MAMTA KHARAB: THE GOLDEN GIRL OF WOMEN’S HOCKEY

While India’s world ranking in terms of hockey is only attributed to the men’s hockey team of India, we fail to acknowledge the efforts put in by the equally able women’s hockey team counterparts. Born into a country where women are still responsible for handling the household and the children, (while the public economic sphere is the man’s world), these women have showed immense courage and dedication to take up the dual role of a homemaker and a professional, fighting against all odds to reach where they are today. Amongst many, one name that pops up is that of Mamta Kharab, who is nicknamed the ‘golden girl’ of women’s hockey for her exceptional contribution to the sport.

Born in the year 1982 in a lower middle class family in Haryana, everyday existence was a challenge for this family of 7. Her father’s job of a primary school teacher could not afford to pay for these 7 sibling’s meals.  But that did not deter her family from enrolling her into a school in the locality and further graduate from MD University, Rohtak. 

As for her impressive career, Mamta played a number of National and International Hockey matches/championships for India.  She is the current captain of the Indian women's hockey team. During the 2002 Commonwealth Games, she scored the winning goal which gave India the Gold after 32 years. She also served as the model for the character of Komal Chautala in the 2007 Bollywood hit, Chak De India. Now she is working in Haryana police as a Deputy Supritendent of Police. She is a recipient of the Arjuna Award.

Mamta Kharab's rise is an example of the struggle that women in Haryana have to make to realise their sporting ambitions. If she can muster her courage, you can too. If you have the passion for the game, you should go live it. With the popularity of the hockey league, the sport is regaining its long lost glory. It’s only a little time to see India become the best hockey team again!

A Parent’s Guide To Hockey For Their Kids

Struggling to find the perfect fit of a sport for your kid? Give field hockey a shot and both you and your child will be adopting not a sport but a lifestyle you will be proud of. If like me, safety is your concern being a parent of a lively and outgoing child, field hockey is your best bet. It is a non-contact sport where risks of hitting the ball or being hit by another player is minimal. Being a tactical skill, players will focus on game play and building technique rather than showing off their strength.

Or, if you are looking for a game to improve your kid’s health and social skills, this sport again beats others. Being a team sport kids bond up really well and constant activity keeps them fit and mentally agile, says players of hockey leagues in India. Well the benefits of it are immense and out of the scope of this particular blog. Here we will discuss what you would want to know first as you choose hockey for your kid.

Safety and equipment

Before your child can say turf, the first thing you would want to ensure is that he is braced up with proper safety equipment and gear, advices a Indian hockey player and coach. Well, for mums, nothing comes before protection so let’s start with the essentials. You would want to invest in a good quality mouth guard. They protect your child from mouth injuries by falling face first and also they are a must. If you will go for cheaper versions, they are uncomfortable to wear and may compromise safety. Next you need a shin guard and some nice cleats. Cleats in particular are a fashion statement. 

So children may tend to overlook protection and quality. Well, the blend of both is pretty costly, and not advised for growing kids. Your job would be to keep them firm on quality footwear. If he is not the goalie, there is no other protection required. Just buy him a good stick and he is good to go! 

For more info please check www.delhi-waveriders.in/.

Woman On The Field!

For many sports and woman are still are a distant and unrealized phenomenon. The chauvinistic universe which still does not admit and are sticking hard to the orthodox notions often create problems to the gateway for females for any contact with the outside world. It is almost derogatory how women are almost considered meek and fragile to make it to the top ladder for a long lasting career in sports and men, on the other paradigm are encouraged vehemently to pursue their career in sports. In such case Delhi franchise in hockey and other sports would have all been a man’s world.

 

If it would have been a generalized notion, there is no chance that woman would have been able to even step foot on the ground and the athlete world would have been a barren land with no female sport enthusiast or a member of hockey team of India. All accolades to the sensibilities of those who actively encouraged woman to come to the forefront and establish themselves on the pedestal in the sports world. Ours is a world where enthusiasm for sports parallels that to a firm belief in one’s faith and religion. Yes religion is the word! Sport is a religion in many parts of the world today and women are active participants in these and have qualified for an essential position in these.
 

However the road to success has not been easy. Several sacrifices and challenges have gone in the making of heroic figures like Mary Kom in boxing and Mamta Kharab, the ‘golden girl’ in women hockey team of India amongst others. But many a time owing to this pressure their nutritional requirement takes a back seat and health is compensated with, which results in several health problems like:
 

-Light headedness on the field.
 

