Mumbai, August 5
Former Indian hockey player Dhananjay Mahadik said that the red card given to Amit Rohidas during the quarterfinal against Great Britain in the Paris Olympics was an "extreme decision" taken by the third umpire.
After scripting a heroic win against Great Britain in the Quarter-Final of the Paris Olympic Games by 4-2 in penalty shootouts, a charged-up Indian Men's Hockey Team led by Harmanpreet Singh will take on a familiar foe in Germany on Tuesday in their quest to 'change the colour of the medal', here at the iconic Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Tuesday.
Speaking to ANI about Amit's red card during the previous game given for allegedly hitting a player with his stick, Dhananjay said, "This is not a local match, rather an Olympics match. There is a 360-degree view camera here. No player has ever played like this, rather it was just a biological, natural action on the part of Amit. He did not mean to harm his opponent. This is an extreme decision taken by the third umpire. "
Rohidas is set to miss the semifinal clash against Germany on Tuesday after receiving a one-match ban for his foul in the quarterfinal clash against Great Britain. In the second quarter of the match, Rohidas was given a red card after he raised his stick and caught opponent William Calnan's head. India played the rest of the match one-man down.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) released an official statement where they announced that the player is set to miss one match because of his misconduct.
"Amit Rohidas was suspended for one match for a breach of the FIH Code of Conduct which occurred during the India vs Great Britain match on August 4," the FIH official statement read as quoted by Olympics.com.
"The suspension affects match No. 35 (India's semi-final match against Germany), where Amit Rohidas will not participate and India will play with a squad of 15 players only," the statement added.
Amit Rohidas who mans India's defence along with captain Harmanpreet Singh serves a dual role in the team as he is also India's first rusher during the penalty corners.
On the match, Dhananjay said that Team India will have to show the same passion and energy they showcased against the Great Britain and India's recent good form against Germany will be a factor. He also said that though Germany is the current World Cup winner, it is a thing of the past and the circumstances are totally different.
"In our last six matches against Germany, we have won five. India will have to show the same passion and energy against Germany that they showed against the Great Britain as there will be just 15 players in our squad (due to Amit's ban). They have a great drag-flicker, Gonzalo Peillat, but we also have Harmanpreet Singh. They have a good goalkeeper, but our PR Sreejesh is in fine form," he said.
"If you look at the league matches, both the teams had some wins and losses. They are both at equal levels, no one is more dominant. Germany is the World Cup winner, but it is a thing of the past. Things are much more different now. Whoever plays well will win," he added.
Dhananjay also stressed that other semifinalists, the Netherlands and Spain are also from Europe and for them, these grounds in Paris are home conditions, but for India, it is like a battlefield.
Also, former Indian hockey player Lazarus Barla, the Asian Games gold medalist expressed optimism about Men in Blue's chances in the match.
"Last time, we played for bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 against Germany and won. This match will be great. We will definitely be winning and reaching the final. Their thinking will also be same as ours. They will be looking to take the advantage of Amit not playing. But I hope that Manpreet Singh will defend well and play Amit's role well," he said.
"In history, very rarely 10 players have played in a quarterfinal in hockey. Playing so well for 43 minutes with just 10 players show that the motivation and confidence of our players is high. I hope they maintain this positive intent and body language," added Lazarus.
Coming to the quarterfinal match, Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian men's hockey team defeated Great Britain in a thrilling quarter-final match at the Paris Olympics and advanced into the semi-final. As the scores were level at 1-1 after the end of regulation time, India won the shootout 4-2 and made the semi-finals.
In the second quarter of the encounter, India took a 1-0 lead after skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner. India had four penalty corner opportunities while Great Britain had five in the second quarter.
Before halftime, Great Britain's Lee Morton scored the equaliser and gave his side a moment to breathe. In the second half, Great Britain failed to score, despite multiple opportunities.
Meanwhile, in the shootout, India scored all four of their attempts. While Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh saved one, helping India move into the semis of the tournament.