TERRASSA (PTI): India saved its face at the Estadi D’Hoquei De Terrassa, on August 6,
With a 3-2 win against New Zealand in its final classification match of the Barcelona Olympics, it managed to stop with equaling its worst-ever performance in Olympic hockey and not slide down further.
With news of disappointment and dismay and anger and anguish back home caused by the country’s non-performance filtering down here, it was none too happy situation for the entire Indian camp.
Under such circumstances nothing less than a win by the Indians who had only two wins in five outings, in the league stage, would have sufficed.
And, this is what the Indians, who led 2-1 at halftime managed to do.
After Pargat Singh converted a penalty corner early on, Mukesh Kumar struck once in each half to help India finish seventh, the same level it did in the 1976 Montreal Olympic games,
While Craig Russ helped the Kiwis equalize in the first half, John Radanovich reduced the margin for the 1976 champions who finished eighth.
It was the Kiwis, as a matter of fact, who began the proceedings with a penalty corner in the very opening minute. It was wasted. The Indians hit back in the sixth and Pargat Singh’s firm drive found the net via custodian Jan Woodley.
The first New Zealand goal could really be considered a gift from the Indians. A faulty clearance by Ajit Lakra left the field open for Russ Craig to take a shy at the Indian goal. He did and succeeded.
‘The game was confined to the midfield after that and just before the breather, Didar Singh capped some nice bit of work by laying a perfect cross at the top of the Kiwi circle for Mukesh Kumar to execute a fine angular shot to put India ahead once again,
Six minutes into the second session, Harpreet Singh moved up from the left, and gave a cross and Mukesh Kumar made no mistake this time either to complete India’s tally.
India could not capitalize on their second penalty corner midway through the session and, at the other end, John Radanovich materialized from out of the blue to catch the Indian defence napping and scoring his team’s second and last goal.
India wasted two more penalty corners before the end of a match which got scrappy al times leading to temporary marching orders to India’s Harpreet Singh and New Zealand’s grundy.
Teams: India Ashish Ballal, Pargat Singh, C.S. Poonacha, Harpreet Singh, Sukhjit Singh, Shakeel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Raivi Nayakar, Ajit Lakra, Darryl D’Souza and Didar Singh.
New Zealand Ian Woodley, Peter Daji, S.Bobson, Donald Mcleod, Paresh Patel (Gregory Russ), John Radanovich, Craig Russ, Umesh Parag (D.Grundy), Jamie Smith and A, Thornton.
Umpires P. Von Reth (Holland) and N.Steponov (GIS),
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 21, 1992
