FIH Pro League 2024-25: Indian women on the brink of relegation after 3-0 loss to China
Indian women's hockey team was pushed to the brink of being relegated from the FIH Pro League on Saturday after its 3-0 loss to China in Berlin.
Salima Tete-led side is placed last amongst nine teams with 10 points in 15 games. India needs a favourable result from the fixture between seventh-placed Germany and eighth-placed England, set to take place later in the day, to keep its slender hopes of playing in the next season of the tournament.
Coach Harendra Singh's team started the match against China on a positive note. Baljeet Kaur had the first real chance but her shot from the top of the circle in the third minute went wide. A minute later, India earned two quick Penalty Corners (PCs) but failed to convert either of them.
READ | India vs Pakistan in FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup — Arch-rivals drawn in same group
China got its act together soon and earned its first PC a minute later but India defended well. Veteran India goalkeeper Savita made some fine saves to deny the Chinese, including one in the 13th minute to keep out Guoting Hao's reverse hit.
China, Paris Olympics silver medallist, took the lead after Chen Yang converted a PC in the 21st minute. Five minutes later, Zhang Ying made it 2-0 for her side from another PC.
India enjoyed most of the possession in the third quarter but it was China which extended its lead courtesy a field goal from Yu Anhui in the last minute.
China's was reduced to 10 players for the last five-and-a-half minutes after Chen Tong was issued a 10-minute yellow card. But India failed to make the advantage count with Deepika, taking a Penalty Stroke, hitting the post.
India faces China in its last match of the season on Sunday and anything less than a win will confirm the side's relegation to FIH Nations Cup.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
38 minutes ago
- News18
Naushad Moosa To Stay At NorthEast United FC Until 2027 As Technical Director
Last Updated: Naushad Moosa has extended his contract with NorthEast United FC until 2027 and has been appointed as the club's Technical Director. Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) announced that Naushad Moosa has extended his contract, securing his presence at the club until the end of the 2027 season. Moosa, 53, who previously served as the first-team assistant coach and reserve team head coach, has been appointed as the Technical Director of NorthEast United FC. This shift in Moosa's role will enable the current India U-23 men's national team coach to concentrate more on youth development, dedicating additional time to the club's reserve team alongside his national team duties. As Technical Director, Moosa will lead the club's reserve team while overseeing the youth development structure at NorthEast United FC, focusing on creating a robust pathway for young players to ensure long-term sustainability and success for the club's grassroots and developmental programs. Moosa, a former India international, has been instrumental in the club's recent youth-level achievements. Under his leadership, the reserve team won the prestigious Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup, finished as runners-up in the 70th Bharat Ratna Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Trophy, and reached the National Group Stage of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL). Mandar Tamhane, CEO of NorthEast United FC, emphasised Moosa's vital role in the club's youth development programme. He stated, 'As Technical Director, Moosa will play a pivotal role in shaping our youth development programme. His continued involvement with our reserve team allows him to nurture future first-team talent while also fulfilling his responsibilities with the national side, especially with the 2026 Asian Games and AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers on the horizon. This arrangement serves the best interest of both club and country." Reflecting on his contract renewal, Moosa expressed, 'It means a lot to me to stay at this club for another two years. This place has become like a second home, the people, the supporters, the staff, it's more than just football, it's family. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm grateful to keep being part of it." Regarding his new role as Technical Director, Moosa shared his readiness for the next chapter, seeing it as an opportunity to significantly impact youth development. He added, 'Stepping into the role of Technical Director is a new challenge, and one I take on with real pride. It's a big responsibility, but also a chance to give back to a club that's given me so much. I'll be doing everything I can to help shape the future, support the players and coaches, and ensure we keep moving in the right direction together."
