Dipsan Tirkey, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Anand Lakra and Amit Rohidas of Kalinga Lancers were felicitated in presence of Sports Minister Sudam Marandi, Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Sports department Secretary and other officials at the programme.
Wishing Kalinga Lancers a success in coming days, the Chief Minister said, “It’s indeed a very glorious moment for all of us. Kalinga Lancers has made all of us proud. The spectacular achievement of the team in the HIL 2017 will go a long way in encouraging youngsters of the State.”
Glenn Turner's field goal in the 18th minute and twin penalty corner conversions from captain Moritz Furste in the 30th and 59th minutes helped Kalinga Lancers atone their horrific show in the last edition's final.
Skipper Moritz Fuerste (30th, 58th) converted two penalty corners for the Lancers before Glenn Turner (18th minute) struck a field effort for the Odisha outfit, which lost the final last year to Jaypee Punjab Warriors.
For the first time finalist, Dabang Mumbai Affan Yousuf (33rd) scored the lone goal from a penalty corner variation.
Earlier in the day, Agustin Mazzilli scored a late field goal to help Uttar Pradesh Wizards register a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Delhi Waveriders and claim the bronze medal in the fifth edition of the tournament.
Also read: UP Wizards aim to break HIL semi-final jinx, face Kalinga
Trailing 3-4 with three minutes remaining in the game, the Argentine striker found himself at the right place at the right time to clinically finish Florent van Aubel's assist from a tight angle to hand UP Wizards the lead and their first podium finish in the history of the tournament.
It was action-packed first quarter of the final in which both the Lancers and Dabang Mumbai created real scoring chances but both the teams failed to make them count.
In their first final of the HIL, it was Dabang Mumbai who were more assertive in the first quarter but they failed to get past an alert Andrew Charter in front of Lancers goal.
Also read: HIL: Goalkeeper Charter takes Kalinga to second successive final
The Lancers finally broke the deadlock in the 18th minute through tournament's highest scorer so far, Australian Glenn Turner, who found himself positioned to tap home a Mortuiz Fuerste pass from out side the D after it took a deflection from Lalit Upadhayay's stick.
A minute later, Dabang Mumbai secured a penalty corner but Charter stood like a rock in front of the Lancers goal to deny Harmanpreet Singh.
Dabang Mumbai captain Florian Fuchs then came tentalisingly close when he sprinted into the opposition circle, beating a host of defenders but his diagonal shot from the right went inches wide off the target even as a diving Gurjant Singh far away failed to get his stick.
Meanwhile, Dabang Mumbai skipper Florian Fuchs was named Player of the Tournament of the Coal India Hockey India League.
Fuchs, who slammed eight goals in the tournament and helped Mumbai to enter in the summit clash for the first time, received Rs 50 lakh.
Also read: Dabang Mumbai beat Kalinga Lancers 5-2 in HIL
"We should be proud of our achievement," Fuchs, who also got the Hero achiever award, said during the presentation ceremony here.
The maximum goal award was given to Kalinga duo of Glenn Turner and skipper Moritz Furste for scoring maximum number of goals in the tournament. Turner and Furste, who scored 12 goals apiece, got richer by Rs 20 lakh.
Among others, Harmanpreet Singh of Mumbai got the upcoming player of the tournament award for scoring seven goals in the league.
Bhubaneswar: Kalinga Lancers will take on Dabang Mumbai in the final match of Hockey India League (HIL) to be held in Chandigarh today.
Mumbai and Lancers entered the finals of the fifth edition HIL by winning their respective semi-finals against Delhi Waveriders and Uttar Pradesh Wizards at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium in Chandigarh on Saturday.
Table toppers Dabang Mumbai, led by their skipper Florian Fuchs, had rode on a 26th minute field goal by Dutch import Robbert Kemperman to beat Delhi Waveriders 2-0 and set up a summit clash with the Lancers in the finals on Sunday.
Lancers had defeated Uttar Pradesh Wizards via penalty shootout after both teams were locked 4-4 as the match went down to the wire. It was only in the sudden death that Lancers won 4-3.
After V.R. Raghunath scored a penalty corner in the 15th minute for the hosts, German veteran Moritz Fuerste (15th and 51st) put the visitors on the brink of a crucial victory. But Argentine Peillat found the back of the net after the final hooter to earn two points for the hosts.
With the league inching closer to a stage where the teams are calculating their chances for the semi-finals, it was a very crucial match for both the teams.
The action-packed first quarter saw both teams lived up to the expectations. They were racing out of the blocks at a frenetic pace, attacking each other. As a result the dying minutes saw both teams scored back-to-back to maintain the pressure.
In the 15th minute, UP Wizards won a penalty corner and star drag-flicker Raghunath found the back of the net to give his team a crucial lead. Soon after the goal, in the same minute, Lancers skipper Furste equalised the score-line via a penalty corner which he slammed to the left bottom corner.
In the second quarter, Lancers goalkeeper Andrew Charter shone bright as he pulled off a miraculous save to deny Uttar Pradesh a field goal and a penalty corner.
Also Read: Dabang Mumbai beat Kalinga Lancers 5-2 in HIL
Lancers soon pulled up their socks and as a result they won a penalty corner, and following the missed hit, UP counter-attacked. With goalkeeper Charter at the mercy, Ramandeep Singh failed to find the target, sending the ball wide off the right post.
UP Wizards then had to face the barrage of attacks from Kalinga. A diving Belgian defender Van Doren made a crucial interception to deny Dharamvir Singh before Sreejesh cleared it.
In the last quarter, Kalinga came out all guns blazing as they attacked with more pace. After 10 minutes of game, they got the vital lead when Furste fired a very similar goal to the first one he scored. It was the two-time Olympic gold medallist's sixth penalty corner goal of the tournament.
UP Wizards made desperate attempts to come back into the game in the last quarter, making forays into the circle but could not quite make much of the chances.
But at the stroke of the final hooter, the hosts won a penalty corner, earned after a Pardeep Mor's defencive infringment barely 10 seconds before the hooter. Aftet the hooter, Argentine Augustin Mazzilli appealed successfully for a penalty corner which was duely converted by compatriot Peillat to level the match.
"It was tough to concede a penalty corner after the whistle," Furste moaned after being awarded man-of-the-match.
Bhubaneswar: Representing the country in hockey tournaments like Olympics, Asia Cup, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Champions Trophy not only command respect for being great ambassadors, but also being fountainhead of expertise and experience which will foster improvements and development of the sport. However, such sportsmen of our State allege that they are being grossly sidelined in the Hockey India League (HIL) a tournament which aims to popularize Hockey in the country.
Such is the behaviour meted out to our former hockey players that they are not being offered tickets or seats to watch the tournaments held in Bhubaneswar. Rather than using those for developing our own franchise – Kalinga Lancers – the players not even allowed watching the matches in their own State.
Olympian Lazarus Barla, William Khalko and former captain of the Indian Hockey team Prabodh Tirkey have levelled such allegations and along with the office bearers of the Hockey Gangpur Association submitted a memorandum to the executive director of Odisha Sports Development and Promotion Company (OSDPC), which jointly owns Kalinga Lancers.
“It feels like there is no contribution from the hockey players of the State in the HIL. The fact is that we are losing respect by complaining about it. It feels like as if we are begging for respect and it hurts,” said Lazarus.
Also Read: Ranchi Rays trounce Kalinga Lancers 7-2 for first win in HIL 2017
“It is very unfortunate that we have to get tickets and then watch the matches because we have done so much for Odisha and the country as well. Even I was also associated with Kalinga Lancers. At least we should be given passes,” said Prabodh.
Meanwhile, executive director of OSDPC, Sushant Das had assured that steps will be taken to not repeat such callous attitude towards former players.
“We had made provisions to make calls to all the players personally give them tickets. Some Olympians have collected tickets from us. We will take steps to ensure that they get tickets and car passes going forward,” said Das.
Moritz Fuerste of Kalinga Lancers and his men and Rupinder Pal Singh of Waveriders and co will be in action at the stadium from 7 pm.
