Bangalore Hi-Fliers
Encyclopedia
The Bangalore Hi-Fliers are the Premier Hockey League
(PHL) team from the IT Hub of India
, Bangalore
, Karnataka
. The team is led by Tushar Khandekar
a member of Indian Hockey
team. They were previously named as Bangalore Lions because of sponsorship reasons.
Banglore Hi-Fliers is currently the most successful team in Premier Hockey League
they won league twice in 2006 and 2008, beating Chandigarh Dynamos
on both occasion in play-offs.
in year 2005. It started of with many host of hockey superstars from India, Pakistan and Malaysia. Hi-Fliers is the only teams who in every edition of the PHL displayed tactical and strategic hockey. They have had a good mix of young and experienced players. In the first edition at Hyderabad, their squad had as many as seven members from the national team. They played well in the first leg but failed to maintain the same tempo in the second set of matches and finished a disappointing fourth in the first edition.
In the year 2006 ING
Life Insurance
became the official team sponsor of Bangalore Hi-fliers and the team was re-christened as Bangalore Lions in the second and third edition. Lions went on to win league in 2006 and in 2007 they finished third, before going back to the original name in PHL - IV and again winning league.
Teams name was changed to Lions in 2006,the team played brilliantly throughout and finished as the second team in the league to enter the best-of-three finals and pipped local favourites Chandigarh Dynamos to win the second edition. In the third final, Bangalore's Hariprasad scored a classic goal - that one effort earned him a place in the Indian team for the Asian Games and the World Cup. In the third edition, Bangalore failed to make it to the final by three points and finished third.
Team's name was again changed in 2008 and they were now called Bangalore Hi-fliers
. Hi-fliers went on to win the league in 2008.
The greatest strength of the team is their star penalty corner specialist Len Aiyappa. The bald-pated drag flick expert bagged the Top Scorer award in the first 2005. The team's fortunes depend on the ability of their forwardline to get enough short corners for Len to click.
Bangalore had eight internationals in their team and is also served by one of the best goalkeepers in the country, Bharath Kumar Chetri. Its Korean import You Hyo-sik has the ability to make speedy runs and he was an asset to the team. They also had two more foreign players Oliver Rutgers and Sebastian Westerholt from the Netherlands
. Skipper Tushar Khandekar
was the star to watch in the forward line and he has the seasoned and talented Sandeep Michael and Hariprasad to bolster the attack. Sunil and Cheyanna, two upcoming youngsters are the ones to watch out for in the frontline. Former skipper Arjun Halappa
had the ability to play as an attacking midfielder and they had Bimal Lakra, a trusted soldier in the midfield, as the fulcrum of the team's fortunes - who was also be ably assisted by VS Vinay. With a mix of good players in all the departments who have the ability to play tactical modern hockey, Bangalore Hi-Fliers looked good for another shot at the title and they did what was expected from them.
With their chief coach Ramesh Parameswaran joining the national duties, assistant coach and Olympian Ashish Ballal was in-charge of the coaching staff with another Junior India coach Edward Brient to assist him. Another former international CS Poonacha was the fitness trainer with the secretary of the Karnataka Hockey Association K Krishnamurthy as manager.
Note: The list of players was obtained from the PHL website.
Other Important Team Personnel
Ramesh Parameswaran (Chief Coach) Ashish Ballal (Asst. Coach) Kannan Krishnamurthy (General Manager) Poonacha C.S (Trainer)
Premier Hockey League
The now defunct Premier Hockey League was a professional league competition for field Hockey clubs in the top division of the Indian hockey system. There were seven teams in the PHL. The competition was held every year from 2005 till 2008.-History:...
(PHL) team from the IT Hub of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. The team is led by Tushar Khandekar
Tushar Khandekar
Tushar Khandekar is a field hockey player from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.He started his career playing with the India juniors before advancing to India seniors....
a member of Indian Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
team. They were previously named as Bangalore Lions because of sponsorship reasons.
Banglore Hi-Fliers is currently the most successful team in Premier Hockey League
Premier Hockey League
The now defunct Premier Hockey League was a professional league competition for field Hockey clubs in the top division of the Indian hockey system. There were seven teams in the PHL. The competition was held every year from 2005 till 2008.-History:...
they won league twice in 2006 and 2008, beating Chandigarh Dynamos
Chandigarh Dynamos
Chandigarh Dynamoes are a Premier Hockey League team based in Chandigarh, Punjab. The team captain is Rajpal Singh.-History:During the 2004 season, the Chandigarh Dynamos played in tier 2. Their goalkeeper Gurkirat Mann was adjudged the best goalkeeper for the 2004 season. Following their win, they...
on both occasion in play-offs.
