oppn parties Hockey World Cup Begins Today

News Snippets

  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
oppn parties
Hockey World Cup Begins Today

By Slogger
First publised on 2023-01-13 06:24:11

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.

The FIH World Cup hockey tournament begins in Odisha today. The first match will be played between India and Spain at the newly-constructed, state-of-the-art Birsa Munda stadium in Rourkela. A total of 16 nations are taking part in the tournament. Apart from India and Spain, England, Wales, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Argentina, Chile, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa have made the cut. Belgium are the defending champions. The 16 teams are divided in 4 groups and the top two teams will make the quarter-finals. India is placed in Group D with Spain, England and Wales.

India has prepared well and has been upbeat in several matches leading to the World Cup. But it has not fared well in the Cup with a win in 1975 being the best. After that, it has twice got the fifth place. That and the fact that teams like Australia, New Zealand, England, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina have frequently got the better of India, makes it a tough tournament for the hosts. Although India finished on the podium in Tokyo Olympics, the World Cup is a different ball game. But India's performance in the 2021-22 Pro League (it finished third with 8 wins and 30 points from 16 matches and they scored 62 goals, the highest by a team in the tournament) was excellent and gives it hope. 

Graham Reid, coach of Team India, is banking on youth. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, in good form in recent matches, said that the team has improved a lot under Reid and will spring a surprise or two if it plays to potential. But so have other teams. India's penalty corner woes continue to take the team back and the defence has also become weak after the retirement of drag-flickers Birendra Lakra and Rupinderpal Singh. India's game plan and talent will be put to a tough test in the first match itself when they face a resurgent Spain who will be hungry for a podium finish after not achieving much in recent times. They have built a new team under former Dutch coach Max Caldus.

Overall, this is going to be an exciting tournament and a treat for hockey lovers. Odisha has lined up a host of Indian and international performers including K-pop band Blackswan (which has Odisha girl Shreya Lanka) and Ranveer Singh and Disha Patni for the opening ceremony. Music composer Pritam who composed the Hockey Hai Dil Mera, the official Hockey World Cup 2023 anthem, will also perform live with the 11 singers who sang the song.