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 'Far too defensive' - Former India cricketer urges captain Shubman Gill to be more aggressive
Rishabh Pant with Shubman Gill (Getty Images) Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has weighed in on Shubman Gill 's captaincy in the wake of India's five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley. While acknowledging Gill's composure and talent as a batter, Manjrekar cautioned the young skipper against being too defensive in his approach, especially when conditions are in India's favour. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Speaking on Star Sports' Game Plan, Manjrekar said Gill is 'sorted' as a batter at No. 4 and will only improve with experience. 'I just hope he can carry on after getting to a 108 or 120 because now he knows what could happen if he gets out. So that is something he will start doing,' he said. 03:11 India's Day 2 at the Nets in Edgbaston | IND vs ENG Test Series However, it was Gill's field placements and leadership that drew greater scrutiny. 'Overcast conditions, I know the ball wasn't doing too much, but they pre-empted the English approach and had a far too defensive field,' Manjrekar noted. 'I hate to bring Virat Kohli as a comparison because it's unfair on the young man, but you can just imagine Virat Kohli in that situation.' Poll Do you think Shubman Gill should adopt a more aggressive captaincy style? Yes, he needs to be more aggressive No, his current style is fine Maybe, depends on the situation Undecided 'Whether they would have got wickets or not, Kohli would have shown the opposition that he's trying to get them out. Gill is not that kind of personality, nor that kind of captain. But maybe don't go so defensive pre-empting things,' he added. Manjrekar also praised Rishabh Pant 's hunger and resilience, saying he is likely to carry his twin tons into the second Test. At the same time, he warned KL Rahul to maintain consistency. 'KL Rahul cannot be a one-hundred wonder or a one-Test-match performer. Indian cricket needs him badly,' he said. The second Test begins Wednesday at Edgbaston, with India trailing 0-1 in the five-match series. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Ayush Shetty upsets World No 6 Taiwanese, and plays a rally at 4-3 in decider that Americans will find hard to forget
A 39-shot rally, where Ayush Shetty playing against the inimitable Chou Tien Chen who never gives up, saw the Indian 20-year-old match the Taiwanese on the biggest un-calculable metric – heart. It helped the 6 feet-4 Shetty, make finals of the Super 300 Open after a 20-22, 21-15, 21-14 win, where he plays the hyper-glider Bryan Yang for the title later on Sunday. With finalists in both men's and women's singles – Tanvi Sharma,16 stomped on to set up a clash against Beiwen Zhang, 34 – India was on a resurgence at this American outpost, somewhere in mid central US, at Council Bluffs in Iowa. But at 4-3 in the decider, Shetty truly brought alive the slowly building crowd at a sleepy venue on a Saturday night. It was two men known for their sprawling defense, and there were at least 8 low pick ups inches off the floor in that rally in the third, after a set apiece. A fast paced rally where both Shetty and Tien Chen ended up bouncing off the floor – it had everything: the taut midcourt battle, steep down shots, drops defended by sliding on knees, returns on the reflex while getting up and recovery returns after being on all fours. It would end with Shetty levelling at 4-4, a symbolic catching up with the legend, as the comms guffawed and all they could say wisely was 'Still going.' Shetty seemed to have broken Tien Chen's resolve thereafter, as he raced to take the second and third sets 21-15, 21-14. But well before that, the Indian fourth seed playing the top seed, had frittered a 6-point lead at 17-11 in the opener and contrived to go down 20-22, after being 19-15 up. But that's just how the Taiwanese plays – he can assail any deficits and simply never gives in. 'Ayush kept his composure after losing that 6 point lead and the set,' coach Sagar Chopda said, adding his ward had been pulling out some tricky wins this whole week. This included Magnus Johannesen where Shetty won in straight sets after being 14-4 down, and then against former world junior champ, Kuo Kuan Lin, now 21. In the second he had gotten past fellow Indian talent Tharun Mannepalli. 'Ayush messed up a big lead today but proved he can come back and pull through from trailing by huge margins too against Magnus (who was coming off a title). Tharun had a good win against Frenchman Arnaud Merkle and Ayush had to play well. And he also won playing from the tougher side (faster),' Chopda said. Shetty had been 18-20 down before picking the first and sauntering to the second. Botching good leads however seems to inflict Indians of all levels – Shetty is World No 34 now. His coaches believe he's yet to learn the tricks of the trade – taking breaks at the right moments, and visibly rushing through points. But despite Tien Chen galloping from behind to take opener, Shetty did well to stay calm and impose the game that had originally given him the lead. Brian Yang, the Canadian is lined up next at 1 a.m IST in a reversal of the order from Taipei Open earlier this year, where Shetty had beaten Yang in semis and lost to CTC in the final. The US Open semis win was a sort of revenge extracted, but Yang despite being 0-2 in H2H is a tricky opponent. He crowds though he plays simple length badminton. But what the jack-in-the-box loves doing is jumping around court, sending down smashes at a fast clip. They aren't necessarily very incisive, but the volume can be a headache. He sprays them plenty from the overhead cross side but the sheer number of them can be extremely daunting to deal with. At Taiwan, Shetty had simply defended with patience and drawn out errors arising from the frenzy. But Yang also didn't have answers back then to Shetty's down the line attack which proved decisive. Yang can unleash body smashes that could get awkward for the Indian, but he has the answers at the net with dribbles.
