Hockey India has officially lodged a complaint about the umpiring during the men’s hockey quarter-final between India and Great Britain at the Paris Olympics. They highlighted several issues, including inconsistent video umpire reviews, a goalkeeper being coached during the shootout, and the use of a tablet by the goalkeeper during the shootout. These incidents, according to Hockey India, undermined confidence in the officiating process and potentially influenced the game's outcome.
India’s Amit Rohidas received a red card in the 17th minute for hitting an opposition player with his stick, which the video umpire deemed intentional. This decision put India in a difficult position as Britain already had superior ball possession. Red cards are rare in hockey, and many believed that a yellow card (10-minute suspension) would have sufficed as Rohidas was just trying to pull his stick away in the opposite direction instead of hitting the British player.
The second incident occurred during the penalty shootout when India’s Sukhjeet Singh was preparing to take the second penalty stroke. The on-field umpires had to stop the proceedings as the Britain keeper was seen using a tablet before taking his position under the goalpost. In Rohidas's absence, Manpreet Singh, who usually plays in the midfield, was asked to man the defense. Reduced to 10 men, India could not use the scoop ball strategy that had worked in previous matches but managed to hold their ground.
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The match came down to the performance of veteran goalkeeper Sreejesh, who blocked the third and fourth attempts by Connor Williamson and Phillip Ropper, securing India's win. James Albrey and Zach Wallace scored earlier for Great Britain, while Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, and Rajkumar Pal scored for India. The Indian team focused on defense and maintained a strong structure despite being a player short.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh emphasized the need to move forward and focus on defense, stating that it was a team effort. Despite the red card, the team remained resilient and communicated well on the field. Harmanpreet stressed that the team couldn’t afford to be nervous at this stage and that their mindset would remain strong for the next match.
In summary, India’s quarterfinal win against Great Britain was marred by controversial umpiring decisions, leading to an official complaint by Hockey India. Despite the challenges, the team’s strong defense and collective effort led them to victory, moving them closer to a second consecutive Olympic medal.
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