Hockey Te Charcha

In this episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we speak with Indian Women's Hockey Team Forwards Navneet Kaur and Neha. The players, who were part of the historic fourth-place finish campaign at the Tokyo Olympics last year, opened up about how they came across the game of hockey and how they started playing the sport.

While Navneet stressed on the importance of her father in her hockey journey, Neha credited her mother for her success on the hockey field. Navneet and Neha also spoke about their experience with the Indian team and shared reasons behind the team's success in the last few years. The two Forwards also expressed about the challenges they have faced in their careers so far.

The two Forwards shared anecdotes from the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as well.

Tune into this episode of Hockey Te Charcha to find out more about Navneet and Neha.

In this episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we speak with the star defender and key drag flicker of the Indian Men’s Hockey team, the one and only Harmanpreet Singh. Known to be a calm and reserved character off the field, Harmanpreet takes listeners along with him through his journey in International hockey in this insightful conversation.

Coming off the back of a monumental year in 2021 which saw him attain collective glory with Team India in the Tokyo Olympics and individual awards like the FIH Men’s Player of the Year, Harmanpreet speaks about the dedication and years of hard work which enabled him to scale these new heights in his career.

Giving listeners a glimpse into his personality off the field, the star defender shares his experience as a newly married man and talks about his favourite holiday destination, his love for music and his favourite Bollywood icon.

Tune into this episode of Hockey Te Charcha to find out more about Harmanpreet Singh.

In the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we speak with none other than the Indian Men’s Hockey team’s veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. Sreejesh, who is nicknamed the ‘Great Wall of India’ for his heroic performances in goal for the Indian National Team over the last 18 years, opens up about his humble background and why he chose to pursue hockey as a kid at a time when other sports were more popular in his home state of Kerala.

Speaking about his journey from being a youngster who dreamed of representing India at the biggest stage one day to playing an instrumental role in securing India’s Bronze Medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Sreejesh reflects on the many highs and lows in an international career that has spanned nearly two decades. He also speaks candidly about the special relationship that he shares with his father.

On a lighter note, Sreejesh gives his fans and listeners a glimpse into his personal life as he speaks about his likes, dislikes, and his favourite comfort food. The ace Indian goalkeeper even tells us about his casting choice for the actor who should play him if a biopic is ever made on his life and his storied career in International hockey.

Tune into this episode of Hockey Te Charcha to find out more about the man himself: PR Sreejesh.

In this year-end special episode of Hockey Te Charcha, Indian Women's Hockey Captain Rani reflected upon the year 2021 which witnessed their historic 4th place finish in the Tokyo Olympic Games. She has been part of some of India's most significant victories including the team's qualification for the Olympics 2020. She has led the Indian Women's team since 2017 and she speaks fondly of this journey, explaining how she took on the onus of shouldering the duties of a Captain.

In this candid conversation, she also speaks of her initial struggles in the team and fondly remembers the advice she received from late Shri MK Kaushik, the legendary coach and Olympic Gold Medalist under whose wings Rani made it to the National Coaching Camp at a young age of 15.

She also speaks of her humble roots, the struggle of a young girl from a conversative society in Shahbaad taking up hockey as a career and also recalls her father's meeting with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the Padma Shri awards ceremony which will always be a special moment for her.

To hear more, tune into the episode here.

In this latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad reflected upon the start of his journey. The 21-year-old young gun who was part of India's historic Bronze medal-winning campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, recalled how he had to battle injuries early on in his career.

He also fondly speaks about leading India Colts in his very first international outing with the team in 2017 at the Sultan of Johor Cup tournament in Malaysia, where India finished in the third position. Vivek was named the 'Young Player of the Tournament' for his consistent performances.

In 2018, Vivek received a call-up to India Men's Senior Team, and now, after performing at the highest level against some of the best teams in the world in the past three years, the young hockey star will be leading India's junior team once again at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup as they look to defend the title in Bhubaneswar.

Do tune in to hear more.

You can follow us and leave us your feedback on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @hockeyindia. Our entire podcast is also available on hockeyindia.org.

