Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium

Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh slammed five goals, including a hat-trick, as India qualified for London Olympics men's hockey after missing out the 2008 edition by spanking France 8-1 in the final of the qualification tournament on Sunday.

Coming into the game with the memories of Santiago debacle four years ago still fresh in their minds, the Indians ensured that there was no repeat of the blunder this time around and toyed with the French defence throughout the 70 minutes to score the goals at will.

Sandeep, who witnessed the Chile debacle from close quarters, continued his goal-scoring spree to not only help eight-time Olympic champions India keep its date with London, but also emerged as the highest scorer of the tournament with 16 goals.

The 18th ranked Frenchmen proved to be a mismatch for the erstwhile giants of the game as India scored three and five goals respectively in both the halves to dash the European team's London dreams.

The Indians were right on the money with their game plan on Sunday as France found it impossible to counter the home team's consistent attacks.

The difference between the two teams can be gauged from the fact that both India and France earned as many as seven penalty corners each, but the visitors failed to utilise a single one while the hosts converted six.

The rout started with Birendra Lakra's field goal in the 17th minute after which it was a one man show as Sandeep (19th, 26th, 38th, 49th and 51st) converted five successive penalty corners for India to floor France.

SV Sunil (43rd) and VR Raghunath (56th) were the other goal-getters for the hosts, while Simon Martin-Brisac (24th) scored the consolation goal for France.

With eyes firmly set on London, the Indians started the proceedings on the right earnest and controlled the game from the onset.

As their world rankings suggest, India were by far the better side on display for most part of the match and mounted continuous raids on the rival citadel from the very beginning.

India got their first scoring chance as early as in the third minute when they were awarded a penalty corner but Sandeep failed to convert it.

Manpreet Singh then came tantalisingly close to giving India the lead in the 16th minute but his reverse shot from top of a very crowded circle was blocked by an agile French goalkeeper Mathias Dierckens.

India then scored two goals within a span of two minutes to take control of the match.

India finally broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Lakra scored with a reverse hit after being fed by Manpreet's cross from the right.

Sandeep then made the scoreline 2-0 from India's second penalty corner following a video referral after Shivendra was brought down inside the French circle.

Down 0-2, the Frenchmen came up with a stunning field goal just five minutes later when Martin-Brisac beautifully deflected home Sebastien Jean-Jean's quick cross from the right flank.

But France's joy was shortlived as Sandeep scored his second goal of the match two minutes later from India's third short corner.

If the first half saw somewhat a keen contest between the two teams, penalty corner conversion was the order of the day after resumption of play as Sandeep ripped apart the French defence with his precision drag-flicking.

Sandeep showed why he is considered as one of the best penalty corner specialists in the world, converting three consecutive set pieces in a span of 14 minutes to pocket the match and book India's place in the London Olympics.

In between, an unmarked Sunil scored a field goal after he was set up by Tushar Khandker and Danish Mujtaba.

Raghunath drove the final nail on France's coffin, converting India's seventh short corner with a powerful flick to the top of the French goal.

It was completely a one-sided affair and India could have won the match by a bigger margin had they not wasted numerous scoring opportunities that came their way.

The win not only ensured India's place in the London Games, but also made all the players richer by Rs 2 lakh each, while members of the support staff will pocket Rs one lakh each as promised by Hockey India and Lalit Group of Hotels. 

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012

2012 London Olympics beckons team India

New Delhi: On a day when their favourite cricketers let them down in the tour Down Under, Indian hockey stars turned it into a Super Sunday for the fans after winning the final of the FIH Olympic qualifier.

Goal machine Sandeep Singh netted five and completed the second hat-trick of the tournament in the process to give India a perfect evening and a ticket to 2012 London Olympics. Tactical accuracy and the lightning pace displayed by Michael Nobbs men undone a sorry France. The scoreline of 8-1 in favour of the hosts said it all.

