of Century, New York Athletic Club
Commemorative Honoree, 1987 Golf Digest Commemorative Seniors Tournament
Golfer of Decade (1958-67), Centennial of Golf, Golf Mag. – 1989
American Senior Golf Association National Award – 1989
Chicago District Golf Assn. Distinguished Service Award – 1989
Ambassador of Golf Award, World Series of Golf – 1991
Bing Crosby Award, Metropolitan Golf Writers Assn. – 1992
Memorial Honoree, Memorial Tournament – 1993

GENERAL:

Associated Press Athlete of Decade – 1960-69
Hickok Athlete of Year – 1960
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of Year – 1960
Western Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, Cambria County, North Carolina, Florida Sports Halls of Fame
Wake Forest Hall of Fame
Arthur J. Rooney Award, Catholic Youth Assn., Pittsburgh PA
Dapper Dan Man of Year, Pittsburgh, PA – 1960
Lowman Humanitarian Award, Los Angeles, CA
Distinguished Pennsylvanian – 1980
Partner in Science Award, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
Theodore Roosevelt Award, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Business Leaders Award, Northwood Institute
National High School Sports Hall of Fame
Gold Medal, Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters – 1988
Sports Appreciation Trophy, Atlanta AC CC, Atlanta, GA – 1990
Van Patrick Career Achievement Award, Dearborn, MI – 1990
Eagle on World Award, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York – 1990.
Pathfinder Award, Youth links Indiana – 1992
Outstanding American Award, Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation- 1992
National Sports Award, Washington, D.C. – 1993
Sports Legends Award, Jr. Diabetes Foundation, Pittsburgh – 1993
Humanitarian Award, Variety Club International – 1993
“Good Guy” Award, American Legion National Commanders – 1993

GOLF BOOKS AND VIDEOS:

Arnold Palmer’s Golf Book, 1961
Portrait of Professional Golfer, 1964
My Game and Yours, 1965 revised 1983
Situation Golf, 1970
Go For Broke, 1973
Arnold Palmer’s Best 54 Holes of Golf, 1977
Arnold Palmer’s Complete Book of Putting, 1986
Play Great Golf, 1987-9 (book, videos)
The Arnold Palmer Story, 1991 (video)
A golfer’s life, 2000.
Arnold Palmer, A Personal Journey (in conversation with Thomas Hauser, 1996.

Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi, or SAS Naqvi as he is more commonly known, was the coach of the Indian hockey team (men) in 1973 and 1975, coach of the Indian hockey team (women) in 1978 and 1979, national hockey coach of Oman in 1982, and Technical Adviser of the Oman Olympic Committee for 18 years from 1984 to 2002. In fact, it was he who established the Oman Olympic Committee and designed the blueprint for the development of sport in the Sultanate of Oman in 1983. He has the rare distinction of representing Oman at all sports-related meetings and seminars at international and Olympic level.

Recipient of the Indo-Oman Friendship Sports Award in 2010 and Life-time Achievement Award from the Sultanate of Oman in 2011, this hockey great is an epitome of hard work and honesty. He is revered, remembered and rewarded in both India and Oman.

Below are excerpts from an interview with this sober, soft-spoken sports personality.

Q: You are an octogenarian, yet young at heart. How did you look back on playing with legends like K. D. Singh Babu, Kishan Lal (Dada), Dada Dhayan Chand and Late Leslie Claudius?

In the golden era of hockey, from 1949 to 1972, I had the privilege to compete with several Olympians like Balbir Singh (SR), Udham Singh, Leo Pinto and other Olympian stalwarts. But I remember Francis, Mr. Deshmuthu Peter and Harbinder coming to play and learn from Dada Dhyan Chand, Kishan Dada, K.D. Singh Babu, Late L.Cladius and Balbir SR. In the practice matches of this dream team in preparation of the national championship, Dada Dhyan Chand used to demonstrate the faults of different players in a team. I was corrected by him specially. I learnt from Dada Dhyan Chand to play cool and confident in spite of any reverses one faced. Dada had nick-named me ‘Maluna’.

Q: You have had many memorable moments on and off the field. Can you share some of them?

I still have those memorable moments fresh in my mind even now. Some of the memories of past hockey have been lost as many Olympians have departed in the recent past.

It was the semifinal of the 1957 Aga Khan Gold Cup at the Bombay Gymkhana Ground. I was representing Western Rly, Bombay. We had reached the semifinal after eliminating a very strong Delhi Independent XI, which came after playing four draws with Punjab.

The final of the National Hockey Championship (Ranga Swamy Trophy) at Madras is another memorable moment. The final of the National Hockey Championship (Ranga Swamy Trophy) at Madras in 1963 was played between Rlys XI and Services XI. It was a tussle for supremacy. The Rlys XI retained the title of National Champions and the Ranga Swamy Trophy for the 13th year in a row.

Q: The style of game has changed drastically with the influence of the west. Can you share your opinion with us about this?

The style of the game changed due to several changes in rules – the changeover from natural grass to astroturf, change of field marking, change in the composition of hockey sticks as well as the ball and other equipment such as goal-keeper kits. Umpiring rules changed. Teams like Australia, Holland, Germany, Spain and Argentina started dominating. Artistic hockey started disappearing.

Q: Indian Hockey has seen a decline after 1980. What do you think is the reason for that?

India, Pakistan and the Asian countries started developing infrastructure and new strategies very late. The Astroturf was a very costly affair. We neglected this aspect.

Q: What is the difference in the attitudes of players then and players now?

I can comment that the Golden Era hockey stalwarts had more nationalism. There  was no greed and attraction of money. They played hockey for the sheer love, entertainment and enjoyment of the game. The present day generation of Indian players, I feel, treat it only as a profession.

Q:  Of late, hockey is getting popular with more sponsors and the advent of events like the HIL. What are your views on that?

Yes, it’s a positive development. I am confident it will change the entire outlook of the youth and motivate them to adopt hockey in great numbers and hopefully usher in the revival of the Golden Era of Indian hockey.

Q:  Your opinion on the current Indian team?

I feel it is necessary for to get coaches from our own country as they are very sincere and dedicated. A few foreign coaches cannot change Indian hockey. I hope the conditions improve soon.

Q: How do you enjoy your work as Sports Consultant of Oman?

I am very privileged to have got the opportunity to work in this role; my contribution has been acknowledged in both India and  the Sultanate of Oman.

Q: Which of the current Indian hockey players do you find promising?

I feel Sardar Singh and S.V. Sunil are the most promising along with Mr. Raghu. There are several others knocking at the doors.

Hockey World League (HWL), an international tournament conducted across the span of two years serves as a qualifier for Olympics and World cups. The Men’s tournament comprises a total of 54 teams and is expected to conclude by Feb, 2014.

The Women’s tournament comprises a total of 45 teams and is expected to conclude by Dec, 2013. Round 1 matches for both Men and Women have been conducted and concluded across various venues between August and December, 2012. Now, the tournament enters its 2^nd Round and it comprises of four different host nations. India is one such host nation and the teams are given direct qualification.

For men, 2^nd round matches will be held in India, Brazil, France and Russia. For women, 2^nd round matches will be held in South Africa, India, Brazil and Spain.

The matches in India are scheduled to be held from 18^th to 24^th Feb, 2013. Here is the complete list of the schedule.

Men: Teams: India, China, Ireland, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan and Fiji.

Women: Teams: India, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Fiji.

The winner of the tournament will qualify for Round 3 of the HWL.

The Schedule is as follows:

.