Search
 
Home | About Us | Career | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Editor Sanatan Pani
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 NEWS :

Back to Previous Page
  India finish 4th in women hockey; Bajrang loses in SF
06 Aug 2021
 

Indian women hockey team squandered a golden opportunity to win their first ever Olympic medal when they lost 3-4 to defending champions Great Britain in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo today. While India finished fourth, Netherlands won the gold, beating Argentina 3-1 in the final.

But the Rani Rampal-led Indian team won a billion hearts for showing tremendous fighting spirit in the tournament. Starting Olympic journey with three successive defeats, Indian women bounced back to reach quarterfinals, winning their last two league games against Ireland and South Africa.

They reached semifinals for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, edging out mighty Australia in the quarterfinals 1-0. In the semifinals, they gave stiff fight to Argentina before losing 1-2. In their third-placce match against Great Britain, India fought back from 0-2 down to take a 3-2 lead thanks to a brace by drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur (25-PC, 26-PC) and a field goal by Vandana Katariya (29-FG).
 

But Great Britain scored one goal each in the third and last quarter to snatch a thrilling win. After a scoreless first quarter, as many as five goals were scored in the second quarter. India started the second quarter with a self goal in the 16th minute as a reverse hit by Elena Rayer went into the goal off the stick of defender Deep Grace Ekka.

Other three goals for Great Britain were scored by Sarah Robertson (24-FG), captain Hollie Pearne-Webb (35-FG) and Grace Balsdon (48-PC). Sjoerd Marijne, the chief coach of the Indian women team was proud of the fourth-place finish and hoped that it would inspire the new generation of players in the country.

“We did not win a medal but we achieved something bigger to make the country proud,” he said. However, Marijne announced that the bronze-medal match was his last match with the Indian women team. This means, his contract as the chief coach has ended and he would return to his home in Netherlands.

India suffered more setbacks at the Tokyo Olympics today, as two wrestlers, especially medal-hope Bajrang Punia failed to live up to expectations. After reaching semifinals, Punia lost 5-12 to three-time world champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the 65kg category.

Earlier, Bajrang beat Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan in his first bout and then got past Morteza Cheka Ghiasi of Iran in his quarterfinal bout. Bajrang will now fight for the bronze medal, which would take place tomorrow. Seema Bisla, the other Indian wrestler in action today, lost 1-3 to Sarra Hamdi of Tunisia in her 50kg opening clash.

Meanwhile, Indian woman golfer Aditi Ashok brightened her chances of winning a medal by holding on to the second position after three rounds. She now has a card of 12-under 201 in women individual event.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PICS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP: File picture of Indian women hockey team.
RIGHT: Indian woman golfer Aditi Ashok in action at the Tokyo Olympics.
 
   
Post Comment

Copyright @ Orisports.com Powered by: KDC TECHNOLOGIES