Notably, Indian players of Kalinga Lancers have been undertaking practices at Kalinga Stadium since January 10 whereas foreign players reached here on January 13. Coach Mark Hager has been giving tips to the players of Kalinga Lancers to improvise their skills while observing the game of the team members.
Out of six matches played between Kalinga Lancers and Delhi Waveriders in the HIL, three have been won by Waveriders while Lancers got victorious in two matches. One match had ended in a draw.
The players of the team met Naveen at State Secretariat here today.
Besides, chief secretary AP Padhi also extended his best wishes to the team. A road show was also organised from the state secretariat on this occasion.
Dipsan Tirkey, a Kalinga Lancers player, said, “We are very excited for the tournament. We have practiced very hard. We hope for a gold medal this season.”
Notably, Kalinga Lancers will play against Delhi Waveriders on the second day of HIL on January 22.
Australian Glenn Turner (43rd, 47th minutes) scored two while Aran Zalewski (20th), Lalit Upadhyay (45th) and Dharamvir Singh (60th) were the other goal getters for the Lancers.
However, it was UP Wizards who took the lead in the 14th minute when Gonzalo Peillat scored from a penalty stroke.
But Zalewski drew parity for Lancers through a field strike four minutes into the second quarter.
The Lancers then struck three quick field goals in a span of four minutes to take a commanding 8-2 lead.
Dharamvir then added salt to UP Wizards wounds when he scored from a field effort in the final minute of the match to pocket the encounter convincingly for Lancers.
As per the new goal scoring system, every field goal and penalty stroke goal resulting from a deliberate four is counted as two.
By virtue of this win, Lancers have moved to the top of the standings with 11 points from three games, while UP Wizards are placed fourth with seven points from four outings.
The Lancers will now travel to Ranchi to face defending champions Ranchi Rays on Thursday while the UP Wizards will face Delhi Waveriders on February 1.
On behalf of IOCL, Ramjee Ram, Executive Director (In-Charge) of Paradip Refinery project handed over the Rs 1 crore co-sponsorship cheque to Sanjeev Chopra, CMD, IDCO and chairman, Odisha Sports Development Promotion Company, which manages the Kalinga Lancers team, at IDCO office here.
WR Borbora, General Manager (HR) of Paradip Refinery project, was present on the occasion.
It may be noted that IOCL has been a co-sponsor of Kalinga Lancers team in the two previous seasons of Hockey India League in 2014 and 2015.
The company has the proud distinction of having 13 Arjuna awardees among its glittering squad of sports stars like P Gopichand, who won the Arjuna Award in 1999, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2001, Padma Shri in 2005, Dronacharya Award in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2014.
IOCL has been championing the cause of sports development for over three decades now. In line with the sports policy it adopted in 1985, it has over the years recruited many promising sportspersons, who have gone on to reach their peak in their chosen disciplines.
Since 2006, the company has also been conferring sports scholarships to promising young sports persons representing the State in indoor and outdoor games.
The scheme, which started in 2006 with 55 scholarships in seven games and sports, has now been increased to 150 scholarships in 19 games and sports to upcoming junior players between 14 -19 years of age.
After arriving at the Bhubaneswar airport on Friday, Hager told media persons, “Winning the tournament is the No 1 priority. Hopefully Kalinga Lancers will do well in the tournament.”
Asked about any special plans for the team, he stated, “No special plan is yet. Practice matches will be held and aim will be to score many goals.”
Kalinga Lancers trainer David John and foreign player Mathew Wills also reached here along with Hager.
The decision to postpone the HIL, originally scheduled for January-February 2018, was taken after a meeting of the tournament's Governing Committee, comprising representatives of Hockey India and other stakeholders.
The decision was also prompted by a packed international calendar comprising the Hockey World League (HWL) Finals in Bhubaneswar in December 2017, the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast in April 2018 followed by the Asian Games in Indonesia in August 2018.
This will be followed by the FIH Hockey World Cup, to be held from November 24 to December 16, 2018, also in Bhubaneswar.
HIL Chairman Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad clarified that it will only be a temporary discontinuation and that the cash-rich tournament will return in 2019.
"Due to a conflict in dates of the schedule of Hockey India League 2018 and a major international tournament (Indoor World Cup), which was likely to restrict the participation of international players, it was decided that the best solution was to postpone the conduct of the sixth season of the League," he said in a statement.
"I want to emphasise that we want to resume the League in 2019 albeit with greater prospects to make it more viable financially, not only for the stakeholders but also for the players."
"This decision was made after consultation with all our commercial partners and meeting the contractual obligations of all parties involved," he added.
The HIL in these past five years has given rise to players who have gone on to make a name for themselves in world hockey.
The HIL significantly contributed in the success of the Indian Junior men's team that won the 2016 Junior World Cup while the senior men's team advanced to a commendable No.6 position in the world ranking.
The foreign players also have hugely benefited from the League, mostly financially, by playing in the month-long tournament along side players from various countries.
"HIL has undoubtedly been a fantastic platform for players from around the world to showcase their talent and the participating teams thoroughly enjoyed the experience over the last five seasons," Ahmad said.
"The Governing Committee would like to thank everyone involved with the HIL and all those who participated in the first five seasons of the tournament," he added.
The match went to the penalty shoot-out after Akashdeep Singh's 58th goal enabled UP Wizards to equalise after last edition's runners-up Kalinga, with goals from Devinder Walmiki (ninth), Moritz Furste (35th) and Billy Bakker (46th), mounted a strong comeback following Florent van Aubel's fourth minute strike.
Australian Charter not only came off with heroics during the regulation play, but also in the penalty shoot-out as Kalinga saw their first two hits of Furste and Adam Dixon wasted thanks to P.R. Sreejesh and UP Wizards going 2-0 up with clinical conversions from Gonzalo Peillat (penalty stroke) and van Aubel.
Lalit Upadhyay and Aran Zalewski brought Kalinga back in contention in the shoot-out, while Charter denied Ramandeep Singh and Akashdeep. Next, Dharamvir Singh fumbled and as did Sander Baart as the game moved to the sudden death.
Charter then again rescued Kalinga by dismissing Augustin Mazzilli. But then Furste failed again and van Aubel continued to be impressive on the day to make it 3-2. Upadhyay levelled it 4-3 and Charter ensured that the goal post looks big for Akashdeep, who was denied by the cross-bar. And Zalewski scored past an imposing Sreejesh to trigger wild celebrations in the Kalinga camp, ending UP Wizards' campaign in the semi-finals for the fourth time in five years.
Charter was tested from the very beginning of the match with offensive actions being witnessed at the both ends. UP Wizards got a penalty corner dismissed in the third minute but they managed to draw the first blood a minute later when a 30-yard long ball from Belgian defender Arthur van Doren was deflected in by compatriot van Aubel.
Kalinga didn't take much time to respond and pulled one back when Devinder deflected home a slap shot from Matthew Dawson following a mistrap of a penalty corner execution.
Charter was kept busy by UP Wizards and the Australian had to block drag-flicks from Gonzalo Peillat and V.R. Raghunath to the left post and couple of minutes later, Akashdeep Singh's drive went inches away from the right post.
Kalinga's tactic of going out all attack meant that UP Wizards always found the space to attack and the Lucknow outfit closed the space further with a heavy midfield. They had the better share of the ball possession which translated into putting plenty of pressure on the Kalinag's young defenders Matthew Dawson, Pardeep Mor, Amit Rohidas and Gurjinder Singh.
As the heavy midfield of UP Wizards was proving too heavy for Kalinga, Kalinga dropped attacking playmaker Billy Bakker further behind to help out the defence after the half-time.
And even though UP Wizards kept building chances and not making them count, Kalinga pulled level 2-2 in the 35th minute when drag-flicker Furste fired a grounder to the left post to beat Sreejesh.
Furste was at it again in the final minutes of the third quarter with two penalty corner chances but his flicks were defused by first runner Raghunath.
Kalinga, howver, managed to take the lead one minute into the fourth and final quarter as a cross from left by Gurjinder Singh was not cleared to safety by goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh and Dutchman Bakker grabbed the ball and made a body turn before hitting it to the roof.
The goal turned the heat on UP Wizards and Kalinga kept coming at them in their boost to seal the game.
