SYDNEY, SEPTEMBER 26: India's fervent hopes of winning an Olympic hockey medal lay shattered here on Tuesday by their own prodigality when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland after needing a win or a 2-2 draw in their concluding Group `B' league match to enter the semi-finals.The eight-time champions threw away all their advantages, including skill and superior scoring power, to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Poles and finished third in the pool behind top-finishers Australia and runners-up South Korea.After making heavy weather of the first session, the Indians took the lead in the 53rd minute through a brilliant penalty corner conversion by the tirelessly hardworking full-back Dilip Tirkey.However, the Ramandeep Singh-led team, who muffed at least four `sitters', paid the penalty for their lethargy and over-confidence when they conceded the equaliser, scored by Poland's Tomascz Cichy, with barely 90 seconds left for the end of the match.India were confined to the third spot in the group as they finished level on points and goal difference with South Korea who went through to the last four by virtue of having beaten the former 2-0 in the league stage.Asian Games champions India will now have to fight to for the 5-8 places. They had finished eighth at Atlanta four years ago which is their worst-ever performance in the Olympics. On a hazy, rainy day when form took a tumble, a determined Pakistan, who were on the verge of elimination, defeated defending champions Holland 2-0 to emerge on top of Pool `A'.Britain, the 1988 champions with no chance of making it to the last four, did a favour to The Netherlands by defeating former champions Germany 2-1 which left the Dutchmen in second position behind Pakistan.In the semi-finals, scheduled on September 28, Pakistan will clash with Asia Cup champions South Korea while Australia, yet to win an Olympic title, will take on Holland.The scene was not bright for India as they took on Poland in the last match of the day in steady rain. Instead of going into the attack, the Indians, perhaps a shade overconfident, fell neatly into the Poles' trap of slowing down the game in the first session.The Indians made the first notable move when Mukesh Kumar shot wide a pass from Tirumalvalavan in the fourth minute while at the other end, a little later, Rafal Grotowski found his try padded away by Indian custodian Jude Menezes.Then came two moves in quick succession by India. Off the first, Sameer Dad shot into Polish goalkeeper Pawel Sobezak after taking a pass from Baljit Dhillon and off the next Mukesh Kumar's cross from the right went abegging with no one to turn it in.Midway through the first session Poland forced their first two penalty-corners without finding any success.
