Two-minute rash dashes path to fame

‘‘I was sure to win but let the match slip past our hands,’’ he added. ‘‘We continued attacking with the score 3-3 because we were confident of scoring again but we were unlucky,’’ he said. Rajinder agreed that the Indian players were a bit tired after a tough match against Pakistan in the semi-finals.

After trailing by two goals in the first half, the Indian team rallied in the second session and were still in the game when the score line read 3-3. But in less than two minutes to the match, the game swung in Korea’s favour as Yeo Woon-Hon scored second of his two penalty-corners conversions.

Most of the Indian participants in other disciplines and team officials were there to cheer the Indian team. Mahesh Bhupathi led the cheering squad of the Indian tennis team with the tri-colour painted on his cheek.

About three hundred local Indians had also carried the national flag which they kept flying throughout the match. Indian media persons had also joined them to root for the hockey team. But all the shouting failed even as the hockey players staged a gallant rally in the second session.

They were deprived of the ball by the Koreans as the clock ticked away. India scored thrice in a space of 13 minutes in a gallant show of fightback. Jugraj Singh converted a penalty stroke and a penalty-corner and Gagan Ajit Singh scored off a pass from star player Dhanraj Pillay.

But it was not enough on the day. Jugraj, however, was guilty of some erratic play towards the end. An infringement on the edge of the circle resulted in India conceding a penalty-corner that ended in the decisive goal, and Jugraj was also shown a red card for bringing down Song during a South Korean foray. Earlier, Malaysia shocked Pakistan in a penalty shoot-out to take the bronze.