When another semi-final exit, their fourth inevitable, But UP Wizards found the equaliser two minutes and six seconds to go. Sander Baart's drive from the edge of the circle on the right was dealt with a poor clearance and Augustin Mazzilli snatched it before passing into an unmarked Akashdeep, who scored an open goal to take the game to the shoot-out where Kalinga prevailed.
Roelant Oltmans-coached UP Wizards have lost three semi-finals in the first three editions and against last edition's runners-up Kalinga, they will be desperate to seal a final spot for the first time. UP Wizards' best performance so far has been a third-place finish in 2013.
"Our first aim was to make it to the semi-finals. Now that we have achieved it, we want to make this opportunity count and qualify for the final. We are probably the only team who has made it to the semi-finals maximum number of times but not made the final," said UP Wizards skipper V.R. Raghunath.
In this edition, UP Wizards finished third in the league phase with 25 points. They thrashed Kalinga 10-0 and drew the other match 2-2 in the league phase. Oltmans' tactics of holding the ball within the defensive structure and watching out for counter-attack opportunities have been successful.
Having experienced defenders like Wouter Jolie, Raghunath, Gonzalo Peillat and 2016 World Junior Player of the Year Arthur van Doren has ensured Wizards the safety at the back, while in front of the back four, Sander Baart has provided the stability.
Attacking midfielders Eddie Ockenden, Florent van Aubel and Seve van Ass possess the speed and skills to turn the defence into attack in a blink of an eye and supply great passes to forwards Augustin Mazzilli, Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh. Oltmans will bank on Raghunath and Peillat to convert the penalty corners.
"The winning formula against Kalinga Lancers will be simple -- stick to the strategies given to us by the coach and execute them through the game. League stage was a different ball game and our approach to the semi-finals will be different," said Raghunath.
The Lucknow-based outfit trained one last time on Friday to fine tune their skills and work out specific plans for Mark Hager's Kalinga squad which includes players like German stalwart Moritz Furste, Australian Glenn Turner and Dutchman Billy Bakker who bring great variety and quality up front.
Especially, shifting deep-lying playmaker Furste has added variety to Kalinga's attack. The two-time Olympic champion with Germany is also a threat with penalty corners, having scored seven times with his drag-flicks this campaign.
Kalinga have not dealt well with the turnovers, and for that S.K. Uthappa, Dharamvir Singh and Aran Zalewski become incredibly important. They will be asked to provide cover for a band of young defenders Matthew Dawson, Pardeep Mor, Amit Rohidas and Gurjinder Singh and their Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter.
The Bhubaneswar-based franchise lost last year's final to Jaypee Punjab Warriors 1-6. And this year, Kalinga captain Furste is eying another shot at the championship match.
"That was a bitter loss because we had played very well through the season but lost out because of one bad day on the field. We didn't play our natural game, but this year, we are stronger and have had a good week-long training session here in Chandigarh," Fuerste said.
"The team is fresh and upbeat for the semi-final and we are looking forward to a good contest," he added.
Needing only a draw in their final game to qualify for the semi-finals, the last year's runners ran riot with goals from Adam Dixon (ninth minute), Moritz Furste (24th, penalty corner), Lalit Upadhyay (34th) and Dharamvir Singh (39th).
The win took second-placed Kalinga's points tally to 28 as they and Dabang Mumbai are the two teams who have reached the knock-outs to be held here.
Bottom-placed Punjab remained at the bottom of the table with 17 points from eight matches.
Punjab, who were coming into the match with three consecutive defeats, continued their slump against Kalinga, who lost to the former in last edition's final.
Punjab got off to a disastrous start as they were behind by two goals in the early ninth minute when English midfielder Dixon made amends for a trapping mistake during a penalty corner execution as he gathered the ball and ran past couple of defenders on the right before slotting in from a tight angle.
Punjab showed good character after conceding the lead. They made good attacking build-ups and Baljit Singh tested Kalinga custodian Andrew Charter with a back-hander from the top of the 'D'.
The hosts earned three penalty corners in the first five minutes of the second quarter but none of them were trapped properly. Kalinga too missed one penalty corner with a mistrapping by the stopper.
But Kalinga corrected the mistake in their next attempt and German talisman Furste fired a grounder to the right, beating the outstretched right foot of Clemons to mark his seventh penalty corner goal and ninth of the campaign.
Punjab too had their chances, as many as three penalty corners, but the efforts from Mink van der Weerden and Mark Gleghorne were not enough to beat Kalinga goalkeeper Charter and his defence.
Kalinga continued their good game and made it 5-0 in the 34th minute as Billy Bakker, from the top of the circle, played a square pass to the left where Upadhhay was stationed unmarked. The India forward hammered home at the near post, much to the disappointment of the home camp.
Also Read: Delhi hammer Punjab Warriors 6-1 in HIL; jump to third spot
Five minutes later, it was 7-0 and it seemed very easy as Punjab defence was out of place. Gurjinder Singh dribbled past two guarding defenders guarding the left post before passing to Malak Singh, who chipped from the baseline to the front of the goal. And only thing an unmarked Dharmvir did was to tap the ball in.
Few minutes later Lalit was again at the opponent circle but he failed to reach in time to meet a baseline cross from Pardeep Mor.
Punjab threw everything at the end but couldn't pull back even a goal. S.V. Sunil thought to have opened their account for the night with 3.15 minutes left on the clock but the goal was disallowed for a ball obstruction before it reached the Karnataka forward.
It completed a harrowing night for Barry Dancer-coached side, which is now on the verge of elimination.
They play their final league game on Monday against Delhi Waveriders, who have 21 point from eight games.
Uttar Pradesh are fourth with 20 points from seven matches, while former champions Ranchi Rays are fifth with 18 points from nine games.
Penalty corner conversions from Justin Reid-Ross (4th minute) and Rupinder Pal Singh (17th) helped Delhi take a 2-1 lead at half-time after drag-flick heroics from Mark Gleghorne (30th) lifted the spirits of the hosts.
Then in the second half, Delhi didn't leave anything for Punjab. A field goal from Mandeep Singh (38th) and Iain Lewers (44th penalty stroke) made it 6-1 for Delhi, who registered third victory in their last four games.
The win took Delhi to the third spot with 21 points from eight games, leaving Punjab at the final spot with 17 points from eight matches.
Top-placed Dabang Mumbai have already qualified with 33 point from nine points. Kalinga Lancers, who play their final game against Punjab on Saturday, are second with 23 points. Uttar Pradesh have 20 points from seven matches to be third on the table, while Ranchi Rays are fourth with 18 points from nine games.
With both the bottom-placed teams, Delhi and Punjab, desperate to reach the semi-finals, the match picked up pace from the beginning. Delhi's Mandeep was fouled which led to a penalty corner in the fourth minute. Reid-Ross blasted one to the roof, giving no chance to goalkeeper Tristian Clemons to make it 1-0 in the second attempt.
The goal gave a big early boost to Delhi who are bidding their first win away from home. However, Punjab were not bogged down and Jake Whetton tested Delhi goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch's awareness from a tight angle.
Delhi, two minutes into the second quarter, doubled their lead when Rupinder drag-flicker fired a lower one to the left corner which beat a outstretched right leg of Clemons.
The two-goal advantage meant Delhi take the reins of the match for the next 10-12 minutes. So much so that defender Reid-Ross could have scored a field goal when he met a cross from Mandip Antil only to be blocked by Clemons from a point-blank range.
With 10 seconds to go for the half-time, Punjab halved the deficit with a brilliantly-taken penalty corner from Englishman Gleghorne, who flicked high to the right corner.
Delhi continued to impress with their counter-attacking game even after the break. Harjeet Singh's through ball found Mandeep with an one-on-one situation with Clemons. The latter charged ahead to keep the danger away in the 35th minute.
One minute later, Reid-Ross was again in action, this time putting a flick above the goalpost. But the goal did come two minutes later as Parvinder Singh's base-line chip over a fallen goalkeeper Clemons was deflected in by Mandeep to make it 4-1.
Punjab put up a poor show defensively and it hit nadir when a rebound off goalkeeper Clemons hit final defender Surender Kumar on the body. It resulted in a penalty stroke and seasoned Englishman Lewers stepped to put the ball to the left corner and make it an impregnable 6-1.
