We lost momentum after the clock howler: Indian women's hockey coach Schopman
Birmingham(PTI): "Frustrated and angry" by the 'clock howler' during the Indian women's hockey team's controversial Commonwealth Games semifinal loss to Australia, coach Janneke Schopman said her side was left deflated and lost momentum after the incident.
The Hockeyroos set up the gold medal clash against England after a controversial 3-0 win over India on penalties here on Friday.
During the shootout, Australia's Rosie Malone missed her shot but to the dismay of the Indian team and fans, the forward was given a second chance as a technical official, B Morgan of England, had failed to start the clock on time.
Each player gets eight seconds to put the ball into the net in the shootout.
Given a second chance, Malone scored and that set the tone for the shootout as the Indians failed their first three attempts, while Australia converted all their chances.
"After that, we lost a little bit of our momentum. Then it did go in, and everyone is deflated," Schopman, a double Olympic medallist said.
"I'm not using it as an excuse, but when you make the save, that's an enormous boost for the team and you turn the decision around and the girls are really upset about it," she added.
Narrating the incident, she said: "The official's hand was up, but I didn't really know and the umpires -- A Church and H Harrison of England -- also did not. So, that's why I'm frustrated because the umpires said we have to retake it."
"I tried to calm them down. In hindsight it's 50-50 but I'm sure their focus was lost a little bit after that moment," a frustrated Schopman said.
The match had headed to penalties after both the teams were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
"It's all human and all emotion. Should we be better? That's what I was trying to say, 'girls it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter'. But of course it does matter and of course I am angry also because I don't think even the officials understood what happened.
"They said it's not our decision. I said 'Australia are not complaining, they know they've missed it, it was easily 10 seconds and they got the opportunity to score'."
"I think those people just don't understand the game and the emotions that are involved."
India captain Savita Punia, however, played down the incident and said: "Maybe it was our hard luck in the shootout. We saved the first goal in the timeout but we're told that the timer didn't start only.
"This definitely played a part in the players' psychology. But we have learnt from our coach that all these things are part of the game. We tried to bounce back."
"Definitely, I'm sad about this. But I'm proud of the girls for making a comeback from being 0-1 down against a team like Australia. We had decided at half-time to go for that one goal and the team executed it perfectly."
Savita said their initial reaction was shock and disbelief.
"Of course, we are human beings. Yes, the next moment we realise that we cannot change it, can't give an excuse and can't fight for it. It happens sometimes.
"It was tough and we had to move on. But when we came to know about this, we thought how could this have happened? It has never happened in my career. It was a first for me," she added.
India will now play New Zealand in the bronze medal playoff on Sunday.
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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.
