Indian football continues to slide as team suffers defeat to lower-ranked Hong Kong
Hosts Hong Kong emerged victorious after an injury-time goal by Stefan Pereira.
The referee awarded Hong Kong the penalty after India custodian Vishal Kaith came out of the goalline and tried to punch the ball to safety, only to end up hitting Michael Udebuluzor and injuring the player.
Pereira stepped up to take the spot kick and shot the ball to the right of Kaith, who was also shown a yellow card for his injury-time foul.
The latest reverse jeopardised India's prospects of reaching the next Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, and the team is also set to drop to 133 on the FIFA rankings with Hong Kong gaining points and climbing up in the pecking order.
It is a continuation of a series of disappointing results that the team has endured in recent years during which activities off the field grabbed more headlines than on-field performances, including the unceremonious exit of previous head coach Igor Stimac after an ugly dispute with his employers All India Football Federation .
Such has been the team's woes that head coach Manolo Marquez was forced to convince Sunil Chhetri to come out of retirement a year after he called it quits in international football.
However, even his comeback has not been able to lift the team out of the abyss it has found itself in recent times.
The future of Manolo, who succeeded Stimac while also holding on to his job as ISL side FC Goa's coach, is also uncertain with the national team.
As his wards went about fluffing the two-three clear chances that came their way, Manolo was seen expressing his frustration on the touchline.
Earlier in the day, Manolo kept out veteran striker Chhetri from the starting XI.
A sea of red packed the stands at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium but despite the strong home support, India did pretty well to create a few chances in the first half, even though Hong Kong enjoyed more possession.
But, as has been the trend with them in recent times, the lack of finishing has again let the Blue Tigers down in the first 45 minutes.
Among the opportunities that came their way before the half time break, the Indians came closest in the 35th minute but Ashique Kuruniyan shot the ball wide from a close range after Liston Colaco ran down the left to provide him a nice cross.
Meanwhile, after having received medical attention after getting injured, Colaco unleashed a powerful long-range shot but it went straight into the keeper's gloves.
Hong Kong also grew in confidence as the game approached the half time. The home team could have taken the lead from a free-kick had it not been for a timely clearance by Asish Rai from goal-mouth after custodian Vishal Kaith was beaten.
Both India and Hong Kong have had their moments but neither side could convert in a tightly contested first half of this crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier.
Kuruniyan, who has otherwise performed his job admirably on the flanks, looked to have got another chance to break the deadlock some minutes into the second half, but could not.
Soon after, coach Marquez brought on India's all-time highest goal-scorer Chhetri alongside Naorem Singh in place of Kuruniyan and Brandon Fernandes.
India created chances in the second half too, including in the 81st minute when Lallianzuala Chhangte found Chhetri with a brilliant cutback inside the Hong Kong box, but the veteran striker was not able to connect it well.
The result is a setback for India who came into the game after a goal-less draw against Bangladesh in their first Asian Cup qualifying match, at home in March. India have one point from two games and are last in the group, and only one team from the pool of four will qualify for the final.
India will now need to win their remaining four matches, but given their inability to score, it looks improbable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Sorry state of affairs: Cadet judokas to miss World Championships
CHENNAI: Indian judokas, especially those competing in the cadet category, continue to suffer as they may be forced to miss the World Championships scheduled in Sofia, Bulgaria from August 27 to 30. The athletes in this category missed three international tournaments last year and the upcoming World Championship will be their fourth and the biggest miss. Notably, the Judo Federation of India (JFI) has been governed by an administrator appointed by the Delhi High Court since June 2022. The latest heartbreak in the series of misses for cadet judokas meant most of them would now be unable to compete in the next World Championships as they will turn 18 by the time the 2026 edition would be held. It was learnt that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) didn't sanction the tour citing selection policy which makes it mandatory for every national sports federation to hold selection trials to pick a team for an international tournament. The JFI selected judokas, who won medals at the Taipei Cadets Asian Cup held last month for the Worlds, but the SAI didn't approve the list and in turn directed the federation to hold trials. Interestingly, the JFI held ranking trials for the Asian Cadets Championships scheduled in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 11 and 12 last week but chose the judokas for the Worlds on the basis of their performances at the Taipei event. There were many judokas who won medals in Taipei and also the ranking trials and one among them is Rahi Ghelani. She won a gold medal each in the Tashkent Asian Cup held in May, Taipei Asian Cup and the ranking trials in the -44kg weight category and could be a medal contender at the World Championships if given an opportunity. Linthoi Chanambam created history in 2022 when she won a -57kg gold at the Cadet World Championships and became the first from the country to win a medal at the event across age groups. Next year, Oliviya Devi Huidrom clinched -44kg bronze at the event and Rahi could have continued the legacy in the 2025 edition. Incidentally, Rahi is from Bhavnagar in Gujarat and the union sports minister also hails from the same district. Besides, these cadet judokas will graduate to senior level by the time India gets ready to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics if their respective bids come to fruition.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rajeev Ram reflects on his unique journey, tennis success, thoughts on doubles and mentoring young talent.