India attacked from the word go but were deprived of space as the French fullbacks defended stoically. Their frustrations were furthered when French custodian Matthies denied a sure shot goal in the 15th minute. But two minutes thereafter India scored the decisive goal. A cross from Manpreet found a taker in the form of Birendra Lakra in the French goalmouth who fired it in swiftly with a reverse flick. The atmosphere was electric.

Vociferously cheered by the crowd, Indians went searching for another goal. Sandeep stepped in to increase the lead in the 19th minute. It was Sandeep’s 12th goal in the event, a figure he had set as his target. He scored four more and was adjudged Player of the Match.

India’s pace and their crowd’s loud cheer troubled French players but silenced them for once when Simon Martin-Brisac deflected off Sebastian in the 23rd minute. Sreejesh, who came in place of Bharat Chetri, looked stunned. India retaliated in the 26th minute, a typical Sandeep converted a short corner to up the ante for the hosts while France caved in.

After leading by three goals to one at the end of first half, the men in ‘white’ made it 4-1 in the 38th minute through Sandeep. The referee had a field day as the final saw tension flare between the two sides and a number of referrals, most of which benefitted India. India’s penalty conversion rate was near perfect on Sunday as six out of eight goals came through penalty corners. On sparse occasions they were tested, Indian defense held fort tenaciously.

Apart from Lakra, Raghunath and SV Sunil got themselves into the score sheet, which was monopolized by Sandeep. 

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012

Indian women, men hockey teams enter Olympic qualifier final

The Indian men's and women's teams on Friday night made it to the finals of the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, the former with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Poland and the latter scraping past Italy 1-0 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

The women's team will take on South Africa in Saturday's final while the men will square off with France on Sunday.

For the men's team, ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh (26th, 70th) was again the star of the night slamming in two from penalty corners while Shivendra Singh (59th) and Vokkaliga Raghunath (65th) scored one goal apiece. Sandeep is the leading goal scorer in the tournament with 11 goals.

Poland took an early lead through Tomasz Dutkiewicz in the 13th minute and Mirsloaw Juszczak helped them make it 2-2 in the 63rd minute but the winning goal remained elusive.

With France brightening its hopes for a place in final after a 1-1 draw with Canada earlier in the day, India needed just a draw to book a final berth.

But India, as promised by chief coach Michael Nobbs, were in no mood to play for a draw. After the first half ended 1-1, India forced themselves in the second-half with three goals and also assured France a place in Sunday's final.

India found it tough to breach the solid Polish defence and had to rely on penalty corners for scoring. They earned as many as nine penalty corners and converted three.

India pushed hard and earned four penalty corners in a space of eight minutes and Sandeep clinically converted the fourth to equalise for the hosts.

Shortly after the break, Shivendra came close to breaking the deadlock but his shot from top of the D missed the goal by a whisker.

India built the pressure on Poland from both the flanks and Sandeep had his drag-flick saved in the 41st minute while two attempts went begging in the 57th minute as Shivendra failed to trap the ball.

Just before the hour mark, Shivendra made it 2-1 deflecting in a brilliant pass from Sarwanjit Singh.

The lead, however, was short-lived as Mirsloaw converted the third penalty corner for the Poles to make it 2-2.

But India came back strongly in the last six minutes through drag-flickers Raghunath and Sandeep to dash Polish hopes.

For the women's team, Ritu Rani struck the winner in the 55th minute off a rebound from Jaspreet Kaur's drag-flick.

India have to blame themselves for waiting too long to break the deadlock. They wasted five penalty corners before getting their act together in the sixth.

It was a crucial match for both teams. India needed a win while a draw was enough for the Italians to take them through. With the win India finished second behind World No.12 South Africa (13) with 10 points.

India were lucky to win as the Italians adopted a defensive approach and tightly marked the forwards inside the circle.

India, World No.13, had to toil hard against Italy, 19th in FIH rankings. Despite pressing hard from the start, they were scrappy as the links failed to combine well with the forwards.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-women-men-hockey-teams-qualifier-final/1/175196.html

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Posted in: Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Qualifiers