In the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we catch up with Mandeep Singh, who is one of the most flamboyant strikers in the Indian Men’s Hockey Team. He was part of team for India’s historic Bronze medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics.

He came into the national set up in 2013 as a very young player. His performances in the Hockey India League fast-tracked his debut in the Senior India side, and ever since, he has been a part of India’s many success stories. In a very candid conversation, Mandeep gets nostalgic about the FIH Men's Junior World Cup in 2016 which India won by beating Belgium in the Final. With, the much-awaited FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup being held in Bhubaneswar starting 24 November, Mandeep not only wished the India Colts side the best but also gave away some valuable tips that can help in India's campaign.

Tune in to hear more.

You can follow us and leave us your feedback on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @hockeyindia. Our entire podcast is also available on hockeyindia.org.

In the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we are joined by current hockey star Simranjeet Singh, who was part of the winning the bronze medal team at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Simranjeet’s illustrious national career kicked off as a junior player at the 2016 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup, where he helped the team clinch the Championship title. He made his senior debut in 2018 and has since then represented India in various noteworthy tournaments including India’s silver-medal winning campaign at the 2018 Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy and the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar. Simranjeet’s sensational goals have made him an instant hit among the Indian fans.

In an entertaining and insightful chat, Simranjeet speaks candidly about his journey and the various highs and lows of his career. He takes us behind the scenes of 2018 World Cup, giving a peak into the team’s morale and approach to the home tournament. He also talks about national camps and how fundamental they are to forging a strong mentality and unbreakable team bonds. Finally, he takes us along his eventful Tokyo journey, right from the initial disappointment of missing out on the 16-member squad to wearing the bronze medal with pride. Tune in to hear more...

In the thirteenth episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we spoke with the charismatic former Indian hockey player MM Somaya. Somaya was a part of India’s last Olympic Gold medal winning side at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and went on to play in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as well, before Captaining the Indian Men’s Hockey Team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

In this episode, Somaya takes us on a journey of Indian hockey in the 1980s, sharing some of his experiences of playing alongside legendary players such as Mohammed Shahid, Zafar Iqbal, Vasudevan Baskaran and Mervyn Fernandis. On a lighter note, Somaya regales us with tales of camaraderie between the team, as certain players in the team went on to form a core of the Indian side which played in three Olympic Games together between 1980 and 1988.

The former Indian Men’s Team Captain goes on to analyse the structure laid down by Hockey India, under which the current Indian hockey teams have shown signs of flourishing. Somaya is all praises for the developments in modern grassroots training in India, offering invaluable insights from his wealth of experience in Indian and International hockey. He also shares his congratulations with the current Indian Men’s and Women’s teams for their remarkable performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tune in to the episode to find out more.

In the twelfth episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we took a trip down memory lane with the legendary Gurbux Singh. Gurbux had an illustrious career in hockey, winning multiple medals and honours for his country, the foremost of which is the Olympic Gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Over the course of this conversation, Gurbux Singh relives some glorious memories from his playing career, offering some detailed insights into some of Indian hockey’s most iconic accomplishments, as well as anecdotes about the legendary Major Dhyan Chand. Gurbux Singh keenly follows present day International hockey, and shares his congratulations, as well as words of advice for the current Indian Men’s and Women’s hockey team.

Tune in to this episode to hear from the decorated veteran himself, as he tells tales about the glorious past of Indian hockey and his own journey in the game, beginning from his childhood to eventually becoming the captain of the Indian hockey team.

You can follow us and leave us your feedback on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @hockeyindia. Our entire podcast is also available on hockeyindia.org.

In the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, we interacted with Indian Men’s Hockey Team Chief Coach Graham Reid.

Graham Reid is no stranger to success on the Olympic stage, having won the Silver medal as a player for Australia in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. However, clinching an Olympic Bronze medal as the Chief Coach of the Indian Men’s Team after a 41-year long wait for India ranks amongst his most impressive achievements. Reid spoke at length about the challenges and the process that led to this remarkable feat in an insightful conversation on Hockey Te Charcha; a podcast series initiated by Hockey India.

You can follow us and leave us your feedback on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @hockeyindia. Our entire podcast is also available on hockeyindia.org.