India fails to make it to Olympic hockey
10 Mar 2008, 0544 hrs IST,PTI
SANTIAGO: Scoring twice in the first-half, Britain ended India's Olympic dreams (Watch) with a 2-0 win in the final of the World Hockey qualifying tournament at Santiago.
Barry Middleton (4th minute) and Richard Mantell (10th) struck for Britain who then showed the discipline and character to withstand intense pressure to emerge deserving winners while qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Eight time gold medallists India thus failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928.
While the Britain players celebrated to the accompaniment of the song "We are the Champions", the Indian, heads bowed, shoulders slumped, could only watch the jubilant scenes of a team that played smarter if not better hockey.
On the day, it was Britain who showed a lot of steel in dealing with the massive pressure they were subjected to by the Indian forwards. The difference was that Britain, who had beaten India 3-2 in the league, capitalized on the two early chances that came their way, while the Indians did not.
In contrast, India could never really settle down and the two yellow cards to their key players, midfielder Sardara Singh and forward Prabhjot Singh filled their cup of woe. It brought the number of yellow cards to five in three matches.
India also blew five penalty corners with neither Ramachandra Raghunath with his drag-flicks nor Dilip Tirkey with his direct hits able to convert. In fact, their set-piece drill in the second-half was rather pathetic, as the ball was not even stopped cleanly.
India, the eight time gold medallist, have failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928. India suffered a 0-2 loss to Great Britain in the final of the World Hockey qualifying tournament at Santiago. Is it right to blame the players for the plight of the national game? Isn't the step-motherly treatment meted out to them in comparison to the cricketers responsible for the sorry state of affairs? Shouldn't the corporate and glam world look beyond cricket to benefit other sports? Write in with your views .
10 Mar 2008, 0544 hrs IST,PTI
SANTIAGO: Scoring twice in the first-half, Britain ended India's Olympic dreams (Watch) with a 2-0 win in the final of the World Hockey qualifying tournament at Santiago.
Barry Middleton (4th minute) and Richard Mantell (10th) struck for Britain who then showed the discipline and character to withstand intense pressure to emerge deserving winners while qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Eight time gold medallists India thus failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928.
While the Britain players celebrated to the accompaniment of the song "We are the Champions", the Indian, heads bowed, shoulders slumped, could only watch the jubilant scenes of a team that played smarter if not better hockey.
On the day, it was Britain who showed a lot of steel in dealing with the massive pressure they were subjected to by the Indian forwards. The difference was that Britain, who had beaten India 3-2 in the league, capitalized on the two early chances that came their way, while the Indians did not.
In contrast, India could never really settle down and the two yellow cards to their key players, midfielder Sardara Singh and forward Prabhjot Singh filled their cup of woe. It brought the number of yellow cards to five in three matches.
India also blew five penalty corners with neither Ramachandra Raghunath with his drag-flicks nor Dilip Tirkey with his direct hits able to convert. In fact, their set-piece drill in the second-half was rather pathetic, as the ball was not even stopped cleanly.
India, the eight time gold medallist, have failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928. India suffered a 0-2 loss to Great Britain in the final of the World Hockey qualifying tournament at Santiago. Is it right to blame the players for the plight of the national game? Isn't the step-motherly treatment meted out to them in comparison to the cricketers responsible for the sorry state of affairs? Shouldn't the corporate and glam world look beyond cricket to benefit other sports? Write in with your views .