Founding
The club was formed on the back grounds of inaugural Premier Hockey LeaguePremier Hockey League
The now defunct Premier Hockey League was a professional league competition for field Hockey clubs in the top division of the Indian hockey system. There were seven teams in the PHL. The competition was held every year from 2005 till 2008.-History:...
in year 2005. It started of with many host of hockey superstars from India, Pakistan and Malaysia. Hi-Fliers is the only teams who in every edition of the PHL displayed tactical and strategic hockey. They have had a good mix of young and experienced players. In the first edition at Hyderabad, their squad had as many as seven members from the national team. They played well in the first leg but failed to maintain the same tempo in the second set of matches and finished a disappointing fourth in the first edition.
Change Of Name and Rise
ING Group
The ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
Life Insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
became the official team sponsor of Bangalore Hi-fliers and the team was re-christened as Bangalore Lions in the second and third edition. Lions went on to win league in 2006 and in 2007 they finished third, before going back to the original name in PHL - IV and again winning league.
Lions Era (2006-2007)
Current (2008-Present)
Bangalore Hi-Fliers
The Bangalore Hi-Fliers are the Premier Hockey League team from the IT Hub of India, Bangalore, Karnataka. The team is led by Tushar Khandekar a member of Indian Hockey team...
. Hi-fliers went on to win the league in 2008.
The greatest strength of the team is their star penalty corner specialist Len Aiyappa. The bald-pated drag flick expert bagged the Top Scorer award in the first 2005. The team's fortunes depend on the ability of their forwardline to get enough short corners for Len to click.
Bangalore had eight internationals in their team and is also served by one of the best goalkeepers in the country, Bharath Kumar Chetri. Its Korean import You Hyo-sik has the ability to make speedy runs and he was an asset to the team. They also had two more foreign players Oliver Rutgers and Sebastian Westerholt from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Skipper Tushar Khandekar
Tushar Khandekar
Tushar Khandekar is a field hockey player from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.He started his career playing with the India juniors before advancing to India seniors....
was the star to watch in the forward line and he has the seasoned and talented Sandeep Michael and Hariprasad to bolster the attack. Sunil and Cheyanna, two upcoming youngsters are the ones to watch out for in the frontline. Former skipper Arjun Halappa
Arjun Halappa
Arjun Halappa is a hockey striker from India.-Career:Midfield maestro Arjun Halappa is the son of former East Bengal Hockey Club player B.K. Halappa,...
had the ability to play as an attacking midfielder and they had Bimal Lakra, a trusted soldier in the midfield, as the fulcrum of the team's fortunes - who was also be ably assisted by VS Vinay. With a mix of good players in all the departments who have the ability to play tactical modern hockey, Bangalore Hi-Fliers looked good for another shot at the title and they did what was expected from them.
With their chief coach Ramesh Parameswaran joining the national duties, assistant coach and Olympian Ashish Ballal was in-charge of the coaching staff with another Junior India coach Edward Brient to assist him. Another former international CS Poonacha was the fitness trainer with the secretary of the Karnataka Hockey Association K Krishnamurthy as manager.
Bangalore Hi-fliers Season By Season Performance
| Season | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | ET-W | ET-L | GF | GA | GD | Points | position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | - | - | 19 | 22 | -3 | 9 | Fourth |
| 2006 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | - | - | 16 | 12 | 4 | 13 | Second in league won Championship on play-offs |
| 2007 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 20 | Third |
| 2008 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 14 | Second in league won Championship on play-offs |
First-Team Squad
As of PHL 4 - 2008.| Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Tushar Khandekar Tushar Khandekar Tushar Khandekar is a field hockey player from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.He started his career playing with the India juniors before advancing to India seniors.... (Captain) |
 |
| Bharath Kumar Chhetri | |
| Len Aiyappa | |
| P T RAO | |
| Ajay Kumar Saroha | |
| Arjun Halappa Arjun Halappa Arjun Halappa is a hockey striker from India.-Career:Midfield maestro Arjun Halappa is the son of former East Bengal Hockey Club player B.K. Halappa,... |
|
| Vinaya V.S | |
| Bimal Lakra | |
| Vikram Kanth | |
| Cheeyanna | |
| Hari Prasad Hari Prasad Hari Prasad is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by John Nayagam.-Character's background:Smooth-talking vet Hari Prasad couldn’t believe it when he came across university friend Paddy Kirk in the Dales.... |
|
| S.V.Sunil | |
| K.A.Nilesh | |
| Kamarjit Singh | |
| Olivier Rutgers |  |
| Sebastian Westerhout | |
| Hyo Kim |  |
Note: The list of players was obtained from the PHL website.
