Latest news with #JuniorWorldCup
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Pak teams will come for Asia Cup, Junior World Cup in India: HI
Dilip Tirkey CHENNAI: After weeks of uncertainty surrounding their participation and mixed signals, it is now official that the Pakistan hockey team will take part in both major tournaments – the Asia Cup and the Junior Men's Hockey World Cup — in India. The Asian meet is set to be held in Rajgir from August 27 to September 7, while the Junior World Cup will take place from November 28 to December 10 across two venues: Chennai and Madurai. Confirming the development, Hockey India (HI) treasurer and president of the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Sekar J Manoharan, told TOI that both the senior and junior teams from Pakistan have applied for visas. 'Pakistan's teams will definitely be coming. They've already submitted visa applications. The senior men's team has applied with a contingent of 18 players and seven support staff,' Sekar said after the inauguration of the Sub-Junior Men's National Hockey Championship here on Monday. Sekar also mentioned that the Indian junior team will arrive in Chennai in the first week of October for its preparatory camp. Earlier, there had been indications that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) might not send teams for the upcoming tournaments in India. It was speculated that the PHF had written to the FIH (International Hockey Federation) and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), expressing their reservations over sending the teams to India. HI President Dilip Tirkey said the federation has not received any official communication yet. 'We too are hearing these talks, but we haven't received any news from the Pakistan team officially yet. If we do receive it, we will take it up with FIH and they will decide how to go about it,' Tirkey told TOI. 'Selectors told to act if form dips' The India men's team endured a poor campaign in the recent FIH Pro League, finishing eighth and suffering seven straight defeats. Reacting to the dismal performance, Tirkey said the federation is in talks with head coach Craig Fulton and the selectors. 'The Pro League is very important for us. And now, we have more important tournaments coming up. If we see players who are not performing well and are unable to deliver, it's on the selectors to take a call. And if there is a fall in form for some players who have been playing for a long time, we've told the selectors to watch out and take action.' Govt backing key to hosting big events After Chennai successfully hosted the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023, Tirkey said HI is confident of staging more marquee events here, thanks to strong support from the Tamil Nadu government. 'TN govt supported us very much last time when we hosted ACT. And where there's full support from the govt, we get the confidence to host international and domestic competitions. This is why we are hosting the Junior World Cup here. The Indian government knows how important security will be, so it will be given accordingly,' said Tirkey. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
India playing a big role in popularising shooting sport: ISSF chief Rossi
New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President Luciano Rossi on Monday said the global body wants to take the sport to great heights in Asia, and India would play a pivotal role in achieving that. ISSF has a total of 163 member countries but India has emerged as the hub of the shooting sport, given the number of teenagers taking up the sport. In a bid to harness talent, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) will also be organising a franchise-based Shooting League of India (SLI) later this year. 'The ISSF has 163 member countries across continents. But the biggest (potential) now is (in) India," said Rossi in an interaction with the media. 'ISSF relies on a strong cooperation from the NRAI and also other Asian countries. We have members from five continents, but Asia has a lot of talent and the incredible scores are a testimony to that," he said. 'We are working with India and China to help increase the sport activity around in Asia." NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo said that the global body had consistently helped India by awarding major international competitions to the coutry. 'ISSF has always been very generous towards India. They awarded us the World Cup Final in 2024 after the Olympics. This year, we are conducting the Junior World Cup. Next year in February, we have the Asian Shooting Competition… in 2027, the ISSF has given us a World Cup quota competition. 'And in 2028, we have the Junior World Championship, where thousands of young shooters will come from all over the world to participate in India," said Kalikesh. 'This is, of course, exciting for the Indian shooters, because most of our shooters come in the rather young category… we've had shooters as young as 16, going up to 24, 25, one of the youngest teams in the world. And, of course, one of the most successful teams in the world in the recently held Argentina and Peru and World Cups, as well as Munich." 