India crashed to their fourth successive defeat in the Olympic hockey competition today as they suffered a humiliating 1-4 reversal against South Korea.
India is the only team among 12 competing in these Olympic Games without a single point from five matches.
The eight-time gold medallists are now heading for their lowest-ever finish in the Olympics as they will finish at the bottom of the group and will have to play for the 11th and 12th positions.
India’s defence showed some resolve to hold on grimly against the fast-paced Koreans, but it crumbled thrice on well-directed penalty corner shots.
South Korea’s game plan to exert pressure on India with fast overlapping game produced rewards as the tentative Indian defence again conceded some soft penalty corners.
Indian seemed a more coordinated unit that the previous three matches, but their goal fell two times in the last four minutes.
The sustained pressure built by the Koreans midway through the first session was an indication of things to follow as India seemed desperate and fell back to defend their citadel, but they had no mechanism to stop Nam Hyun Woo from converting two penalty corners in the 59th and 70th minutes to shatter the Indian hopes of salvaging some pride.
South Korea took an early lead Jang Jong Hyun converted a sixth minute penalty corner by placing a rasping drag-flick just under the crossbar.
India got the equaliser in the 10th minute on a breakaway move in which Gurwinder Singh Chandi deflected in Gurbaz Singh’s cross from right into the boards.
Tushar Khandkar had an opening to put India ahead four minutes later, when he picked up a diagonal ball from Dharamvir Singh inside the striking circle, but shot straight into the goalkeeper’s pads.
It began raining heavily midway through the session and during this period the South Koreans pushed the Indian defence against the wall.
The Indian defence seemed shaky when South Korea broke in from the left with short passes and then forced two penalty corners in three minutes, but Jang shot wide on both occasions.
Three Indian strikers were in the circle with the ball in a counter attack in the 27th minute, but the Korean defenders covered them well and did not allow a good crack at the goal.
India earned their first penalty corner in the the 31st minute, but Sandeep Singh could not take a shot as the ball was no stopped, but Sardar Singh innovated to have a shy with a reverse hit that went wide.
Sandeep was not able to make any impression on the Korean defence even as India earned two successive penalty corners just before the breather.
The Koreans came back strongly in the second session, but the Indian defence held on grimly by crowding the circle.
India had a chance to move ahead against the run of play in the 57th minute when S.V. Sunil’s shot from left went across the goalmouth and Dharamvir was unable to trap the ball.
Nam scored twice with his penalty corner drag flicks, giving South a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute by placing a drag flick into the top corner of the goal.
India then came out of their shell seeking an equaliser, but a counter attack saw Captain Lee Seung Il shoot home from the top of the box to put it beyond India.
But the Koreans had not finished their task and Nam came back to rub salt into India’s wounds with a low minute penalty corner flick in the last minute that sounded the boards.
What a shame. A country that was looked up to Hockey before the 70s, has not been able to promote this game and regain that level of play. Hockey has been destroyed on multiple fronts, politics, corruption, despotic management and almost near zero public enthusiasm.
.
Short of sounding negative, we are not a real sporting country. Cricket does not count - since it is not a world wide sport. Just look at our medals tally. China was nowhere at one time with regard to sports. See them now. Koreas were nowhere. See them now. Dare I say, why are we even participating?
.
We bungled the Commonwealth games...right after the Beijing Olympics. Good God. What a contrast. We claim to be a world power, but we are not prepared to act on such a claim at various levels.
.
There is no remorse, no commitment, no self introspection at any level.I am no saint. I probably don't have much standing to say these things. Sorry for the rant.
It is sad to see the team lose in this fashion. It is time that first and foremost, all officials of Hockey India/IHF resign and a new set up takes. The coach should be given a free hand to scout talent and prepare a team for the future.
If you look at the Medal Tally, you will be amazed to note that South Korea, a tiny nation, has racked up a phenomenal number of Gold and Silver medals, ranking next only to China, USA, and England, but clearly outbeating several other nations. Again, notice that these Oriental nations like China and South Korea started competing in Olympics only after 1980 in a big way. While the meteoric rise of China is in keeping with its large disciplined population, small Nations like Nederland and South Korea simply delight themselves by in competing in various sports with a passion. THAT IS A FACT. Hockey is a global sport, just like soccer, played in Latin countries to Euopean, and Asian and Oriental nations, whereas, Cricket is being played mainly by the Commonwealth nations, and is NOT an Olympic Sports. Lo and behold, if the IOC were ever to make Criket an Olympic game, both China and S. Korea will gleefully jump into the fray, making the Indian cricket miserable and causing as Indian hockey to go down the same way, since 1960.
It was sad to watch all the matches Indian hockey team played.
They looked like playing local games.Defence was TOO bad. Everytime
the opponents are close to our goal,we donot clear the ball instead
resort to short passes.All our opponents could easily succeed in
making our players into committing foul in our goal area and encash on
the penalty.While our opponents used long passes followed byshort
passes,whereas we hardly attempted long passes.The entire tactics
followed -thanks to Foreign coach- was awkward.Blame should go to
those who selected a foreign coach.
R.Natarajan London
India should seriously consider removing the 'National Game' tag to
hockey.Every one has been blamed from officials to corporate to public
but not the player.When these great players are put in a lesser hotel
the national conscience is stirred up.
Please Email the Editor