Delhi continued to be relentless despite the handsome lead and didn't allow the visitors to even a hope of a comeback as they romped home 6-1.
Harmanpreet Singh's 23rd-minute successful penalty corner conversion was followed by field goals from Florian Fuchs (31st) and Gurjant Singh (53rd) as the Jay Stacy-coached side leapfrogged Kalinga to take the top spot with 23 points from seven games.
The match between the two top-placed teams of the table, lived up to the hype early, forcing both goalkeepers -- David Harte of Mumbai and Andrew Charter of Kalinga -- to keep away penalty corners. While Charter denied Jeremy Hayward, Harte foiled Moritz Furste thrice 10 minutes into the game.
Harte rose to the task again in the 20th minute as a square pass from Lalit Upadhyay opened up Mumbai defence and Glenn Turner's cut back to the right had Harte at the mercy. But Lalit's hasty tap in met a diving Harte to keep the deadlock going.
At the other end, Mumbai managed to break the deadlock as Harmanpreet converted a penalty corner by firing to the right post corner giving no chance to defender Devinder Walmiki in the 23rd minute.
The western outfit then tightened their grip on the match as a ripping back-hander from Fuchs following a Sander de Wijn pass from the left caught Kalinga defence by surprise. The field goal meant Mumbai led 3-0 and it would be a big test for the hosts.
With this goal, Mumbai gained further confidence and penetrated Kalinga circle on multiple occasions. Even though they didn't get any more goal in the third quarter, their attack helped them subdue the hosts.
As the match inched closer to the final hooter, Kalinga showed some desperation, including couple of fine solo runs from Tom Craig, but the result was absent. They tried a penalty corner variation to make it a field goal opportunity but Harte and his defence stood tall.
Also read: HIL: Kalinga Lancers pip Punjab Warriors
Any hopes of their comeback was killed by Gurjant's scorching back-hander from a very tight angle from the left in the 53rd minute as the visitors grabbed a 5-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Glenn Turner ignited the home crowd's hopes when he slammed home a right cross from Dharmvir Singh. But it was the last goal of the match, meaning Kalinga lost 2-5 in their final home game.
Despite the defeat, Kalinga remained in the second spot with 21 points from seven matches, while third-placed Ranchi Rays have 17 points from seven games. Uttar Pradesh Wizards are in the fourth spot with eight points from three matches.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors are fifth with six points from three matches and Delhi Waveriders are sixth and last with four points from three matches.
Skipper Florian Fuchs (second minute), Affan Yousuf (51st minute) were the goal scorers for Mumbai, while Ashley Jackson (5th and 49th) and Mohammad Amir Khan (16th minute) and Imran Khan (57th minute) scored for the hosts who came into the match winless in the last two matches.
Both teams started the match at a frenetic pace, attacking each other constantly, as a result the 12th match of the league saw two field goals in the first five minutes of the game.
The opening goal was scored by Mumbai's Fuchs in the second minute. After a few fumbles, the ball landed in front of him in the circle and he reverse hit the ball into the net to give his team a 2-0 lead.
Almost immediately, Ranchi Rays, who were playing the match without their star player Christopher Ruhr equalled the scoreline.
Skipper Jackson found the back of the net when his team needed it the most. The seasoned Britain player deflected Manpreet Singh's free hit into the net to bring back his team into the contest.
After two quick goals, both teams slowed down the game and Ranchi controlled the ball possession for most of the time.
In the second quarter, the hosts didn't take too long to put pressure on Mumbai with yet another field goal taking their lead to a comfortable 4-2.
In the 16th minute, Flynn Ogilve ran in and passed to Amir, standing at the left flank, and the latter tapped the ball into an empty net.
Soon after conceding a goal, Mumbai started counter-attacking but the defence of the home side was more powerful to deny the chances.
Minutes into the third quarter, the hosts made unnecessary fouls which led to a penalty corner but Mumbai failed to convert it.
In the 27th minute, custodian David Harte saved a brilliant shot to stop Ranchi from extending their lead.
The hosts went into the 10-minute break at half-time leading the table toppers 4-2.
The third quarter saw a more attacking game with both teams pressing hard. It was Mumbai who won a penalty corner but Harmanpreet Singh dragged it outside the goal mouth.
Playing with 10 players in the dying minutes of the quarter, Mumbai were offered a goal opportunity but they missed and as a result both teams ended the third quarter at the same score.
In an exciting final quarter, the match saw many circle penetrations and counter attacks from both the teams.
The match turned in Ranchi's favour when Robert Kemperman got a blow to his head while defending a penalty corner, resulting in a penalty stroke which was converted by Jackson to make it 5-2.
With just over 11 minutes left for the final hooter, Ranchi were given a penalty corner and Affan Yousuf grabbed it with both hands off a rebound.
The last five minutes saw the intensity rise to the optimum level. It was Ranchi who sealed the match in their favour as Imran slammed a Sarvanjit Singh pass in the 57th minute to give the hosts a 7-3 victory.
After Ashley Jackson gave them a 1-0 lead with a successful penalty corner conversion in the 23rd minute, Ranchi showcased fluent and aggressive hockey and found the field goals, with each counted as two in the tournament, from Sumit (30th), German forward Christopher Ruhr (31st) and Manpreet Singh (44th).
The huge win helped Ranchi move up to the second position with eight points from three games, while despite the loss, Kalinga remained at the top with 10 points from three games. Dabang Mumbai, who have seven points from two matches, are third, while Uttar Pradesh Wizards are fourth with a point from as many game.
Ranchi, who drew their opener against Dabang Mumbai and lost to Kalinga in Bhubaneswar, were determined to make the best out of their opening home game. They played a high-intensity game, dominated possession and penetrated Kalinga's defence regularly.
German Ruhr was at the forefront of their attack and the 23-year-old this edition's import was in a position to put the hosts ahead towards the end of the first quarter but he became impatient and fired his shot wide of the left post.
They, however, upped the ante as soon as the second quarter began, earning a penalty corner in the very first minute. But Jackson's lethargic flick failed to challenge Kalinga's Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter.
But the English set-piece specialist rectified himself in the next opportunity which came in the 23rd minute. His flick hit the left pad of Andrew Charter and went in, with final defender Moritz Furste stranded.
Kalinga responded strongly to the goal but their star striker Glenn Turner fluffed two close-range chances. They earned a penalty corner too, but home team goalkeeper Tyler Lovell was not troubled by Gurjinder Singh's flick which went straight at him.
With the visitors not making their chances count, Ranchi made sure that Kalinga continue to suffer as Sumit's drive from close range moved past Charter, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead at the stroke of the half-time.
One minute into the third quarter, Ranchi showed their ruthlessness as Jackson's solo run from the half-line saw him feed Ruhr at the top of the circle and the German lifted the ball in past changed goalkeeper Abhinav Pandey to make it 5-0.
Despite the handsome 5-0 lead, the home teams didn't relent and three minutes later Jackson had the chance for his second penalty corner conversion but this shot flew wide.
Also Read: HIL: Kalinga Lancers beat Ranchi Rays
However, the goals kept coming. Gurbaj Singh intercepted at the half-line on the right and charged forward before finding an unmarked Manpreet with a precisive cross at the left post. And Manpreet only had to guide the ball in to make it an impregnable 7-0 in the 44th minute.
Already out of the contest, Kalinga pulled two goals back with Lalit Upadhyay tapping home a base-line cross from Aran Zalewski in the 49th minute.
The goal failed to lift the spirit of the visitors, whose defensive structure had a day to forget.
The home crowd had to wait until the 47th minute for the opening goal as Gurjinder blasted the penalty corner chance to the right top corner of Delhi goalkeepr Vincent Vanasch's goal to make it 1-0.
Former champions Delhi got as many as six penalty corners but were not able to convert them as Rupinder Pal Singh and his team had a day of missed opportunities.
Last edition's runners-up Kalinga looked the better of the two at the beginning as far as the team coordination and cohesion is concerned but Delhi had the first potent opportunity to score.