'We are very excited that the world's first Shooting League of India is going to be held in India towards the end of November. We are very grateful to ISSF for listing it in the calendar. More than 70 international shooters from over 20 countries have agreed to participate in this. And of course, more than 400-500 domestic shooters have applied to be part of the auction process," added Kalikesh. Rossi said that ISSF is trying to make shooting a more television and spectator-friendly sport and the changes could be seen at LA28. 'For too many years, we talked inside the (shooting) family (fraternity). We forgot to showcase (the sport) outside the family (fraternity). It was a big mistake. 'Now, we are working to repair this. We (will) invest not only money, but also give a lot of attention to it. We are working for a new format for the Olympic Games. 'And we will test it this year in the World Cup Final that will be in Doha. We will be ready for LA28. We understand that shooting is not a physical sport, as some the other sports are. It doesn't mean that we can't make it more exciting and viewer-friendly." Rossi also hinted that there was a proposal to increase the number of finalists in shotgun events from six to eight and also in rapid fire, to bring uniformity in the sport. 'We have to increase the number of finalists in shotgun from six to eight, in rapid fire from four to eight, because in all other discipline it is eight. We are working on this," said Rossi. PTI AM AM AT AT view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 20:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
NRAI chief Kalikesh Deo: ‘Shooting will be there' in programme if India hosts 2030 CWG, 2036 Olympics
India is set to host four major shooting events between 2025 and 2028. However, it was baffling why the hosting rights for all those championships were awarded to New Delhi alone, especially when the entire community had appeared overtly enthusiastic about participating at a new venue a few years back. The Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal, having set up a new final hall and redesigned its shotgun range, was excited to roll out the red carpet for international competitions. However, the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) World Cup in March 2023 remains the sole international meet to have been held at the said venue. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, says reduced connectivity to the Tier-2 city is the reason why it has been difficult to host world-class competitions in Bhopal. 'The choice of the venue largely depends on the logistical convenience of an athlete. Let's not forget that athletes, who are taking 24 hours and coming to Delhi, have to go through Customs again to fly to another place. The feedback that we got was to try and limit the amount of logistics involved to encourage more participation. Of course, the final decision rests with the ISSF,' Kalikesh said during a virtual media roundtable on Monday. Regarding India being preferred over other member nations for a major competition each year, Kalikesh said, 'The ISSF has always been very generous towards India and even more so since Luciano (Rossi) has taken over as the president. He had graciously awarded us the World Cup Final of 2024 after the Olympics. This year, we will have the Junior World Cup; next year, in February, we have the Asian Cup in rifle and pistol; and in 2027, we will have a Quota competition (an all-format World Cup). In 2028, we will have the Junior World Championship, where young shooters from across the world will come to participate. This is exciting for Indian shooters, especially as a lot of them are now starting off very young. We believe India will be a great asset to the ISSF going forward, and also to Luciano in terms of support to him and his plans for the sport. ALSO READ | NRAI president: Not to make an attempt with Shooting League of India would be a crime India is also set to organise the inaugural edition of the Shooting India League (SLI) in November. The entire competition, a first of its kind, is set to be held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. According to the NRAI, the SLI is set to operate in 'a hybrid model, integrating traditional shooting events with virtual competitions.' It also mentions the integration of e-sports to an extent. Earlier this month, Kalikesh was also appointed Interim Chairperson of the ISSF Committee on E-sports and Innovations. Luciano explained what e-sports, which recently became a part of the Olympic movement in 2024, had to do with a sport whose history with the Summer Games can be traced back to the late 1800s. He said, 'We have to open our minds. For years, shooting has been very closed to the outside world. E-sports has been widely appreciated. So, we have created this small group, which Kalikesh is part of, because we realise we can use modern systems and new technology to send a message across the world regarding what is happening in shooting. Shooting is the safest sport in the world, but we have failed to communicate what we are doing. With e-sports, following the IOC's footsteps, we want to appeal to the younger generation. The growth is limitless. Only 10 international federations are a part of the e-sports movement, and we are proud to be one of them.' To further strengthen shooting's footprint across the globe, the ISSF needs to plan a better broadcasting strategy. Luciano says he is already on it. 