India’s performance in Champions Trophy final against Australia was outstanding, says coach

June 18, 2016

London, Jun 18: India hockey coach Roelant Oltmans is delighted at his team’s outstanding performance at the Champions Trophy and said it will boost their confidence to produce a better show at the Rio Olympic Games.

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India settled for a silver medal in its best ever Champions Trophy performance after the spirited side went down 1-3 to world champions Australia in a summit clash penalty shootout here last night.

Oltmans praised his team for putting up a fine show after making their first appearance in the final of the showpiece event in the annual calendar. India had held Australia goalless in regulation period.

“I’m delighted with my team. By all yardsticks, their performance the final was outstanding,” said Oltmans.”I am proud of what we’ve been doing as a team. Our performance is getting better with every tournament. Any coach would be absolutely pleased with this Indian show.

“We’ll use the confidence gained here at the Champions Trophy to give a better display in the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro,” Oltmans said.

Oltmans said the way India performed in the title contest has boosted his faith of a fine show in the Olympics.

”Look at the way the boys raised their game to play a competitive final. It was just a day after we lost 2-4 to Australia in the league match,” said Oltmans.

“When you play the final you want to win it. We even had our chances,” he said. “I’m happy with the silver medal. We can live with that, but last night I was not pleased with the manner in which manner in which the shootout was conducted.”

India lodged an appeal against the decision to allow Australia to re-take the second shootout, on which no goal was scored. It held up the medal presentation ceremony and the jury had to deliberate for an hour and a half before Australia were declared winners for a record 14th time.

For India, this was their first silver medal. India’s only previous medal in the Champions Trophy was a bronze way back in 1981 at Amsterdam.

India’s good show also erased the unhappy London memories from the disastrous 2012 Olympics, where they finished at the bottom of the 12-team competition and failed to win a single game.

The Indian team is now heading for the Spanish city of Valencia for a six-nation tournament.

Sixteen members of the Champions Trophy squad will go to Valencia, where they will be joined by another four coming from home.

The Indian squad for the Olympics will be announced after the Valencia tournament.

Oltmans believes India’s show is what lighted up the Champions Trophy this time.

“The highlight of the Champions Trophy was the way our boys performed on the international stage,” said Oltmans.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Jun 19: The BCCI is open to reviewing its sponsorship policy for the next cycle but has no plans to end its association with current IPL title sponsor Vivo as the money coming in from the Chinese company is helping India's cause and not the other way round, board treasurer Arun Dhumal said on Friday. Anti-China sentiments are running high in India following the border clash between the two countries at Galwan valley earlier this week. The first skirmish at the India-China border in more than four decades left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. Since then, calls have been made to boycott Chinese products.

But Dhumal said Chinese companies sponsoring an Indian event like the IPL only serve his country's interests.

The BCCI gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo and the five-year deal ends in 2022.

"When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind. We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India's cause," Dhumal said.

"When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 per cent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India's cause and not China's," he argued.

Oppo, a mobile phone brand like Vivo, was sponsoring the Indian cricket team until September last year when Bengaluru-based educational technology Byju's start-up replaced the Chinese company.

Dhumal said he is all for reducing dependence on Chinese products but as long as its companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no harm in them sponsoring an Indian brand like the IPL.

"If they are not supporting the IPL, they are likely to take that money back to China. If that money is retained here, we should be happy about it. We are supporting our government with that money (by paying taxes on it)."

"If I am giving a contract to a Chinese company to build a cricket stadium, then I am helping the Chinese economy. GCA built the world's largest cricket stadium at Motera and that contract was given to an Indian company (L&T)," he said.

"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores was created across country and none of the contract was awarded to a Chinese company."

Dhumal went on to say the BCCI is spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting sponsors, whether Indian or Chinese or from any other nation.

"If that Chinese money is coming to support Indian cricket, we should be okay with it. I am all for banning Chinese products as an individual, we are there to support our government but by getting sponsorship from Chinese company, we are helping India's cause."

"We can get sponsorship money from non-Chinese companies also including Indian firms. We can support our players any way but the idea is when they are allowed to sell their products here, it is better that part of money comes back to the Indian economy."

"The BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese, it is attracting on the contrary. We should make decision based on rationale rather than emotion," he added.

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News Network
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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May 28,2020

May 28: Former India captain and Kings XI Punjab head coach Anil Kumble is hopeful of the IPL happening this year and is not averse to the idea of conducting the cash-rich event without spectators due to the COVID-19 threat.

It is not official yet but there is speculation that the BCCI wants to hold the IPL in the October window after the tournament was postponed indefinitely earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yes we are hopeful and optimistic that there is still a possibility (to hold IPL this year) if we can cram in the schedule," Kumble was quoted as saying by Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

"If we are going to have a stadium without spectators, then probably have 3 or 4 venues; there's still a possibility, we are all optimistic," said the former spinner, who is also the chairman of ICC's Cricket Committee.

Former India batsman VVS Laxman said the stakeholders can stage the league in cities which have multiple stadia to reduce travelling by players.

"Absolutely (there is chance to hold IPL this year), and also make sure that all the stakeholders have a say," he said.

"...you should identify one venue, which probably has 3 or 4 grounds; if at all you find that kind of a venue because travel is again going to be quite challenging," said the former stylish batsman.

"You don't know who's going to be where at the airports, so that I'm sure the franchises and the BCCI will be looking into."

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