For Indian tennis fans, Rajeev Ram at once seems a close cousin and a distant relative. The 41-year-old's parents were from India and his biggest doubles successes — Australian Open 2020 and a hat-trick of US Opens from 2021 to 2023 — have resonated in the sub-continent. But he is also proudly American, and is mentoring the next generation there. He sat courtside as fellow Indian-American Nishesh Basavareddy, then 19, took on Novak Djokovic in the first-round of the 2025 Australian Open. Incidentally, Rajeev and Venus Williams beat Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in a close semifinal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Rajeev [with Joe Salisbury] also overcame Bopanna [and Matthew Ebden] in the 2023 US Open final. The six-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic medallist spoke to The Hindu on his tennis journey, the state of doubles, the mixed doubles rejig at the upcoming US Open and more. Excerpts: ALSO READ | Open and shut case: Jaiswal and Rahul making headway as a partnership at the top How do you assess your year so far? In professional sport, it's a lot of up and down. My results this year haven't been what I've gotten used to over the last few years. But I'm 41 and have been very fortunate to have played at a pretty high level for the better part of 20 years. So, I'm taking it in my stride. The US Open is my favourite tournament, so I am really looking forward [to it]. What has kept you going for so long? I played singles as a priority until 2017. We, as tennis players, begin with aspirations to play at the top level in singles. I'm very proud of the fact that I became a top-60 player and won two titles on the Tour. My doubles-only career started in 2017, and even though it was much after I turned pro, it still was fresh when Joe and I won the Australian Open in 2020. It's a lot about attitude. The thing that's always been important is consistently trying to improve. If you have that attitude, you can sometimes take even losses as a positive. As heartbreaking as some of them are, sometimes they're the biggest motivators. I used them as fire and fuel. I've actually had to be more aware of myself when I've been winning a lot because you get a little bit satisfied. How has the doubles game evolved? It's changed a lot. When I started, players, especially those who transitioned from singles, would try to develop their net game a bit more. In the last three or four years, I've seen a big shift where that's really not the case. Most teams now have at least one player who serves and stays back all the time. There's more comfort from the baseline. A lot of the players don't really worry about serving and volleying anymore. From the returner's perspective, it's a lot more about pace, being aggressive and trying to get a hold on the point straight away. Whereas, when I started playing, there was a little bit more feel, more finesse. Doubles is very entertaining and popular as a recreational sport. But it doesn't get good broadcast slots or matches on the show courts, especially in the first week of a Major. Are these hindering the growth? Absolutely. Anything that is put on the back-burner in terms of promotion and marketing is going to be treated that way by people who watch it. I'm not saying by any stretch that it needs to be at the same level as singles. But there are definitely stories that could be marketed a lot more. Like Rohan having so much success at such a late age [World No. 1 and 2024 Australian Open title]. Croatia's Mate Pavic won the French Open last year and completed the career Golden Slam [along with Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold]. But I don't think it got the push that a truly rare achievement in our sport should have got. Next is to highlight the partnerships. There could be quite a bit more of that, just to get to know the players at the personal level. ALSO READ | Sai Sudharsan: 'It was clear that we were in England to create history' In such a scenario, how does the move by the US Open to completely transform its mixed doubles feel? It is being played in the week before the Slam and has more singles players than doubles. It's two parts for me. I applaud their idea to innovate. As much as doubles was on the back-burner, mixed doubles was behind even more. So putting it in its own week, with fanfare, is great. Tennis could use mixed doubles as the flag-bearer, as men and women play men and women for Olympic medals and Grand Slam titles. But they [US Open] made it such that doubles players couldn't even enter. You can't unless you have a singles ranking. That's where I feel opposed. They should [have] just