'For too many years, we were so invested in our family that we forgot to show what we are to people outside the family. It was a big mistake, which we are looking to repair now. We are investing a lot of money and attention in better communication and in establishing a good relationship with the players. We don't have a set solution yet, as I am not a magician, but as a team, we are doing our best to improve the communication media. We are close to a change. The next Olympics will be emotional, and there will be more drama.' ALSO READ | ISSF proposes changes to shooting gear to tackle 'technical doping,' looks to reset rifle world records in 2026 Currently, only the ISSF event finals are streamed on YouTube. Shooting has been shunned by the Commonwealth Games (CWG) organisers for two editions in a row now. It also did not make the programme at the latest edition of the World University Games. While that presents a worrying picture of the future of the sport, Luciano and Kalikesh aren't too worried. Luciano said: 'I spoke with the Chair of the CWG. It was a mistake to remove shooting from the Games roster in 2022. The ISSF did what needed to be done at that point. But that's in the past. We are ready to cooperate again.' 'I can assure you that when India hosts CWG in 2030, shooting will be there. Shooting will also find a prominent place when the country hosts the Olympics in 2036. We had a healthy medal tally in the Asian Games and the Olympics,' Kalikesh weighed in.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Junior hockey team need more matches before World Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The national youth hockey team are racing against time in their bid to be ready for the men's Junior World Cup (JWC) in India from Nov 28-Dec 10. Coach Nor Saiful Zaini believes his squad need at least 60 matches to be tournament-ready, but they've played just 13 so far, with four months to go. As part of their preparations, the junior Tigers will head to Perth from Aug 3-15, where they'll play six matches — three each against the Western Australian junior and senior sides. They will then travel to China to take on Liaoning in another six-match series. Following that, Malaysia will play in the prestigious Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) in Johor from Oct 11-18 — a six-nation tournament featuring Britain (defending champions), Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland. Saiful will bring 22 of his 25 players to Perth, but is sweating on the fitness of two key men — Adam Ashraf Johari and Aqil Danial Mat Ruslee. Midfielder Adam, who played in the 2023 JWC in Bukit Jalil, is sidelined with a wrist injury, while defender Aqil, a mainstay during the Junior Asia Cup in Oman, is recovering from a knee injury. "The matches in Perth will give my players good exposure," said Saiful. Malaysia have been drawn in a tough Group E at the JWC alongside the Netherlands, England and Austria. In the 2023 edition, Malaysia finished 12th out of 16 teams.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Junior hockey team face rush job for World Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The national youth hockey team are racing against time in their bid to be ready for the men's Junior World Cup (JWC) in India from Nov 28-Dec 10. Coach Nor Saiful Zaini believes his squad need at least 60 matches to be tournament-ready, but they've played just 13 so far, with four months to part of their preparations, the junior Tigers will head to Perth from Aug 3-15, where they'll play six matches — three each against the Western Australian junior and senior sides. They will then travel to China to take on Liaoning in another six-match that, Malaysia will play in the prestigious Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) in Johor from Oct 11-18 — a six-nation tournament featuring Britain (defending champions), Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland. Saiful will bring 22 of his 25 players to Perth, but is sweating on the fitness of two key men — Adam Ashraf Johari and Aqil Danial Mat Adam, who played in the 2023 JWC in Bukit Jalil, is sidelined with a wrist injury, while defender Aqil, a mainstay during the Junior Asia Cup in Oman, is recovering from a knee injury. "The matches in Perth will give my players good exposure," said have been drawn in a tough Group E at the JWC alongside the Netherlands, England and Austria. In the 2023 edition, Malaysia finished 12th out of 16 teams.