Mandeep Singh found a ball with some space but he took time to shoot, allowing Kalinga defender to close the space down and forced his shot to go wayward in the 10th minute.
Three minutes later, Kalinga's cohesion seemed to have clicked in the 13th minute when Dutch playmaker Billy Bakker played a one-two with Glenn Turner to set up beautifully from the baseline but Dharamvir Singh's touch was heavy as the ball soared into the stands.
Delhi, playing with a high-pressure and high-intensity game, earned a penalty corner in the 21st minute. Rusher Matthew Dawson charged down to block Rupinder Pal Singh's flick, and the home crowd was relieved.
Kalinga mixed the build-up play with the counter-attacking game and penetrated the Delhi circle regularly towards the end of the second quarter. In one such moment, Bakker was again in the centre of action but he was denied by an alert Delhi goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.
After the 10-minute break, Delhi stepped up their game and earned two penalty corners but they failed to make them count. While one was wasted due to poor trapping, the other saw Rupinder again failing to beat the first rusher, Amit Rohidas.
Delhi's day of missed opportunities continued when Talwinder Singh, leading a fierce counter-attack, had only goalkeeper Andrew Charter to beat. But seeing the danger, Charter came ahead from his place to dive and see off the threat. The Australian custodian was again asked to palm away a ripping back-hander from Manuel Brunet.
Meanwhile, Moritz Furste could only see a deflection go to side-netting following a brilliant move from Dipsan Tirkey from the left.
Kalinga, however, made the most of the sole penalty corner chance when Gurjinder fired home, making it 1-0.
After conceding the goal, Delhi looked more determined for their opening goal. They earned two penalty corners but the Kalinga defence stood tall, ultimately wriggling out a 1-0 win.
After the match, Kalinga skipper Furste said that it was good to begin their campaign with a win but have plenty of room to improve.
The German also felt that they have a tough match against former champions Ranchi Rays on Monday.
Lakra, who missed out on the Rio Olympics due to injury and was out of action for over six months in 2016, made his comeback into the Indian team at the Asian Champions Trophy in October.
But with competition for a place in the national team getting tougher, the 26-year-old is aiming to reach peak form and fitness when he represents former champions Ranchi Rays in the HIL.
"The results at the Asian Champions Trophy and the Tour of Australia was a great confidence booster for me. After a long lay-off due to injury, it takes a while to gain back the confidence of playing high intensity matches. At the back of your head, you are thinking I shouldn't get injured again. But my teammates, physio and coaches gave me a lot of confidence and motivated me throughout this difficult phase. Hockey India too made me feel important by ensuring I got the best treatment," he stated on Wednesday.
"I am ready for the challenge. This year's Coal India HIL will be a new beginning for me and I really want to make this opportunity count," insisted Lakra.
"Gaining match practice against so many top players going into an important calendar year for Indian team is crucial for me," said the Odisha defender.
At this edition of HIL, Lakra will play to win his third title. He won the inaugural edition in 2013 with the now-disbanded Ranchi Rhinos and his second title came in 2015 with his current side Ranchi Rays.
Lakra feels this year their team has great potential in lifting the coveted trophy again. His defensive partners are Kothajit Singh and the Australian duo of Fergus Kavanagh and Timothy Deavin, who will play in front of goalkeeper Tyler Lovell.
Also read: Birendra Lakra gets Biju Patnaik State Award
Among the midfield options, Manpreet Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Sumit Kumar and captain Ashley Jackson form a strong combination, while new recruit Christopher Ruhr of Germany, English veteran Barry Middleton, Trent Mitton and Mohammad Imran Khan are strong attacking options for head coach Harendra Singh.
"We have a strong line-up and many of us in the team have played together for a while so we understand each other's game well," he warned the opponents.
"Having players (defender Vikramjit Singh and midfielder Simranjeet Singh) who are carrying the confidence from their Junior World Cup win will also make a difference to our team."
Rays arrived in Mumbai on January 15 and have been training at Mumbai's Mahindra Hockey Stadium where they play their first match against Dabang Mumbai on the opening day of the HIL on January 21.
"Thus far, the training camp has been going well and the team is enjoying this time of coming together," said Lakra.
The teenage defender, who hails from Bargarh district in Odisha, said the league will also help him to find a route to improve financial situation back home.
"This is a huge opportunity for me. While I am very nervous to play against such top players in Coal India HIL, I am aware this exposure will make a lot of difference to my game," he said in a release.
"The money (approx Rs 2 lakh) from HIL will help me buy a kit and shoes. I also want to send some money for my parents as it will help them a great deal," he added.
The HIL begins on January 21 and the last edition runners-up Lancers began their camp on Tuesday. "I am very excited. It is slowly starting to sink in that I will be playing with senior players. At the camp, I got to meet Devinder Walmiki, Pardeep Mor, Lalit Upadhyay and Dharamvir Singh from the senior squad," Sanjeep said.
"I also keep in regular touch with Birendra Lakra and Dipsan Tirkey (both from Odisha) to understand the challenges in the league and how I can keep calm. They motivate me a lot," the defender said.
Sanjeep made his India debut at the 12th South Asian Games last year in Guwahati. He was also part of the Junior India World Cup probables' camp at Sports Authority of India (SAI), South Centre in Bengaluru.
He threw light on how useful the SAI camp for him, especially developing his drag-flicking skills.
"That camp was very useful for me though I didn't make it to the team. I am a defender and drag-flicker and I got to practice a lot with Harmanpreet Singh and worked on my technique.
"He is extremely good at drag-flicking and he motivates me a lot. The Junior World Cup win is a big inspiration for youngsters like me and I wish to emulate the team's success in the future tournaments," Sanjeep said.
Field goals from skipper Simon Child and Parvinder Singh and a brace from drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh helped the Waveriders earn a 6-0 win. Field goals count for two in this edition of the HIL.
But the real star of the match was Waveriders goalkeeper Devon Manchester who once again maintained his form to help the hosts gain five points from the contest and rise from sixth and last in the standings to finish third and qualify for the semis, which will be played in Ranchi on Saturday.
The Lancers had qualified earlier for the knockouts as they finished fourth in the standings while defending champions and Jaypee Punjab Warriors finished first and second. Dabang Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh Wizards meanwhile were knocked out of the competition.
Both teams started on a slow note as the outfits were playing some risk-free and defensive hockey in the first quarter of the game.
But the action really picked up in the second quarter. In the 16th minute, Lancers defender Gurjinder Singh pushed in a ball into the Waveriders' penalty area, but it was saved Manchester.
This time on the counter-attack, the hosts managed to earn the first penalty corner of the match in the 18th minute. Rupinder did not disappoint and converted the chance by sliding the ball past the bottom right of Lancers goalie Andrew Charter.
Meanwhile, Manchester continued his show as he managed another brilliant save in the 28th minute to maintain the Delhi-based team's 1-0 lead. The New Zealand custodian was at it once again as he dived to his right during a Lancers' penalty corner to save one more as the half-time hooter went off.
It did not take Rupinder much time to make it 2-0 at the start of the third quarter (33rd minute and soon enough skipper Child’s field goal (34th) made it 4-0.
Manchester, meanwhile, continued his run, saving another in the 38th minute to make sure the Lancers did not get on the board.
The hosts earned a fantastic chance in the dying minutes of the match when Talwinder Singh outfoxed Landers goalkeeper Charter to pass the ball to Parvinder Singh (56th) who had no difficulty in scoring yet another goal for the Waveriders to make it 6-0.
Mohammad Amir Khan scored the winner in the 49th minute with a field goal, counted as two in this edition of HIL. Lancers took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter with Dharamvir Singh's tap-in before Ashley Jackson reduced the difference to one with a successful penalty corner conversion.
Amir's back-hand strike gave the visitors the lead that they managed to hang on till the end as they registered their fourth win in the last five matches.
Ranchi's win pushed Lancers to second position with 23 points from eight matches while the defending champions secured the top slot with 27 points from seven matches.
Eyeing to edge out each other, Lancers and Rays started playing aggressively from the beginning. Touted as the eastern derby, Rays had defeated Lancers at home in the edition last week and it was time for Lancers to level it in their final match at home.