-Losing weight irrationally, especially in those who are undernourished.
 

-Irregular monthly cycle and an early menopause.
 

-Delay or stunted growth in many young athletes.

How To Groom Your Child To Become A Hockey Player

Cricket is not the only sport that has taken the youngsters today by a storm. As it turns out, several other sports like hockey, badminton, tennis and basketball are catching the ropes in a proto.  Surprisingly, hockey, which has long represented a rather hazy picture, is reviving life. Many children today are fiercely inspired by some of the best hockey teams in India, and are moving to learn the game. Parents’ support and encouragement, in that case, becomes imperative. Here is how parents can prepare the ground for their children.
 

Start at an early age
 

Be it any activity- sports, dance or music, the early the child starts, the better. He will have years at his hand to capitalize the skills and present them on at a later stage in life. Hence, motivate your child to take up open skates, sticks and plugs. Set the stage and gear them up, right from the beginning.
 

Enrol your child in a house league
 

There are various teams that have taken up a franchise of some great hockey teams. Enrolling your child in some grand hockey franchise Delhi will buckle him up and put him in a spot where dedication and hard work will be the sole way out. In a house league, the child will learn invariably more about the game than anywhere else.
 

Encouragement always helps
 

There will be a time when everything will appear trashy, when things will not work as planned and the child will be subjected to a downward spiral. While he may think of giving up, you don’t. Encourage him to maintain his composure and talk out his areas of problems. Don’t bombard him with unrealistic solutions though.  Keep calm and help him achieve his dreams. This is probably the time when he needs mental support the most.

Scope Of Hockey In Present Times

Essentially every sportsperson intends to make a name for himself, contributing to his team’s victory. Hockey being a national sport in India has many young and passionate followers, but when it comes to showcasing correct sporting techniques, many lack the required skills owing to the monetary marginalization the sport faces.
 

Though with the rising number of hockey leagues in India, many sports enthusiasts have got a platform to make it to our national hockey team, the fact remains we in India do not have enough resources to meet the growing popularity of the sport.
 

To help such sportsperson’, here are few tips for them from few members of the hockey team India.
-Realize the importance of a right position for making a shot. A right position ensures a perfect and clean shot.
 

-Stay ready for the pass. As one of the member of hockey team India states being active on the field have got to do with a healthy mind. It is a mental block better left to the coaches to deal with.
 

- Since shooting high increases the probability of making a goal, many players make sure they shoot high. But in several hockey leagues in India it has been observed that players go down on their knees, to block the shots, leaving the higher portion of the net unprotected. So it is important to come up with a right action plan.
 

-It is most advisable to stay fit. Staying fit includes following a daily work out regime and sticking to a healthy diet. It is utmost necessary to remain hydrated and maintaining an optimal amount of water level in body.
 

My concluding words will be while there are many hearts which beat for hockey, there still remain various obstacles to tackle. The sport strongly needs your constant encouragement and appreciation for the players to bring laurels.

For aspiring hockey champs

It is acknowledged that in such a time span where body is exposed to such a lifestyle where majority of us just can’t resist without junk food, obesity is a major concern. Even if you are just 15 or have stepped in your 20s, you can put on weight. But it is nowhere written that fit and healthy body is to be celebrated and if a person is obese, it is to be condoned. So, if you are passionate enough to play hockey or any other sports, but excess weight has put a placard of a big ‘no’ then you need to change your mindset. Merely admiring photos of hockey players and thinking over being a part of hockey team of India won’t be of any help. You will have to take immediate steps of action, exercise and workout as much as you can to be in the best physical condition.  
 

I know some of you certainly do not entertain the idea itself of joining yoga classes, aerobic classes or doing cardio exercises, but each if these have potential to work magically against not only against excess weight, but can help in maintaining best physical condition.  
 

As a whole, if you have been despairing over your weight by thinking that you just won’t be able to play hockey then here’s the time to throw baggage full of strains behind and play the good game of hockey enthusiastically.

Hockey is hockey not just for legendary players but loyal supporters

Hockey fans have their own niche amongst sports lovers. Unlike other games where supporters would be loud and boisterous in the stadium and forget the game when it’s over, an ardent fan of the sport would never really part from their passion. They would even watch old matches of hockey team of India to refresh those memories. Most of the fans are players themselves or have played the game at some point of time.  They believe that in order to truly relish the game one would actually have to grasp the stick, breathe in the fresh air and feel the splurge of adrenaline the game is capable of pumping, only then can you become a true follower.
 

