India thrash Netherlands 5-2 in FIH Hockey Pro League debut
Bhubaneswar: The Indian men's hockey team made a dream debut at the FIH Pro League, beating world number three Netherlands 5-2 in the opening match of the two-game encounter here on Saturday.
Rupinder Pal Singh (12th, 46th minutes) converted two penalty corners, while Gurjant Singh (1st), Mandeep Singh (34th) and Lalit Upadhyay (36th) scored three fine field goals for India. Jip Janssen (14th) struck from a set piece, while Jeroen Hertzberger (28th) scored from a field effort for the Dutch side.
After having missed the first edition of the Pro League, the Olympics-bound India kick-started their preparations for the quadrennial showpiece in earnest.
With all the top teams of the world in the fray, the home-and-away Pro League is looked upon as an ideal preparation for world number five India ahead of the Summer Games later this year. India will square off against the Netherlands in their second game on Sunday.
The Indians made a perfect start and took the lead inside 30 seconds through Gurjant, who fired past Dutch goalkeper Pirmin Blaak after an exchange with fellow striker Mandeep Singh.
India doubled their lead in the 12th minute when Rupinder converted a penalty corner. Two minutes later, the Netherlands pulled one back through Janssen's brilliant penalty corner conversion, which rattled the bottom left corner of the Indian goal.
In the 20th minute, the Netherlands secured three consecutive penalty corners but the Indian defence stood tall to keep the Europeans off the score-sheet.
Janssen was twice denied by brilliant blocks from the onrushing Amit Rohidas, with India goalkeeper P R Sreejesh blocking the third effort, a drag-flick from Mink van der Weerden.
A diving Sreejesh came up with another brilliant save to deny Bjorn Kellerman's. But two minutes from the end of second quarter, the Netherlands drew level through Hertzberger's field strike, as both the teams went into half time locked at 2-2.
The break seemed to rejuvenated the Indians as four minutes into the third quarter, Mandeep scored after receiving a pass from captain Mandeep Singh to restore their lead.
A minute later, India secured another penalty corner but Rupinder's drag-flick sailed wide of the right post. Lalit extended the home team's lead, tapping into an unguarded net after a brilliant play down the left by Harmanpreet Singh.
The Indians were bang on target with their video referrals as a fourth decision went their way for a penalty corner. But the Dutch defence held firm to deny the hosts a fifth goal.
The Indian defenders, too, were on their toes as they blocked three penalty corners by their rivals. A minute into the fourth and final quarter, India made it 5-2 when Rupinder netted his second of the game from another penalty corner.
In the 53rd minute, India earned another penalty corner through their sixth successful video referral, but Amit Rohidas failed to capitalise.
Two minutes from the final hooter, the Dutch earned a penalty corner, but Mink van der Weerden's flick was saved by an alert Sreejesh.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