And their start was brilliant. They opened their account when Dharamvir positioned himself perfectly to come up with an early strike and smashed the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Tyler Lovell.
However, Rays bounced back immediately and earned a penalty corner which was brilliantly capitalised on by skipper Jackson.
Both the teams scored in the first quarter. But the host team were leading by 2-1, courtesy the new rules introduced in the tournament.
The defending champions and host team tried hard to find the net throughout the second quarter as their strikers opened a couple of chances. But, the defenders of both the teams denied every attempt. In the process, Lancers earned a penalty corner as Gurjinder Singh fired straight at goalkeeper Lovell.
With the beginning of the third quarter, both the teams continued playing attacking shots not giving any room to score. The players were leaving no stone unturned to edge out each other.
With just a few seconds remaining to the end of the third quarter, Ranchi earned a penalty corner only to be thwarted by Lancers goalkeeper Andrew Charter, who saved a couple of goals for the team in the match.
But, Rays were not ready to leave behind the host team in the match. With the beginning of the fourth quarter, Ranchi produced a magnificent goal. Superb skills from Amir gave Ranchi a 3-2 lead with 11 minutes to go.
However, the host team earned a penalty corner hoping to level the score. But their hopes quickly faded away when Matthew Dawson's flick was blocked by Lovell.
Having achieved the lead in the match, Rays tried to pass the time by passing the ball among themselves eventually snatching victory from the host team.
Glenn Turner gave the hosts the 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute with a penalty corner deflection but Punjab came out with two field goals, each counted as two in this edition of HIL, as Player of the Match Simon Orchard (49th) and Satbir Singh (58th) found the targets.
With this win, Warriors jumped to the second place -- same as Lancers but behind on goal difference -- as the hosts, despite the defeat, maintained their top spot in the league.
Lancers play their final home match on Monday when they face third placed Ranchi Rays in the eastern derby.
Both Warriors and Lancers started the match on a passive note with neither being able to create good chances in the first quarter.
But as the match progressed, they found the rhythm and especially Punjab threatened Lancers in the dying moments of the second quarter that resulted in four back-to-back penalty corners.
But Lancers' defence stood tall against the visiting drag-flickers Jasjit Kular and Varun Kumar as the first 30 minutes of play yielded no goals.
Continuing their momentum, the visiting side, coached by Australian Barry Dancers, pushed forward and skipper Sardar Singh earned a penalty corner in the 36th minute but the variation didn't work.
Lancers then earned a penalty corner in the 42nd minute and Turner deflected home a variation strategy from Moritz Furste, much to the jubilation of the Kalinga crowd.
However, Warriros, driven by the hard working Sardar, found the lead in the 49th minute. Sardar played the ball to Matt Gohdes, whose cross from the right in front of the goal was tapped in by compatriot Orchard, getting the better of goalkeeper Andrew Charter and Pardeep Mor.
The home team, stunned by the field goal, responded strongly by earning three quick penalty corners but their lust for a variation that would fetch them field goals went awry.
Even though Furste twice fed Turner with tactical precision and superb vision the Australian was not able to deliver the punch and on the turnover, Warriors increased their lead to 4-1 as Jasjit drilled a long ball inside the cirlce that found a touch from an unmarked Satbir and went in, giving the two-time runners-up five crucial points.
Turner scored two field goals -- each counting as two in this edition of HIL -- in the sixth and 56th minute as Lancers posted their fourth win of the six-side tournament.
With this win, Lancers moved to the top of the league standings with 22 points from six matches. Defending champions also have 22 points but are behind on goal difference, while Waveriders dropped a spot to be fifth with 17 points -- same as Uttar Pradesh Wizards but behind on goal difference.
Playing a match five days after their away win over Dabang Mumbai on January 31, Lancers began the match with high note putting pressure from the beginning on the visiting Waveriders, who suffered two back-to-back lossess against Wizards and Jaypee Punjab Warriors respectively at the start of the week.
With few minutes into the game, tournament's leading scorer Turner opened the account for the home team tucking in a great field goal within the legs of an onrushing goalkeeper Devon Manchester.
Soon after bagging a field goal, they also earned a penalty corner, but Lancers failed to capitalise on it.
During the end of the first quarter, the host team were leading in the match by 2-0. The second quarter remained goalless as defence of both the teams stood strong while the goalkeepers put up some good shows.
With the beginning of third quarter, Waveriders resorted to play some attacking shots desperately trying to level the score. But, the Lancers were at their high. They thwarted every move of the visiting team that was constantly building pressure on them.
As both the teams were making their efforts to edge out each other, the third quarter also remained goalless with Lancers leading the match 2-0.
With the beginning of fourth quarter, the Lancers and Waveriders again started playing attacking hockey, leaving their opponents any room to score.
Delhi had couple of chances to score into the fourth quarter. But, the goalkeeper and the defenders of the Lancers did not allow their rivals to past the ball to the goalpost.
Lancers were controlling the ball well throughout the game not giving Delhi too much possession to get back into the game. As a result, they earned the much needed goal from the stick of non other than Turner.
Turner successfully hit the ball, deflected by his teammate Malak Singh, to the goalpost giving his team a cushioned 4-0 lead.
Even though Delhi earned a penalty corner in the last minutes of the game, they could not capitalise it, ending the match with a 0-4 loss.
After a goaless first half, Malak singh gave Lancers a 2-0 lead in the 33rd minute with a field goal which is counted as two in this edition of HIL. Six minutes later, Ashley Jackson reduced the lead to one with a successful penalty corner conversion, while Tim Deavin scored a field goal that enabled the hosts the 3-2 win.
With this win, Ranchi go to the top of the league table with 16 points from four matches, while Lancers remained second with 12 points from equal number of matches.
The match, billed as the eastern derby, started at a fiercely competitive level, with both the teams leaving no chance to score, but a spectacular display of the defensive line at both ends ensured no conversion on either sides.
The story continued in the second quarter as well, with the only change an increased attack from the hosts on Lancers. The first half saw some close chances being created but neither of the teams were able to capitalise on them.
The second half started with a flurry of attacks from Lancers who were rewarded for their attacking play in the first three minutes of the third quarter with Malak giving the visitors a hard fought lead of 2-0.
The home team in response started pressing hard and was soon rewarded in the 39th minute with a penalty corner which was successfully converted by captain Jackson.
The fourth quarter saw Rays in their attacking flow as Australian Daniel Beale made the most of a mispass and passed the ball to compatriot Deavin, who managed to beat goalkeeper Andrew Charter with a diving effort near the left baseline on the left post.
Post this, Rays were at their defensive best not allowing the visitors any chance. Numerous failed attempts to score from the visitors in the dying moments saw the match ending with a score line of 3-2 in favour of Ranchi.
The Coal India Goal of the Match award of Rs.50,000 went to Malak, while Mohammad Amir Khan from Rays walked away with the Most Entertaining Player of the Match award.
Aran Zalewski won the Man of the Match award of Rs.50,000 while his teammate Matthew Dawson won the Rs.25,000 Hero Emerging Player of the Match award.
Ranchi Rays defeated Delhi Waveriders on Tuesday at home before beating Uttar Pradesh Wizards in Lucknow. Similarly, Lancers are also coming off impressive win over Dabang Mumbai at home and had a highly successful trip to Lucknow.
And the match at the Birsa Munda Astro Turf Stadium is expected to be one of the most awaited encounters between the teams belonging to neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Odisha who have been traditional hockey bastions.
Ranchi Rays began their journey with a loss against Jaypee Punjab Warriors, but the Harendra Singh-coached side has come back strongly.
Captain Ashley Jackson has shown his consistency year after year and even in this edition he has been the highest goal scorer for the team.
Some of the other key players to watch out for in the squad will be veteran drag-flicker Sandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Kothajit Singh, Manpreet Singh and Birendra Lakra amongst the Indians, while Barry Middleton, Fergus Kavanagh and goalkeeper Tyler Lovell are the key foreigners.
“It’s going to be a good contest. Both the teams like to play attacking hockey. The crowd is playing the biggest role for the home team which is charging up the players to give their best," Ranchi head coach Harendra said in a release.
"We believe the crowd will continue their support as always and the boys will have to control their emotions and play their basic game.”
