India lose 1-4 to China, miss out on direct women's hockey World Cup berth
Hangzhou (China), Sep 14 (PTI): The Indian women's hockey team faltered when it mattered the most, losing 1-4 to China in the final of Asia Cup to miss out on direct qualification for next year's World Cup, here on Sunday.
India drew the first blood through a penalty corner conversion by Navneet Kaur in the very first minute itself before China came into their own, scoring through Zixia Ou (21st minute), Hong Li (41st), Meirong Zou (51st) and Jiaqi Zhong (53rd) to win their third title in tournament and secure their passage to the 2026 World Cup, to be held in Belgium and Netherlands.
India got their first scoring chance within 39 seconds of the start of the match in the form of a penalty corner and Navneet was on target to hand her side an early lead.
Three minutes later, China had a bright chance to draw level when they earned back-to-back penalty corners, but the Indians defended brilliantly.
Stunned by the early goal, China went on the offensive and mounted continuous raids on the Indian half, but the Salima Tete-led side held its ground stoutly.
The Chinese kept up their relentless pressure on the Indian citadel and earned another set of penalty corners two minutes into the second quarter but failed to breach the resolute opposition defence.
China created chances after chances, keeping the ball almost in the Indian circle but were unable to find the equaliser.
The home team's relentless pressure finally paid off as it secured the equaliser in he 21st minute through a penalty corner conversion by Zixia Ou.
The equaliser seemed to have lifted the morale of China as they continuously pushed for the lead, keeping the India defence under tremendous pressure. However, both the teams went into half-time break locked at 1-1.
China, though, were the more dominant side in the first half.
India switched gears after the change of ends and played attacking hockey, albeit without much success as the Chinese defence was at its best, keeping the ball away from their circle.
Meanwhile, China's persistent attacks finally paid dividends when Hong Li scored a fine field goal from a counter attack four minutes from the third quarter.
Trailing by a goal, the Indians, ranked ninth in the world, pressed hard for the all-important equaliser in the fourth and final quarter but failed to breach the Chinese defence.
The Chinese extended their lead by pumping in two more goals in a span of two minutes to take the tie away from India and secure their title.
In the 51st minute Meirong Zou scored from a field effort and then Jiaqi Zhong added another field goal two minutes later to take a comfortable lead.
China had earlier won the Asia Cup in 1989 in Hong Kong and 2009 in Bangkok.
India were done in by the subdued performance of their strike force in the final as the likes of Mumtaz Khan, Lalremsiami, and Sunelita Toppo failed to rise to the occasion after decent outings in the earlier matches.
India will now have to go through the World Cup Qualifiers to seal their place in the top global event.
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Karnataka readies for deficit monsoon; CM Siddaramaiah orders water supply measures
Bengaluru (PTI): Warning of a likely deficit monsoon across the state, barring five districts, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday instructed deputy commissioners to take precautionary measures to prevent disruption to the drinking water supply.
The CM chaired a meeting with district-in-charge ministers, deputy commissioners, and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officers to review drinking water supply in rural and urban areas during the peak of summer.
"The meteorological department has predicted below-normal monsoon rainfall this year. There is a possibility of normal rainfall in August, while less rainfall is expected in September," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
"If there is any disruption in the drinking water supply, the respective Deputy Commissioners will be held responsible," he said, directing the Revenue, Panchayat Raj and Urban Development departments to coordinate closely.
Stating that most districts in the north interior region are likely to experience more hot days than usual between April and June, the CM asked deputy commissioners to take appropriate precautionary measures.
He said forecasts by the meteorological department should be taken seriously.
Public shade and drinking water facilities should be provided, he said, adding that there is no shortage of funds to ensure water supply.
He also said the Finance Department has been instructed to release funds based on reports from deputy commissioners.
A total of 213 taluks and 2,410 gram panchayats have been identified as potentially facing drinking water shortages during summer. At present, 598 gram panchayats across 114 taluks are facing shortages.
Drinking water is being supplied to 137 villages through 129 tankers. As many as 585 private borewells have been rented to supply water to 515 villages.
The CM said shortages are likely in several districts, including Kalaburagi (147 gram panchayats), Bagalkot (114), Belagavi (127), Chikkamagaluru (115), Haveri (138), Mandya (130), Tumakuru (141) and Uttara Kannada (125).
At present, 27 urban local bodies are facing water shortages, while 95 have been identified as vulnerable. A total of 145 wards are being supplied water through 57 tankers, and 22 borewells have been taken on rent.
Tankers should be used only in emergencies, with priority given to renting private borewells, he said, adding that borewells can be drilled if necessary.
Highlighting that 321.93 TMC of water is currently available in the state’s 14 major reservoirs—36 per cent of total capacity—Siddaramaiah said this compares with 330.35 TMC during the same period last year. "Sufficient water is available in reservoirs for drinking purposes at present," he said.
With the monsoon likely to be delayed, he directed officials to ensure adequate drinking water availability in reservoirs till mid-July.
Drinking water supply should be prioritised over irrigation, he said, directing officials to identify and repair leakages in reservoirs.
Public grievances related to drinking water should be addressed promptly, with control rooms set up at the taluk and ward levels. District-level task forces should function actively, he added.
Cautioning about possible disruption in fertiliser supply due to the situation in the Middle East, the CM directed officials to prevent hoarding and ensure timely availability to farmers.
"Ensure proper distribution of urea and DAP and prevent their diversion to other states," he said, adding that inspections at check posts should be intensified.
He noted that due to good rainfall over the past two years, there is no immediate shortage of fodder, but availability should continue to be monitored. The CM directed that task force meetings on drinking water be held in all taluks and reports be submitted.
He also stressed the need to prevent the supply of contaminated water, saying deputy commissioners are responsible for ensuring safe drinking water and preventing related health issues.
Officials were asked to continuously monitor fertiliser sales to ensure an adequate supply for eligible farmers.
"Some districts, including Haveri, have recorded higher fertiliser sales than last year. What is the reason?" he asked, calling for close monitoring to prevent shortages.
