Women's Hockey WC: India hold US, qualify for quarters playoffs
London, July 30 :India qualified for the playoffs of the quarter-finals in the Women's Hockey World Cup as they held higher-ranked United States 1-1 in their third and final Pool B match at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre here on Sunday.
The Indian team displayed great character and a solid defensive structure throughout the match to earn the draw as captain Rani Rampal (31st minute) cancelled out Margaux Paolino's 11th-minute goal.
With the first-placed team in the pool, Ireland advancing directly to the quarter-finals, england and India are certain to finish second and third -- thereby both securing a spot in the playoffs. Though the US have two points -- same as India and England -- the former is behind on goal difference. Ireland take on England later in the day.
India needed at least a draw against the US to keep their chances alive for the last eight stage after playing a draw against England before losing to Ireland.
India started the match against the US on the front foot as they showed some quick passing, but had a scare in the fourth minute when their captain Rani was forced off with a twisted ankle.
The World No. 10 team won their first penalty corner of the match in the seventh minute, but Gurjit Kaur's flick was saved by US goalkeeper Jackie Briggs.
India dominated possession and pressed the Americans but the 11th minute saw the US take the lead as Indian goalkeeper Savita was called into action when Erin Matson's shot was saved by the shotstopper. However the rebound was put into the back of the net through Savita's legs by Margaux Paolino.
India looked for an equaliser and were threatening the US defence with some good build-up play; winning their two more penalty corners in the first quarter, but Gurjit Kaur's efforst were not enough.
India continued to put pressure on the US in the second quarter which saw Rani's drive being intercepted by a defender while the captain's penalty corner strike was deflected away by Briggs in the first five minutes of this quarter.
The US earned two penalty corners late in the second quarter but Savita and her defence set-up foiled them, as India trailed 0-1 at the half-time.
After the break, Rani continued to make incursions into the box. In the first minute of the third quarter, she flicked the ball onto Michelle Vittese's foot inside the striking circle. Rani slammed home from the resulting penalty corner to bring India level.
India displayed a great defensive structure throughout the third quarter as they denied the US any opportunity to create chances. In the 43rd minute, India's Sunita Lakra made a crunching tackle to deny Michelle Vittese a shot as Savita cleared the ball.
In the final quarter, India maintained a nice balance of attack and defence as they stopped the US from gaining lead, as the match ended in a draw.
Rani said after the match: "I think both the teams fought well throughout the match, US had their chances, and I am proud of our team that we defended well throughout the match.
"We knew we had to take our chances against this strong US team, and we made sure that we earned this draw which keeps us in the competition."
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PM Modi, RSS strengthening wall in path of SCs, STs, OBCs: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS were strengthening the wall standing in the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, even as he acknowledged that the UPA took steps to weaken that wall but not to the extent it should have.
Addressing the 'Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan', Gandhi also referred to the function held on Constitution Day in Parliament and said that it is his guarantee, that "Modi has not read" the Constitution.
"If PM Modi would have read this book then what he does daily, he would not do it," Gandhi said, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India.
Gandhi said the country's whole system is pitted against Dalits, Adivasis and backward class people.
He said a wall obstructs the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and Modi and the RSS are strengthening that wall by "adding cement to it".
"Slowly the wall (obstructing the path of SCs, STs, OBCs) is getting strengthened. Earlier, the UPA government gave MGNREGA, the land acquisition act, the right to food...those were ways to weaken that wall. Today, when I look back, I can say the UPA government did not weaken the wall to the extent it should have, it did not do it as strongly as it should have," Gandhi said.
"However, we used to make efforts to weaken that wall but they (the BJP) are strengthening that wall by adding concrete," the former Congress president said.
Gandhi said a caste survey being carried out in Telangana is a historic step and the Congress will do the same wherever it comes to power.
