Indian women can still qualify for World Cup

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 3. The Indian team narrowly missed qualifying for the semifinals in the 10th women's World Cup qualifier in France, but it still has a 50 per cent chance of qualification for the prestigious event.

The grievances of the team with regard to biased umpiring may be genuine, but there was no escaping the fact that the team failed to finish among the top six countries to ensure its participation in the next World Cup.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had circulated a note a day before the start of the tournament that the seventh-placed country would have to play the U.S., in a three-Test series at a place of its choice, and the winner would get the seventh qualifier's slot.

This decision was taken after the U.S. had withdrawn from the qualifying tournament following the attacks in New York and Washington on September 11. However, Kenya, which had withdrawn from the qualifying event, quoting financial constraints was not shown any sympathy by the FIH.

Coming back to the Indian challenge in the tournament held in France from September 17 to 30, the coach of the Indian team, A.K. Bansal, felt that the team was robbed of goals and penalty strokes that proved costly.

``Our target was to qualify for the semifinals. We missed making the semifinals by one point, as Ukraine played a 2- 2 draw against us. We were denied a penalty stroke against England after one was awarded by the Australian umpire Judith Barnesby, because of the intervention of the Russian umpire Irina Sivtsova.

We were thoroughly disappointed as we thought that Jyoti Sunita Kullu would get us the 2-2 equaliser through that stroke. The penalty stroke was a clear award as a defender had kicked the ball away when Sanghai Ibemhal Chanu was about to hit it in, barely a foot away from the goal,'' said Bansal, who was quite convinced that it was not a case of incompetent officiating, that added to the pressure on India.

Stunning blow

Quite interestingly, England which eventually won the tournament beating Russia in the final, did not protest the award of the penalty stroke. Thus, the reversal of the decision came as a stunning blow to the aspirations of the Indian team.

Bansal pointed out that the controversial umpire Irina Sivtsova stood in India's first four matches, which was against all norms, and hardly gave any penalty corners to the Indians, which was quite glaring as the team forced many while attacking at the other end.

The coach pointed out that neither a goal nor a penalty stroke was awarded for India midway through the second half in the match against Ukraine, when Sita Gussain's shot hit a defender's foot and crossed the goal-line. Ukraine eventually pipped India by 11 points to 10 for the second spot from the group for the semifinals.

Indians' absence in panel proves vital

The fact that there was no Indian umpire or technical official in the tournament, was viewed as an important factor in the decisions going against the Indian team with impunity.

India did recover from the shocks to score a 5-0 victory over the host, and a 4-0 victory over Kazakhstan, but could not continue in the same fashion in the positional match for the fifth to eighth places against Scotland.

``We took the lead in the seventh minute through a goal by Mamta Kharab, and Scotland equalised in the 27th minute. We couldn't capitalise on five penalty corners in the second half, as the players tried direct hits without success. In the second half of extra-time, Scotland came up with a good reverse shot for the golden goal to win the match,'' said Bansal, conceding India's inability to convert the chances in the key match.

The coach was categorical that India not playing the five-nation tournament in Lithuania in July was one of the main factors in the team not being fully ready.

Three teams that played the tournament, Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania did very well. Russia and Ukraine finished second and third respectively, while Lithuania was disqualified as it refused to replay the penalty shoot-out after beating Ireland, which had protested successfully about a technical point in the sequence of the strokes, in the positional match for the fifth to eight slots.

Bansal said that overall the Indian team gave a good account of itself, scoring 15 goals and conceding seven. It played the best against England, that emerged the champion, and improved with every match. Sanghai Ibemhal Chanu was adjudged the `best junior player' of the tournament. The team also converted seven penalty corners, and did not concede more than two goals to any of the teams in its seven matches.

``The federation is convinced that we should play U.S. here in India. The details will be worked out in a few days. We are having our next camp from October 15 in Patiala,'' said Bansal.

For Indian women's hockey, the heartburns continue, and it remains to be seen how well the team reacts to the challenge against the U.S. in home conditions.

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