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The Sardar Singh-led Indian men’s hockey team returned home after an impressive runners-up finish in the just-concluded 9th Asia Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia.
The national team returned home to a lukewarm reception at the Indira Gandhi International where a sparse gathering welcomed the 18-member squad and the support staff, which includes acting head coach Roelant Oltmans.
The team landed at the IGI Airport at around 9:15pm IST by a Malaysian Airlines flight and proceed to a city hotel where they will stay put for the night before leaving for their respective home destinations on Tuesday.
The Indian team put up a pugnacious showing in the 9th Asia Cup hockey tournament, nearly finishing second-best in the final after coming from behind thrice against defending champions Korea.
The Blueshirts were trailing 0-2 at half-time and did not score any goals in the first thirteen minutes of the second half, before they came out all guns blazing, first producing the margin reducer through a short corner strike by Rupinder Pal Singh, then by Nikkin Thimmaiah and later by Mandeep Singh before the Koreans sealed the match with a penalty corner goal with two minutes remaining for the final hooter.
The final loss means that India missed out on a direct 2014 World Cup berth but can still make the cut if Australia or New Zealand win the Oceania Cup in October.
India will make it as the fourth reserve team after Korea, Spain and Malaysia.
The 3-4 loss in the final to Korea was the only blemish for India who had maintained its unbeaten streak going into the summit showdown.
India’s stellar effort can be attributed to a collective showing which reflected in the way they played in the tournament.
The likes of Rupinder Pal Singh and Vokkaliga Raghunath along with talented Mandeep Singh slammed six goals each.
India started their campaign with a 8-0 walloping of Oman. Debutant Ramandeep Singh and Mandeep Singh scored twice while Rupinder Pal Singh, Vokkaliga Raghunath, Malak Singh and SK Uthappa fired for India.
The Mandeep Singh-Vokkaliga Raghunath combo scored in India’s 2-0 win over Korea before India wrapped up their league engagements pulverizing Bangladesh 9-1.
Rupinder Pal Singh and Vokkaliga Raghunath racked up hat-tricks- slamming seven goals between them with Nikkin Thimmaiah and Mandeep Singh rounding off the tally.
India got the better of hosts Malaysia 2-0 in the semifinals courtesy goals from Vokkaliga Raghunath and Mandeep Singh.
