New Delhi:
Holi has a distinct hockey flavour this year, with India trouncing arch rivals Pakistan 4-1 in their first match of the tournament on Sunday night.
It was a fantastic start to the Hockey World Cup for a team battling controversy surrounding the rebellion of players against Hockey India just last month. (Read: Hockey crisis resolved).
Security concerns have also cast a cloud over the tournament, coming soon as it does after the Pune blasts and terror threats made against sporting events in India. But Team India seemed to push all such thoughts away and played like true champions. (Read: Hockey World Cup: India humiliate Pakistan 4-1)
Team sponsors Sahara has announced Rs 2 lakh for every member. (Read: Cash reward for Team after thumping win)
Such was the electric Sunday night atmosphere at the new Dhyan Chand Stadium, that NDTV's hockey expert Viren Rasquinha felt like returning to the sport two years after retiring. (Ask Viren Rasquinha a Question)
India coach Jose Brasa hailed his men for "playing with the brain and not emotions" in the 4-1 outplaying of Pakistan in their thrilling hockey World Cup opening match here but advised them not to get carried away by today's result.
"It was great we won 4-1. The boys played really well and they deserved to win. They played with brain and not with emotions," said Brasa, who had before the match advised his players to cut off emotions against Pakistan.
"But it was just a match and we got three points and nothing else. We should keep our feet on the ground as we have a long way to go with very tough matches coming up," said Brasa at the post-match press conference.
"But no doubt the boys played to the plan. We played really well in the first half," he added. (With PTI inputs)
It was a fantastic start to the Hockey World Cup for a team battling controversy surrounding the rebellion of players against Hockey India just last month. (Read: Hockey crisis resolved).
Security concerns have also cast a cloud over the tournament, coming soon as it does after the Pune blasts and terror threats made against sporting events in India. But Team India seemed to push all such thoughts away and played like true champions. (Read: Hockey World Cup: India humiliate Pakistan 4-1)
Team sponsors Sahara has announced Rs 2 lakh for every member. (Read: Cash reward for Team after thumping win)
Such was the electric Sunday night atmosphere at the new Dhyan Chand Stadium, that NDTV's hockey expert Viren Rasquinha felt like returning to the sport two years after retiring. (Ask Viren Rasquinha a Question)
India coach Jose Brasa hailed his men for "playing with the brain and not emotions" in the 4-1 outplaying of Pakistan in their thrilling hockey World Cup opening match here but advised them not to get carried away by today's result.
"It was great we won 4-1. The boys played really well and they deserved to win. They played with brain and not with emotions," said Brasa, who had before the match advised his players to cut off emotions against Pakistan.
"But it was just a match and we got three points and nothing else. We should keep our feet on the ground as we have a long way to go with very tough matches coming up," said Brasa at the post-match press conference.
"But no doubt the boys played to the plan. We played really well in the first half," he added. (With PTI inputs)
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