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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Kannada actress Ranya Rao, jeweller linked to Rs 40 cr gold smuggling: DRI
Bengaluru, Apr 03 (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said jeweller Sahil Sakariya Jain played a key role in assisting Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao, in disposing of 49.6 kg of smuggled gold worth ₹40.14 crore.
According to the DRI’s remand note, Jain not only helped facilitate the illegal transaction but also abetted Ranya in hawala money transfers linked to the smuggling operation.
Jain, a jeweller by profession, was arrested on March 26 for assisting Ranya in the gold smuggling case.
He has been remanded to judicial custody until April 7.
Jain not only helped Ranya in allegedly disposing of the gold but also appeared to have facilitated Hawala money transactions.
"It appears that he assisted and abetted Accused No. 1 in disposing of approximately 49.6 kg of gold worth ₹40,13,59,374. He has also admitted to aiding A1 in transferring Hawala money amounting to around ₹38,39,97,000 to Dubai and ₹1,73,61,787 to A1 in Bengaluru," the DRI stated.
The agency further noted that the unaccounted cash of ₹2.67 crore seized from Ranya’s residence on March 4, as per the ‘Mahazar’ , was likely Hawala money she received as profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru.
The DRI added that Jain admitted to receiving a commission of ₹55,000 for each transaction.
"The voluminous evidence extracted from two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Sahil Sakariya Jain further establishes his role in the smuggling of large quantities of gold into India by A1 ," the DRI stated.
According to the agency, in January 2025, Jain helped Ranya dispose of 14.568 kg of gold worth ₹11.56 crore and facilitated the transfer of ₹11.01 crore in Hawala transactions to Dubai.
Additionally, he admitted to transferring ₹55 lakh in Bengaluru.
In February, Jain allegedly assisted Ranya in disposing of 13.433 kg of gold worth ₹11.81 crore.
During the same month, he helped transfer ₹11.25 crore in Hawala funds to Dubai and ₹55.81 lakh to Ranya in Bengaluru.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of a DGP-rank officer in Karnataka, was arrested on March 3, shortly after returning from Dubai at Kempegowda International Airport.
The DRI officials seized 14.7 kg of gold from her possession.
