India beat NZ 3-2 in men's hockey Olympics opener
Paris, Jul 27: Indian men's hockey team defeated New Zealand 3-2 to open its campaign at the Paris Olympics on a rousing note here on Saturday.
It was not an easy win as New Zealand took the lead in the eighth minute through Sam Lane from their first penalty corner.
But India bounced back strongly to first level the scores in the 24th minute through Mandeep Singh, who scored from a rebound off a penalty corner, and then took the lead through Vivek Sagar Prasad in the third quarter.
New Zealand, however, drew level in the 53rd minute through Simon Child.
But skipper Harmanpreet Singh ensured the win for India, scoring from a penalty stroke just a minute from the hooter.
India will play Argentina in their next Pool B match on Monday.
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ISKCON urges Indian intervention following priest's arrest in Bangladesh
Dhaka: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has called on the Indian government to take immediate steps to secure the release of its priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das, detained by Bangladeshi authorities. The arrest occurred near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Das, a prominent ISKCON leader and former divisional organising secretary for Chattogram, faces sedition charges stemming from an October 25 incident. According to a case filed on October 31, 19 individuals, including Das, allegedly placed a saffron flag over the Bangladeshi flag on the Independent Pillar (Shadhinata Smathamva) during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner Sanatan Jagaran Mancha.
ISKCON has strongly denied any involvement in terrorism, describing the allegations as "baseless and unacceptable." In a statement, ISKCON declared, "It is outrageous to make baseless allegations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world. ISKCON urges the Government of India to engage with Bangladesh to secure the release of Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das."
Hindu communities in Bangladesh have staged protests demanding better legal protection and the establishment of a minority affairs ministry under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police have arrested two other suspects, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, in connection with the case. The remaining accused include Ajay Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, and several others. ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das expressed concerns over Das's safety, stating that he had been moved to an undisclosed location by the police.