They would keep photos of hockey players pinned up at their workspace or bed post and would find time to either watch the local match or hit the ground themselves. They will go absolutely crazy upon hearing the word ‘Goal’ but are otherwise, tolerant, fervent and disciplined, in fact these are a few qualities that this game builds up in its players early in their lives.
 

As it is rightly said, any art form, sport or mode of entertainment is alive till when it has ardent  followers and passionate practitioners. Most of the primitive sports that were once an all-time favourite aamongst Indian masses like Dangal, Kho Kho, Gilli Danda are on the verge of extinction and have certainly lost any substantial representation amongst the masses. Though it flourished much later than that, was also on the verge of withering away after its glorious past came to a halt. However, it is because of its loyal patrons who had kept the souvenirs alive that the sport has seen resurrection. It is the sole reason why the sport could make it back amidst the Indian masses with modern versions such as HHIL. Thus, not only the legendary players but also the avid and loyal hockey fans should be respected for their contribution to the sport.     

Do not allow your child to stare at LCD screens throughout the day

It is acknowledged that it’s a daunting task to make a child move away from the big LCD screen, if your child is one of those then instead of worrying over it much, you can find out an alternative against it. Instead of allowing him to stare at the LCD screen throughout the day, you can offer him to get into any of the interesting sports such as hockey or tennis. This is because these days children are less inclined to those indoor games and are very much enthusiastic towards outdoor games. So you can give them this liberty to join an academy in the sports where you feel that your child’s interest lies.

It has been observed that majority of children are taking in keen interest in hockey. It’s a great alternative and your child would thoroughly get entertained as well. If you feel that your child is genuinely interested in either hockey or any other spots, make sure that being a guardian you do not step back in lending a helping hand to your child. This is because you never know that one day you get to see your tiny tot as a member of hockey team of India. You never know your child’s passion in sports will enable him to get clicked with Indian hockey team, you can proudly say pointing your son in photos of hockey players that here he goes.

Hockey team of India is all ready for the 2014 Hockey World Cup

For the longest time, people believed that Hockey was the national sports of India. This belief stemmed from the fact that the hockey team of India was the best performing field hockey team in the world for several decades and won 8 gold medals in numerous Olympic events over the years. Players like Dhyanchand became a household name across the nation and are still revered as some of the most iconic and well known sport personalities in India. Recent clarifications have revealed that India does not have an official national sport.

The popularity of hockey, which had been decreasing for some time following the popularity of cricket, is on the rise once again. It has become common now to find photos of hockey players plastered all over the newspapers, the most recent example being the media coverage they received after the team qualified for the Hockey World Cup which will be held this year.

The period of 1920-1980 is considered the golden period of Indian Hockey. During this time, the men’s hockey team of India won 8 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals in the Olympics.  After 1980, the hockey saw a sharp decline in India and the team did not even qualify for the Olympics held in 2008. The women’s Indian Hockey team began performing better after 2000, and they won the gold prize in 2002 Commonwealth Games, and then went on to win two more gold prizes in international events.

Indian Hockey has been twisted in scandals and the Indian Hockey Federation had to be dissolved in 2009 after charges of multiple counts of corruption were brought against its directors. A new body was formed which was made up of former hockey player and both men’s and women’s team have been improving since the formation of this new body, called Hockey India. Many changes have been made in the way hockey is played in India, and Hockey India has recently started Hockey India
League, the hockey equivalent of the highly popular Indian Premier League event for cricket. Interest in the sport by government bodies as well as private corporations has increased and Hockey India is now recognised by the International Hockey Federation. One can only hope that the Indian hockey team will take its place as the top team in the world once again, and photos of hockey players will once again become a common sight on newspapers, magazines and TV screens.

Hockey- the forgotten Sport of India

Every nation aspires to inspire us with a sense of patriotism and has in some ways succeeded and has more often failed in it. Every nation has its own identity, a national flower, national animal, national sport and so on. India has been on a wave ride with regards to the hockey team of India. During the initial Olympics the Indian team was the undeniable champions and masters of the playing field.

There are a number of photos of hockey players who demonstrate their prowess which is inspiring and sad; inspiring because it shows the team at the height of its power and sad because people have forgotten their roots. It is a sad state of affairs with everyone being concerned with the loss of our heritage nowadays and the social propaganda of the destruction of our culture it’s sad that we let our national animal go extinct and our national team go unnoticed. For those of you who are wondering, the captain’s name is Sardara Singh by the way.