let everybody enter. A lot of the players that got in from singles would have still gotten in. It would have been a bit more legitimate to give a Grand Slam trophy for. If you were in a position of power, what would you do to increase traction for doubles? I mentioned Rohan winning so late. Joe and I won three US Opens on the trot. So the stories are there. They just need to be told. Secondly, social media is such a big part of our world. We have exciting points happening every day. They don't need to be necessarily in the main stadiums or even on TV. If we could do a better job of showcasing them, people would be drawn to the game. Most of those who are watching are doubles players themselves and they can have a little bit of a relationship there. The third thing is to just tell the story of the partnerships. Joe and I played together for six years. We can do a little bit more of getting outside tennis and highlighting the personalities. ALSO READ | Injuries are a part of cricket; injury substitutes are unnecessary You have been mentoring Nishesh, among the brightest talents to emerge from the United States. What do you think India can do to develop such a player? I wish there was some magic recipe. Nishesh and I… our relationship is unique. Of all the places in the US, he moved to the little town that I'm from [Carmel, Indiana]. We have the same coach, Bryan Smith, and I have to give him a lot of credit. He not only teaches us to be good tennis players but also teaches us to give back to the next group. It was always something I was going to do for him [Nishesh] and a few others. Also, coming from the exact same background as I have, an America-born kid with Indian heritage… a lot of pieces came together. What India can do… I think it is very important for a player to feel that he or she is not alone and not feel like they have to reach a certain level for it to be successful. Just the effort of trying to be the best you can be is success in itself. I was really lucky that my dad had the foresight to realise that in the US, sports can actually open doors. I would have never gone to the colleges that I went to if I wasn't a tennis player. So, maybe, just a slight shift in mentality for what it really means to be a high-level athlete and what success really is [can help India].
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
India's Test tour of England — A watershed moment in Gautam Gambhir's coaching stint
In the metamorphosis of cricketers, the way they are remembered becomes a product of recency bias. In their prime, Ravi Shastri and Navjot Singh Sidhu were gutsy players, but for the modern generation, they are just commentators. Shastri, though, has an added layer of being a former coach. Equally, Gautam Gambhir has to deal with such quirks in public memory. The Indian cricket team's coach was an effective opener in his heyday, albeit over-shadowed by Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly. ALSO READ | Open and shut case: Jaiswal and Rahul making headway as a partnership at the top Owning the big stage Gambhir had his splendid days too, evident in his 436-ball 137 that secured a draw against New Zealand at Napier in 2009. And both in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and 2011 ICC World Cup finals, he was the top-scorer for a triumphant India. Deep inside, he still feels that he never got the credit, as skipper M.S. Dhoni gained the accolades. The fiery southpaw had a slow descent as his form waned, but in the Indian Premier League, he led Kolkata Knight Riders to titles in 2012 and 2014. Having nursed captaincy ambitions at the highest level, perhaps the IPL forays helped to partially assuage that simmering angst. The microscope trained on Gambhir then got coated with a political lens as he shifted to Parliament. He may have moved on from that phase, but in the perennial ideological churn seen in India, judgements on him are often influenced by the political underpinnings of the larger public. These diverse strands of perception clung to him harder when he was appointed coach of the Indian team in July last year. He was also stepping into a space earlier occupied by Dravid and Shastri. Dravid, ever conscious about his public image, and Shastri, with years of commentary experience under his belt, knew how to position themselves. It also helped that Shastri forged a bond with Virat Kohli, and Dravid found a kindred spirit in Rohit Sharma. A coach in synergy with the captain always helps, especially in Indian cricket, which had its horror phase when Greg Chappell and Ganguly had their falling-out. Gambhir was saddled with the onerous task of shepherding a