Agencies
Santiago, Mar 10:
Indian hockey plunged to a new low after the men's team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time ever following their shocking 0-2 defeat against Britain in the qualifying tournament in Santiago.
India's Olympic dream came crashing as Barry Middleton (4th minute) and Richard Mantell (10th) scored for Britain in the nerve-wracking final of the qualifying tournament at the Prince of Wales Country Club.
Eight times gold medallist India thus failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928.
The setback prompted coach Joaquim Carvalho to step down along with his support staff.
While Britain celebrated to the accompaniment of the song "We are the Champions", the Indian players, heads bowed and shoulders slumped, could only watch the jubilant scenes of a team that played smarter, if not better, hockey in the late night match.
Britain showed a lot of steel in dealing with the massive pressure they were subjected to by the Indian forwards. The difference was that Britain, who had beaten India 3-2 in the league, capitalised on the two early chances that came their way, while the Indians did not.
India could never really settle down and the two yellow cards to their key players, midfielder Sardara Singh and forward Prabhjot Singh, filled their cup of woe.
India also blew five penalty corners with neither Ramachandra Raghunath, with his drag-flicks, nor Dilip Tirkey, with his direct hits, able to convert. In fact, their set-piece drill in the second-half was rather pathetic, as the ball was not even stopped cleanly.
Leaders, ex-players seek Gill's exist
New Delhi: Reacting strongly to India's fall from
grace in Hockey and it's exist from the next Beijing Olympic
games following its ignominious defeat at the hands of less
fancied Britan in the World Cup Hockey qualifying round, it
was not only the heart-broken Hockey fraternity which reacted
in anger and disbelief and sought removal of the Indian Hockey
Federation President KPS Gill, but also the leader of various
political parties.
CPI Member of Parliament Gurudas Dasgupta was the most vociferous in his demand for Gill's head, saying it was high time that he was "thrown out" from his post. "It's a matter of shame that we could not qualify for the Olympics. I know that there have been a number of complaints against the IHF President. There is nobody in the country to look after the sport," he said.
Fellow CPI leader D Raja said, "It's a matter of shame that not only in Hockey, the second most populated country is not competent enough in other sports as well."
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is on the tour of Orissa, said he received several complaints about the "unfair" selection process prevailing in hockey. "I went to a tribal academy for hockey players and one of the biggest complaints was that the selection process is unfair and the players who are actually good do not get access to the facilities," he said.
On the other hand, India's inglorious exit from the next Olympic games for the first time in 80 years, turned out to be a national `shock' specially for the Hockey fraternity. A disturbed Dhanraj Pillay, who could not sleep in the night after witnessing the team slumping to ignominy, said it's high time the top brass of IHF was overhauled.
"How much you speak about it is not sufficient. We have created a bad piece of history. It's the worst day for Indian hockey. It's time to replace the top officials of the federation. IHF never tried to take the help of players like me who have played for the country so long," Pillay said.
An irked Asian Games gold medallist goal-keeper A B Subaiah said not only Gill but the whole set up has to go after the debacle.
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