With eight gold medals, Indian men's hockey team has been the most successful side in Olympic history but since the 1980 Moscow Games, the country has not had a podium finish

Indian national hockey team's last success at the Olympics Games came 40 years ago in the 1980 Moscow Olympics

India men's hockey team opens campaign against New Zealand while women face the Netherlands in their opener of Tokyo Olympic Games

Ashok Kumar can't help but wonder whether the Manpreet Singh-led Indian hockey team would shape up as nicely next year, as it did this year after a stellar 2019

India resume their FIH Pro League with fixtures against Argentina on April 10 and 11, then meet Great Britain on May 8 and 9, and Spain on May 12 and 13 -- all away matches

The FIH was forced to make a new schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected all sporting events across the world

All Balbir Singh Sr had to do was offer a pep talk over breakfast while managing the Ajit Pal Singh-led side which defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of 1975 Hockey World Cup

The cook died of a cardiac arrest and later tested positive for COVID-19, according to a top official, who said there was no reason to panic as the deceased had no access to the players' accommodation zone

The detailed plan involves both the men's and women's hockey teams playing a number of matches against top rivals in the world

India were scheduled to host New Zealand for the two-leg tie of the FIH Pro Hockey League on May 23 and 24 in Bhubaneswar