India beat Netherlands in shoot-out in second match to lead FIH Pro League points table
Bhubaneswar: India made a dream debut at the FIH Pro League, beating world number three Netherlands 3-1 in the shoot-out after both the teams were locked 3-3 at the end of regulation time in the second match of the two-leg tie here on Sunday.
World number five India had earlier defeated Netherlands 5-2 in the opening match of the tie on Saturday.
India are now atop the leaderboard with five points from two games, but the Manpreet Singh-led side conceded a point to the Netherlands after drawing (during the regulation time) the second match of the contest on Sunday.
As per the new rules implemented by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in the second edition of the Pro League, every match of a tie has to produce a result.
In case of a draw, the match would be decided by shoot-out and the side which wins will garner two points and the losing team will get one point.
Mink van der Weeden (23rd minute) scored from a penalty corner, while Jeroen Hertzberger (26th) and Bjorn Kellerman (27th) scored two field goals for the visitors in the regulation time.
Lalit Upadhyay (25th), Mandeep Singh (51st) and Rupinder Pal Singh (55th) were the goal getters for the home team.
In the shoot-out, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh and Gujrant Singh were on target for the Indians but Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder missed.
Mirco Pruijser was the lone scorer for the Dutch as Glenn Schuurman, Thierry Brinkman and Jeroen Hertzberger missed their targets during the shoot-out.
The Indians started from where they left on Saturday and created a lot of chances from the beginning but it was Netherlands who stunned the capacity crowd by taking the lead in the second quarter.
Netherlands took the lead when Van der Weerden converted a penalty corner, flicking into the roof of the net from the top of the circle in the 23rd minute.
The Indians bounced back within minutes when Lalit scored from close range to level the scores.
But India's joy was shortlived as Netherlands restored their lead a minute later through Hetrzberger, who scooped home from close range.
To make matters worse for the hosts, the Netherlands extended their lead a minute later when Kellerman fired home from close range to go into half time with a commanding 3-1 lead.
After the change of ends, India pushed hard in search of goals and in the process created a few bright chances, including a few penalty corners but to no avail as the third quarter yielded no goal.
Trailing by two goals, India continued to step up the pressure on the Netherlands defence and finally managed to beat it in the 51st minute when Mandeep fired from a rebound from a penalty corner.
India continued in the same vein and within three minutes secured another penalty corner which was dully converted by Rupinder to level the scores.
Thereafter, both the teams pressed hard for the winner and the Dutch came close two minutes from final hooter when they secured another penalty corner but it was well defended by the Indians as the match went into shoot-out.
After the Netherlands, India will host world champions Belgium on February 8 and 9 followed by two more home ties against Australia on February 22 and 23.
The Indian team will then leave for the away games in Germany (April 25 and 26) and Great Britain (May 2 and 3).
India will return to play on home soil on May 23 and 24 against New Zealand before travelling to Argentina to play on June 5 and 6.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
