Sticky mess

The small attendant problem was in the fact that the Koreans had already made it to the semi-final China, as second best in the pool, also made the cut, and weren8217;t really interested in making a hugely competitive affair of today8217;s game. They were half-throttle against India8217;s 8216;great8217; show.

Yes, India could have won today, having missed two good opportunities, but then they always do. And they are getting better with their excuses than any cricket team ever has. Skipper Dilip Tirkey, though, admitted that he felt 8220;sad8221; that this extraordinary feat 8220;happened in my captaincy.8221; Nobody is sadder than the public, the first day8217;s expatriate crowd having dried up to a trickle. There were cheers, and voices did go hoarse, and there were regrets later that they did. 8220;The hockey-wallahs are not worth it,8221; was one reaction.

Pakistan had created such a 8216;record8217; at the Busan Games, India have now completed the sub-continental circle. India now go into the placement matches, a situation India have gotten used to by now, in KPS Gill8217;s royal hockey court.

India managed a bare-bottom half-hearted attempt in the first half that was easily handled by the Korean defence. In fact, the Koreans had the bigger say in the first 35 minutes, India pressed on the gas in the second half with several attacks, but were in the red in the sixth minute JH Jang dragging home a penalty corner. The ball took Raghunath8217;s stick after coming of Indian goaltender Adrian D8217;Souza8217;s glove before going in.

Compliments were returned 16 minutes later when off a penalty corner push from Tushar Khandekar, Raghunath scooped to the right of Korean 8216;keeper DS Ko. Korea had a chance, too, but Harpal Singh8217;s centre from the left in the 17th minute of the half could really have settled matters for India. Off a defender, the ball was goalbound when 8216;keeper Ko cleared in a last attempt.

8220;We need people in the attack line,8221; said Baskaran, 8220;those interested in converting penalty corners, and those who can earn penalty corners. I missed them both.8221; Such excuses, though, would sound interesting after a match with the likes of Holland or Germany or Australia. 8220;Had we played versus China the way we played today we would have won, and we would not be in this position.8221;Or, if pigs could fly.

Maybe China will be India8217;s next great nemesis, the Koreans already too far ahead. There are many more ignominies ahead, it seems. More for the attitude: neither coach nor skipper cared to attend the post-match press conference. They went straight to the bus instead.

Sack seniors, says Pak legend

Mohd Samiullah, one of Pakistan8217;s all-time great forwards, says that the only way to improve the standard of hockey in the two countries is to 8220;forget the seniors and concentrate on the juniors8221;. 8220;I am shocked at India going out of medals at these Games,8221; he said. 8220;This happened to us at Busan, now India have done it too. This is shameful.8221;

He believed that there was no point in 8220;wasting time8221; with the seniors and concentrate with the under-19s and like. 8220;It8217;s time Pakistan and India took up the issue together, have interchange of teams 8211; with the borders open you can easily have teams crossing on foot, by bus or train 8211; and helped each other back to glory days,8221; he said.