Lancers, coached by Australian Mark Hager, also began their campaign with a loss but have found their form since the opening match loss to Wizards.
Glen Turner has turned around their scoring capabilities this year, scoring a total of 10 goals so far. The 31-year-old Australian has been the driving force in the attack and Ranchi need to check him.
He will be supported by Englishman Adam Dixon, Lalit Upadhyay, Malak Singh and Stanli Minz in the attack.
Captain Moritz Fuerste has led his from the front, fitting into the role of the deep-lying playmaker really well. The double Olympic champion with Germany has been able to feed the ball nicely to midfielders Devindar Walmiki, Aran Zalewski, S.K. Utthappa and Dharamvir Singh.
The visitors will have drag-flicker Gurjinder Singh, Matthew Dawson of Australia, Pradeep Mor and Dipsan Tirkey in the defence line, while Andrew Charter will be the first-choice goalkeeper.
“We are fortunate to have a beautiful mix of players in the team with experienced international players and some very talented Indian players. It’s been this mix that has helped us so far and we are confident that it’s this mix only which will help us see through for the rest of the league," Furste said.
"It’s a big match tomorrow but we want to play our regular game and give the spectators a good game of hockey.”
Drag-flickers have been prominent in international matches in this century and the HIL organisers have decided to award two points for each field goal this year. Also, to curb rough tackling, two goals will be counted for every goal scored off a penalty stroke that results from a penalty corner when a goal being scored is prevented by a deliberate foul.
And the teams have also picked their squads during the September 2015 auction as per the requirements under these changes, preferring not only attackers but also technically sound defenders.
However, Ranchi Rays captain Ashley Jackson, himself a drag-flicker, feels the set-piece specialists' roles can not be underestimated.
"The forwards will enjoy playing with the new rules in play but in that process they may end up earning more number of penalty corners and and the drag-flickers can't afford to miss out on them as always," Jackson, who captained his side to glory last year, said.
"So, I am excited and eager to see how the rules impact the games. The rules will certainly impact the results of the matches and the scorelines," the Englishman, who has played for Ranchi based teams from the first edition, added.
But Indian drag-flicker V.R. Raghunath, who will lead Uttar Pradesh Wizards, said that penalty corner exponents will feel less pressure this time around. Raghunath's Wizards have not reached final in the past three editions and to do that they have made some crucial buys in the form of German Tobias Hauke, Australian Jamie Dwyer, Akashdeep Singh and Argentine duo of Augustin Mazzilli and Gonzalo Peillat.
Eddie Ockenden, P.R. Sreejesh, Ramandeep Singh, Wouter Jolie, Chinglensana are some of the other key players of the Lucknow-based side.
Moreover, with the contracts of players ending in 2015 and some of them being retained, the sides who were suffering because of less talented Indian players, Dabang Mumbai and Kalinga Lancers have addressed the issue this time. They were not part of inaugural edition, thereby unable to pick talents from a wider net.
Nikkin Thimmiah, Affan Yousuf, Gurmail Singh are crucial additions to Mumbai, while S.K. Uthappa, Dharamvir Singh, Malak Singh, Amit Rohidas will boost Kalinga's chances. Apart from this, some players in Lancers have grown in stature -- Devindar Singh Walmiki and Lalit Upadhyay -- are now part of the national team.
Local defender Dipsan Tirkey, who was 15 when he joined the side in 2014, now serves as the vice-captain of India's Under-21 side. Dipsan is another supreme talent from the tribal belt of Odisha.
To add to the excitement, several key players have switched alliances and it will be interesting to see how they fare this time.
Three players who will be in focus are Sardar Singh (from Delhi Waveriders to Jaypee Punjab Warriors), Australia's five-time world player of the year Jamie Dwyer (from Warriors to Wizards) and Sandeep Singh (from Warriors to defending champions Ranchi Rays.
Apart from the trio, Australian Glenn Turner (from Mumbai to Kalinga), Danish Mujtaba (from Waveriders to Mumbai) and Nikkin from Wizards to Mumbai) are also notable players who have switched sides.
Wizards, who finished as runners-up in the past two editions, will miss the services of 2014 world goalkeeper of the year Jaap Stockmaan. The Dutchman decided skip the six-franchise tournament to focus on the national programme in the Olympics year.
However, the Barry Dancer-coached side has maintained the Australian flavour despite the absence of Dwyer and promises to continue its track record of the best free-flowing hockey side.
Matt Gohdes, Tristian Clemons and Kiel Brown will join his compatriots Mark Knowles, Simon Orchard, Chris Ciriello, Jake Whetton in Chandigarh. They look formidable by the new signings in Sardar, Jasjit Singh Kular, Gurwinder Singh Chandi and Englishman Mark Gleghorne. Indian livewire S.V. Sunil, who was retained, will add to the firepower.
Their biggest opponent will be Harendra Singh-coached Rays, who will once again depend on Jackson, forward Barry Middleton, Fergus Kavanagh, Manpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra and Kothajit Singh, Tyler Lovell and Trent Mitton.
Among Mumbai's list of players, Florian Fuchs, Nikkin David Harte, Harmanpreet Singh, Jeremy Hayward and Matthew Swann hold key, while for 2014 champions Delhi Waveriders, Simon Child, Rupinderpal Singh, Yuvraj Walmiki, Talwinder Singh, Harjot Singh and Steven Edwards are important.
Lancers, this time coached by former Australian star Mark Hager, require German captain Moritz Furste, Adam Dixon, Aran Zaleswski, Turner, Upadhyay and Andrew Charter to fire.
The team opens its campaign with a home advantage at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar against Uttar Pradesh Wizards.
After the forgettable previous two seasons, the Lancers have made some crucial buys like Dharamvir Singh from Jaypee Punjab Warriors and look confident to start the season with a bang.
With a nice blend of youth and experience, the squad consists of Moritz Fuerste, with his world-class experience, along with the Australian duo of Aran Zalewski and Glenn Turner, who will lend a fair amount of experience to the team's forward line.
The highly talented Indian representation of Pardeep Mor, S.K. Uthappa, Devindar Walmiki, Gurjinder Singh and Lalit Upadhyay lend a perfect balance to the side that would aim for the top-4 finish in the 2016 edition.
The six-team annual league will see the Lancers face last season's third-placed Wizards in the opener.
The Lancers have former India captain Dilip Tirkey as the chief mentor, technical director and advisor of the team. Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar will be a venue for the franchise's home league games in the tournament.
The Lancers have appointed former Australian player Hager as the new chief coach. With 230 caps and 179 goals to his credit, Hager has been coaching the New Zealand women since 2009. He guided them to victory in the 2009 Champions Challenge, silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2011 Champions Trophy.
The team will see Abhinav Pandey and Andrew Charter guard the goal posts while Dipsan Tirkey, Mor, Amit Rohidas, Gurjinder, Anand Lakra, Matthew Willis, Matthew Dawson and Aran Zalewski will form the defensive wall for the team.
Uthappa, Dharamvir, Devindar, Fuerste, Adam Dixon and Quirijn Caspers will form the midfield while the forward line will see Malak Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Glenn Turner and Stanli Victor Minz.
While a win for the Kalinga Lancers tonight would mean that they would almost certainly confirm their spot in the semifinals in Chandigarh on 25 February.
Delhi Waveriders vied for their second win in the league to keep their hopes intact to stay in contention and the home team did not disappoint as they came up with an inspired performance ensuring a strong start to put pressure on the visitors.
Kalinga Lancers’ keeper Abhinav Kumar Pandey was kept busy at the post early in the game, thanks to the heroics of Mandeep Singh who worked in tandem with junior India teammate Santa Singh to put pressure by finding gaps in the circle, creating chances at scoring in the initial minutes of the game. They handed an early blow to the visiting team when Talwinder Singh played one-to-one with Simon Child before he could take the strike at the post. The ninth minute goal put them in a bold 2-0 lead.
Mandeep Singh continued to enthrall the home crowd with his exceptional stick work when he won his team their first PC in the 21st minute. But Rupinder Pal Singh’s flick to the center of the post was padded away promptly by Abhinav Kumar Pandey denying the Delhi Waveriders a further lead.
