NEW DELHI: Hosts India and defending champions Pakistan made heavy weather of their opening encounters in the 3rd Allwyn Asia cup hockey tournament at the Shivaji stadium here on Dec 20th.
India, though playing as well as was possible under the circumstances, bad to struggle hard against a determined china to ‘emerge 10 victors in pool B of this league cumknock out tournament while an off color Pakistan seemed to have run out of ideas before defeating Japan 20 in pool A.
While cohesive moves were a rarity with the Pakistanis, it must be said to the credit of the Indians that despite seven or eight Chinese packed behind their 25yard line, they still made some solid runs on the rival citadel.
The tournament was inaugurated by Raja Bhalendra Singh, international Olympic committee member, with a call for India and Pakistan to fight jointly for retaining the game on natural turf, the turf (on which this subcontinent taught hockey to the rest of the world.
His speech was preceded by a March past by the seven participating countries and followed by the oath, taken in Hindi first by India’s vice-captain Sujit Kumar and in English later by skipper Pargat Singh.
China forced their lone penalty comer of the match in the 21st minute, nothing came of it, and India one more on the stroke of half time.
The fourth, four minutes after change of ends, proved lucky. Taking it indirectly, Pargat Singh passed the ball to Ram Prakash Singh who shot goalward. In his effort tocclear it, Jizhong lay on it long enough for umpire Nithia Nathan of Singhapore to blow for a “stroke”. Sujit Kumar dispatched the ball high and left into the net for what turned out to be the match winner.
While two more penalty comers proved abortive, India made two substitutions, Edgar Mascaren has replacing Jude Felix and Dhanraj Pillai taking the place of Ram Prakash Singh.
Mascaren has took the inside left position and Balwinder moved to the inside right vacated by Felix.
The move seemed to click as Balwinder Singh raced down the right flank and entered the Chinese circle. From the goal line he gave an uppish back pass which was hit, tennis style, into the goal by Mascaren has, But, Mr. Nithia Nathan disallowed the goal saying Mascarenhas” stick was above his shoulder level while hitting the ball.
Within a minute of that, Subramani gave 8 pass to Jagbir Singh who deflected it to Balwinder. But, Balwinder’s casual push saw the ball go out.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 29, 1989