Other Important Team Personnel
Ramesh Parameswaran (Chief Coach) Ashish Ballal (Asst. Coach) Kannan Krishnamurthy (General Manager) Poonacha C.S (Trainer)
Former Players
| Name | Career | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Kuttappa | 2005 | |
| Irshad Ali Irshad Ali Irshad Ali is Pakistan's most successful shooter having won three medals at the Commonwealth Games. He is currently taking part in his third Games in New Delhi, India.-Commonwealth Games:... |
2005 | |
| Chandrasekhar Xalxo | 2005 | |
| Pawal Lakra | 2005 | |
| Amar Aiyamma | 2005 and 2007 | |
| Sabu Varkey | 2005–2007 | |
| Sunil Ekka | 2005 | |
| Ravi Kumar Ravi Kumar Ravi Kumar or Ravikumar may refer to:* K. S. Ravikumar , Indian film director and actor* P. H. Ravikumar , Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Commodity and Derivates Exchange Limited... |
2006 | |
| Ignace Tirkey Ignace Tirkey Ignacious Tirkey is a member of India's hockey team. He plays as a midfielder and has captained the Indian team.He also serves the Madras Engineering Group Indian army as junior commisioned officer.He holds the rank of Subedar.-Early life:His younger brother Prabodh Tirkey also represented India... |
2006–2007 | |
| Name | Career | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Mommahad Waqas | 2007 | |
| Gurpreet Singh | 2007 | |
| Paul Blake Paul Blake Paul Blake is the current Chairman of the British Basketball League, succeeding Vince Macaulay-Razaq in 2006, as well as working as the current Managing Director of the Newcastle Eagles basketball franchise.... |
2007 | |
| Laxman Rao NP | 2007 | |
| Bikramjit Singh Bikramjit Singh Bikramjit Singh is an Indian football player. He is currently playing for Pailan Arrows in the I-League as a Midfielder.-Pailan Arrows:Bikramjit is currently playing for Pailan Arrows in I-League... |
2007 | |
| Suresh Kumar Suresh Kumar Suresh Kumar was appointed the Assistant Commerce Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director-General of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service by President Barack Obama on February 12, 2010.-Early life and Education:... |
2006–2007 | |
| Bimal Lakra | 2006–2008 | |
| Prabodh Tirkey Prabodh Tirkey Prabodh Tirkey is an Indian hockey midfielder. He is an ex-captain of Indian hockey team.-Personal life:Prabodh is the younger brother of Indian Hockey player Ignace Tirkey, who also has captained the Indian Senior Team... |
2005–2007 | |
| Bipin Fernandes | 2006 | |
Goal Keepers
| Dates | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–Present | Bharath Kumar Chhetri | |
| 2005 | Kuttappa | |
| 2006–Present | P T RAO | |
Club Captains
| Dates | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | Arjun Halappa Arjun Halappa Arjun Halappa is a hockey striker from India.-Career:Midfield maestro Arjun Halappa is the son of former East Bengal Hockey Club player B.K. Halappa,... |
|
| 2008–Present | Tushar Khandekar Tushar Khandekar Tushar Khandekar is a field hockey player from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.He started his career playing with the India juniors before advancing to India seniors.... |
|
International Players
| Name | Career | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Kuhan Shanmugunathan | 2005 |  |
| Mudassar Ali Khan | 2005–2006 |  |
| Rehan Butt Rehan Butt Rehan Butt is a professional field hockey player from Pakistan, who was a member of the Men's National Team that won the bronze medal at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Champions Trophey.-International senior tournaments:... |
2006 | |
| Jordi Quintana | 2006 |  |
| Paul Blake Paul Blake Paul Blake is the current Chairman of the British Basketball League, succeeding Vince Macaulay-Razaq in 2006, as well as working as the current Managing Director of the Newcastle Eagles basketball franchise.... |
2007 |  |
| Name | Career | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Thijs de Greeff Thijs de Greeff Thijs de Greeff is a Dutch field hockey player, who made his debut for the Men's National Team in 2005. He plays club hockey for HC Klein Zwitserland in Den Haag and Bangalore Lions of the Premier Hockey League.-References:*... |
2007 | |
| Sander van der Weide Sander van der Weide Sander Petrus Henricus van der Weide is a field hockey player from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch team that won the golden medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.... |
2007 | |
| Olivier Rutgers | 2008 | |
| Sebastian Westerhout | 2008 | |
| Hyo Kim | 2008 | |
Coaching And Medical Staff
- Manager: Kannan Krishnamurthy
- Chief Coach: Ramesh Parameswaran
- Asst Coach: Ashish Ballal
- Physical Trainer: Poonacha C.S
Chief Coach History
| Dates | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–Present | Ramesh Parameswaran | |