Interestingly, Rupinder has been successful at converting just one goal from the 10 PCs he has attempted this season.
In the 24th minute, Mandeep earned yet another PC for the home side but Justin Reid-Ross’s attempt was denied. Though Kalinga Lancers won their first PC with just two minutes to go for the first-half, they failed to convert it. But the Delhi Waveriders rallied to work a set piece almost immediately when they earned three back-to-back PCs in the 29th minute.
They were third time successful when Justin Reid-Ross fired the ball away to the keeper’s left to extend their home advantage to finish the quarter with a 3-0 lead.
Moritz Fuerste played a crucial role in earning his team a PC in the 38th minute after he made a perfect assist to Adam Dixon who found Rupinder Pal Singh’s foot in the circle. But a miss-trap denied them a goal. However, they came back strongly in the 40th minute when Fuerste came up with an inch-perfect dribble into the circle only to find an unmarked Dharamvir Singh who made no mistake in sending the ball past Delhi Waveriders’ keeper Vincent Vanasch. The field goal helped the visitors narrow the deficit to 2-3.
A video referral by Kalinga Lancers’ Glenn Turner saw them being awarded a PC in the 42nd minute. But Vincent Vanasch came up with a class-act to save the fiercely struck drag flick by Fuerste to deny them an equaliser. With just 13 seconds left for the third quarter to end, Turner helped his team win another PC but a miss-trap by Billy Bakker saw them try a desperate variation. Though Tom Craig converted a goal, it was denied by the umpires after a video referral by the home team was upheld.
The final quarter witnessed nail-biting action keeping the dynamic Delhi crowd on the edge of their seats. Though Delhi Waveriders did well with their defence to retain the lead, the dangerous Moritz Fuerste could not be stopped in the 54th minute when he was brilliantly assisted by Amit Rohidas that saw him beat Vincent Vanasch to earn a crucial 4-3 lead.
But skipper Rupinder Pal Singh spoiled the Kalinga Lancers party when he converted a PC in the 57th minute to equalise the score to 4-4. The action didn’t end there when Simon Child was successful in converting a field goal after he was set up by Mandeep Singh to hand the home team a 6-4 victory.
Ramandeep (4th and 23rd minutes) and Akashdeep (27th, 48th) were stars for Uttar Pradesh Wizards’s.
Playing in front of a packed Kalinga Stadium, UP Wizards struck their first goal, only seconds into the game, through Argentine Agustin Mazzilli’s field strike to go 2-0 up as according to the rules of the tournament one field goal is counted as two.
The young forward who was leading the visitors’ attack was inch perfect in putting the ball past Kalinga Lancers’ keeper Abhinav Kumar Pandey, after he was brilliantly assisted by Arthur Van Doren in the first minute of the match.
Ramandeep, who had scored a fierce 59th minute goal for Uttar Pradesh Wizards in their first game this season, further enhanced their lead to 4-0 with a stunning goal from the left flank in the fourth minute.
It was a quick-thinking Akashdeep who did a brilliant job by setting up the goal, thus silencing the boisterous home crowd.
Uttar Pradesh Wizards, who dominated the first quarter, had a chance to take their lead to 5-0 when they earned their first penalty corner but a poor injection by Akashdeep denied them the luxury.
The second quarter saw the home team play an attacking game, often making forays into the circle trying desperately to find the gap for a field goal but in vain.
Uttar Pradesh Wizards, meanwhile, launched a lethal counter attack and found success almost immediately with Ramandeep scoring the team’s third field goal in the 23rd minute.
A skillful dribble into the circle by Seve Van Ass, beat Kalinga Lancers’ defender Amit Rohidas to find Ramandeep who had fashioned himself in front of the post and made no mistake in putting the ball past Pandey.
Later, Akashdeep pumped yet another goal into the Kalinga Lancers’ post in the 27th minute taking their lead to a swashbuckling 8-0.
Marching into the third quarter after a formidable start, the Uttar Pradesh Wizards were patient, playing a sensible game and denied much of the ball possession to their opponents.
In the 34th minute, they earned their second penalty corner of the game, thanks to Akashdeep but failed to convert the chance as Kalinga Lancers keeper Andrew Charter did well in padding away the drag flick ball by skipper VR Raghunath.
Kalinga Lancers’ dangerous forward Glenn Turner was strangely off the mark today. He missed a good chance in the 42nd minute when Lalit Upadhyay set him up rather seamlessly.
The visitors continued their rampaging form into the fourth quarter as Akashdeep put another one past a hapless Lancers goalkeeper Charter after racing into the circle with little threat from the rival defenders in the 48th minute.
This effort earned the Uttar Pradesh Wizards a 10-0 lead and five points from the match. They also became the first team in the league to win an away match.
Dabang Mumbai will take on Delhi Waveriders in Mumbai tomorrow.
For a team which finished last in 2014, the Lancers left behind the disappointment and came out strong to defeat the Rays, which has many players from the now non-defunct Ranchi Rhinos.
The start of the first quarter saw the ball travelling from one end of the turf to the other but the home team struck immediately through Argentine Lucas Vila, who struck a brilliant field goal by reverse flicking his shot past Rays' custodian Lovell Tyler.
The ball was slowed down by Tyler but it just managed to crawl over the line to give the Lancers the lead in the third minute.
Within minutes, the Lancers earned three back-to-back penalty corners, all taken by recently crowned international hockey federation's (FIH) Rising Star of the Year Gonzalo Peillat. However, the Argentine failed to convert all chances.
The initiative was immediately taken by the Rays when a counterattack levelled the match with England’s Barry Middleton scoring the equaliser in the 15th minute.
The second quarter entirely belonged to the Lancers who took a two-goal lead via the efforts of Ryan Archibald (17th minute) and skipper Vickram Kanth (18th). The home team went into halftime with a convincing 3-1 advantage.
Motivation from coach Harendra Singh may have helped the Rays who came out a lot more aggressive in the second half. The result was that the visitors scored from their first penalty corner via captain and drag-flicker Ashley Jackson in the 36th minute to make the score 2-3.
However, the Lancers were on the move again and delighted the home crowd in the very next minute when drag-flicker Gurjinder Singh converted to retake the two-goal lead (4-2).
The Rays had to score to have any chance in the match and captain Jackson once again came to the rescue to score his second and his team's third goal in the 49th minute.
The visitors were now desperate and made all attempts to somehow level the match but the Lancers' defence was at its peak, deflecting everything that came its way.
Lancers forward Mandeep Antil provided some more entertainment for the crowd, which went berserk when his diving goal went past the keeper. Mohammed Amir Khan rubbed salt on the wounds of Rays when he pushed in one more for the Lancers in the last minute to make it 6-3 for the home team.
Being among the top drag-flickers of the world, the Karnataka player led the Wizards twice and took the team to the semifinals of the previous two editions. The Indian defender plans to materialise maximum scoring opportunities through penalty corners.
"The league this time is going to be tough as the best players of the world will take part in it. The strength of our team will be the drag-flicking skills," he said in a statement.
The 26-year-old drag-flick specialist was third in the lists of the top goal scorers of both the previous two editions.
Proving his worth and becoming a motivation to the defence line of Wizards in the first season of the HIL, Raghunath scored a total number of nine goals where all the goals came from penalty corner conversions. He scored four goals to help the team take third position.
Trailing the achievement of the first season, he scored eight goals again from penalty corners in the subsequent edition. However, his team failed to finish on the podium.
In addition to Raghunath, the team also has the service of the Netherlands goal-poacher Jeroen Hertzberger, who didn't play last time citing busy international schedule.
Raghunath said that their defence has been strengthened due to the availability of talented Dutch internationals Marcel Balkestein and Jolie Wouter.
"I am excited to share the field with Harbir Singh, the Netherlands' Marcel Balkestein and Jolie Wouter, who are surely a boost to our defence line-up. I look forward to the third season and aiming to improve our position by finishing on a winning note this time."
UP Wizards will play their first match Jan 23 against defending champions Delhi Waveriders in Lucknow. The opening day of the league will witness Kalinga Lancers taking on Ranchi Rays at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.