unit in the throes of transition, while also dealing with the larger-than-life aura around talisman Kohli and skipper Rohit. It was never easy. Old videos of his run-in with Kohli in a heated IPL clash resurfaced, but the two handled the issue well. This was the cynical universe Gambhir stepped into, with a thinking hat and a lingering scowl. ALSO READ | Sai Sudharsan: 'It was clear that we were in England to create history' As a year at the helm ends, Gambhir has had a roller-coaster ride at the top. In his initial days as national coach, India won the T20I series in Sri Lanka 3-0, but lost the subsequent ODI jousts 0-2. It was also a tour that revealed the diverse paths that India would traverse even within the blue shade but split between ODIs and T20Is. Suryakumar Yadav led in T20Is and Rohit was the captain in ODIs. Gambhir had to recalibrate his communication lines. Back home, the coach found easy pickings in the Tests against Bangladesh and a 2-0 victory was etched. But the knives were sharpened when host India lost 0-3 in the Tests against New Zealand. The old dirge about Indian cricket being on a downward spiral played out. Gambhir's role and his judgement of pitches were questioned. India may have this image of being a fortress at home, but there have been occasions in the past when visiting sides have emerged on top. Yet, in this age of toxic social media and emotional television anchors, neutrality and nuance are vanishing traits. Whispers of unease Even as ODIs and T20Is were won, the next big hurdle was the tour of Australia. By then, whispers of unease between Test leader Rohit and Gambhir had surfaced. There was mutual respect and both had played together for India in the past, but just like Kohli missed Shastri, Rohit felt Dravid's absence. Meanwhile, Gambhir was trying to forge a squad that reflected his persona. Expending every ounce of energy on the field, verbal skirmishes on and off it, and sharp words for the media became par for the course. Still, India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, and this after starting its campaign well. ALSO READ | Injuries are a part of cricket; injury substitutes are unnecessary It was a tour that brought the curtains down on three storied careers. A trip Down Under does that at times as Dilip Vengsarkar, Dravid and Laxman would testify. As the 2024-25 series progressed, R. Ashwin announced his retirement. After the dust seemed to settle, it was Rohit's turn, with the captain dropping himself for the final Test. It was a matter of time before he announced his retirement from Tests; and Kohli followed suit. Gambhir, prone to holding all the cards close to his chest, had insisted that the best playing eleven would take the field ahead of that last game in Sydney. And as Rohit made way for Jasprit Bumrah to lead again, the winds of transition were clear. The coach has had his sunshine moments too, when in the ODIs, a resurgent Rohit guided India to a title win in the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand at Dubai in March. Even as Gambhir sought to carve his own path, the iconic status bequeathed to Kohli and Rohit was a factor he had to accept. But once the duo quit Tests, finally the coach had a bunch of players on whom he could leave an imprint, as India flew to the Old Blighty. It also helped that expectations around the side, led by Shubman Gill, were a notch low. But when the tour concluded on August 4 at a raucous Oval, India had charged back to level the series 2-2. This could well be the tipping point for Gambhir, the coach. The shadows of Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin are no longer there even if the first two are still available for ODIs. In Gill, K.L. Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the coach has a fine nucleus in Tests. ALSO READ | What to expect in this Premier League season? Festering issue Gambhir's anger-management remains a festering issue as obvious in his tiff with the Oval curator Lee Fortis. But this is how he is, like Steve Waugh, preferring the entire world to be against him. With his back to the wall, Gambhir springs forward. His team did the same through the England tour. And he does smile too, a rare sliver of joy on an otherwise grim visage. As a player, he had the respect of his legendary peers. Now as coach, Gambhir is seeking permanence in Indian cricket's list of influential figures. He has a young team to mould and results to chase. There is also the tricky bit of dealing with the impending twilight of Kohli and Rohit in ODIs. Gambhir has a long road ahead and, as he prefers battle metaphors, surely the angry warrior in him is wide awake.