It will not be untrue if it is said that half the people cannot identify names using photos of hockey players when shown to them. But ask anyone and they can tell you the names of every cricket player including the substitutes and sometimes even recognize the ball boy.

But as with every dark cloud there is a silver lining to this one too. The youth are becoming increasingly aware of our folly and are taking steps to correct it. Recently many institutions and celebrities had started campaigning for the hockey team of India during the tournament in order to increase the popularity of the game and even if it does not return to its former glory. We hope that at least it will be able to attain a shade of its magnificence.

It is in our nature to take things for granted and now there is an even more need for its awareness than ever before. Let us remedy our mistakes. Let us save the tigers, embrace our culture, remember our pride and depend not on others or their playthings. We have been straying from a path that we never knew existed and now it is showing glimpses of itself and is giving us perhaps the last opportunity to remedy our faults.

Hockey League India- Igniting the lost craze

With time everything changes. In a similar way the fame and craze of hockey, the national game of India has disappeared. This game was originally played by the warriors nearly 1200 years back in order to develop and enhance the warrior skills and fighting skills in the warrior. This game was first introduced by the British in India and then became very popular among the citizens of India and this made it the national game of India. But later cricket replaced its place in terms of fame, craze and fan following. Cricket became like the religion of India while hockey somewhere disappeared. But with these current hockey players, the demand for this game is again increasing and hockey league India is doing everything to bring the reputation of hockey back in India.

The current hockey team have excelled in their performances and are ranking high internationally and this is increasing the craze and bringing back the lost fame. The hockey players name is there in the web and you can go through them to know the names of the current hockey team who with their high skills and strategies are winning matches and winning the hearts of the people of India.

This hockey league India is trying to enhance the skills of the players and at the same time trying their best to give chances and opportunities to the new players and let them show their talent. They not only give opportunities but also make the demand for hockey increased. This is also inspiring the youth and the youngster to make interest in hockey and build up a passion for this game. These leagues and franchise are even developing the strategies and making the experienced players learn new skills from the young players. It’s an opportunity and a benefit to both the experienced player as well as the young player to acquire skills from each other.

Particularly for the one, who has strong inspiration and passion for hockey and give them the opportunity to showcase their talent and their skills. This has also resulted in the outstanding performances of the woman hockey team and raking the nation high in the international competition. You can go through the hockey players name in the web and their details. You can even find the strategies and skills of these hockey players and their best match performance. If you have a strong interest for hockey and enhance your skills then go through the web and search for these details it will definitely help you in building a great career in hockey.

Tips for formulating a diet chart for hockey players.

A winning performance on the game day takes a lot more than practice. In order to ensure a bright career as a hockey player, focusing on your nutritional needs is also essential apart from rigorous training. Hockey is a high calorie consuming sport and it requires a lot of physical stamina and muscular strength, as a result the nutritional demands of your body increases considerably.

But most of our Indian hockey players do not consider this aspect, their body is strong and resistant in the early years but in later years it affects their health and performance. The extra workout burns out more calories due to which sportsmen take larger food portions. This makes them believe that they are refilling the nourishment vitals sufficiently; but those extra chapattis and buttermilk do not compensate your body requirements. Therefore a planned diet with a balance between all food groups is important, so following diet tips should be adopted by hockey teams.
 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the best and most essential form of energy source for sportsmen. Carb rich products should be included in your breakfast and lunch to fuel you through the day. They provide a large portion of the daily stamina required for your active bodies. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains (such as brown rice), milk and its products, Legumes (peas, all kinds of beans, lentils) etc are rich sources of carbohydrates. The average Indian diet misses out carb rich sources, so it is essential for hockey teams to especially focus on its intake. 
 

Proteins
 

Protein is the Tinkerbelle for your strong muscles; it repairs, strengthens and builds tissue and maintains a strong immune system. Including small but frequent portions of it in your diet will fortify your muscles and tissues. An ideal protein diet consists of food items like lean meats, milk products, eggs, cheese and tofu. However do not overdo on it as it can be dehydrating for your body.
 

Fats
 

A limited amount of healthy fats are also essential in your diet; the Indian diet is rich on it but you need to focus on the type and the amount of your intake. Peanuts, olive oil, walnuts, almonds, soy nuts, salmon etc. are some sources of healthy fat.

Thus follow this diet plan which is preferred by the professional Indian hockey players as well; and it will help you in maintaining your energy levels. And last but not the least, do not forget the fluids and drink plenty of water.