PANAJI: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team registered a thrilling 6-4 comeback win against Poland to clinch the inaugural FIH Hockey5s title in Lausanne, Switzerland on Sunday. The women’s team, however, finished fourth.
Bobby Singh Dhami (11′, 19′) and Mohammed Raheel (13′, 17′), who finished as the top goalscorer at FIH Hockey 5s, netted twice, while Sanjay (8′) and Captain Gurinder Singh (9′) also contributed to the team’s victory. The goalscorers for Poland were Mateusz Nowakowski (1′), Robert Pawlak (5′), Wojciech Rutkowski (5′) and Captain Jacek Kurowski (18′).
The first half started with Poland piling pressure on India and were successful in converting their chances as they established a three-goal cushion inside the first five minutes, courtesy of goals from Mateusz Nowakowski (1′), Robert Pawlak (5′) and Wojciech Rutkowski (5′). However, India responded quickly as pulled back two back-to-back goals through Sanjay and Captain Gurinder Singh in the eighth and ninth minute respectively to make the scorers 2-3 at the end of the first half.
The second half started on a positive note for the Indian team as Boby Singh Dhami scored the equaliser in the 11th minute, and the leading goalscorer of the tournament Raheel went on to give India a lead in the 13th minute. in the 17th minute, Raheel added the fifth goal to the tally, but Poland quickly pulled back one through Captain Jacek Kurowski’s strike in the 18th minute. However, Bobby Singh Dhami scored a late goal before the final whistle to help India pick up a thrilling 6-4 win to clinch the inaugural FIH Hockey5s Title.
Earlier in the day, India registered massive 7-3 and 6-2 wins against Malaysia and Poland respectively to advance to the final.
Meanwhile, Indian Women’s Hockey Team picked an emphatic 4-3 win over the hosts Switzerland, and then drew 4-4 to South Africa on the second day. Despite the big win over the hosts, India missed out on a spot in the Final with the draw against South Africa, and finished in the 4th position in the table with 4 points.
In their third match in the competition, Mumtaz Khan (10′, 14′, 17′) scored a hat-trick while Rutaja Pisal (3′) also scored a goal to help India pick up the win against the hosts Switzerland. For Switzerland, Sarah Zepf (2′), Dunja Hartsch (4′), and Sofie Stomps (11′) scored the goals.
India got off to a bright start, getting an early shot on target, only to be denied by the goalpost. Switzerland took an early lead with a shot from a distance by Sarah Zepf. But India equalised straightaway with Rutaja Pisal’s shot. Minutes later, Switzerland took the lead again as Dunja Hartsch struck the ball into the nets from the halfway line. Zepf opened up again for a clear chance but her shot went wide. Just before the whistle, Mumtaz Khan hit the ball into the nets and India levelled the score at 2-2 at halftime.
Switzerland regained their lead straightaway in the second half, with Sofie Stomps getting her name on the scoresheet. Stomps continued to threaten Indian defence but captain and goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu kept the opposition at bay. Mumtaz Khan scored twice to get her hat-trick and put India in the lead. India managed to hold on to their lead till the final whistle and picked up a solid 4-3 win.
In their final round-robin stage match, Mumtaz Khan (7′, 9′), Rutaja Pisal (8′), and Mariana Kujur (12′) scored the goals for India. For South Africa, Captain Dirkie Chamberlain (2′, 5′, 19′) scored a hat-trick, while Candice Manuel (4′) also scored a goal to earn the draw.
South Africa took an early lead in the match as Captain Dirkie Chamberlain struck the ball into the nets from the halfway line. The Proteas doubled their lead minutes later with Candice Manuel deflecting the ball into the nets from an acute angle. Dirkie Chamberlain scored her second goal in the match to extend her team’s lead to 3-0. But Mumtaz Khan scored twice, and Rutaja Pisal scored once as India levelled the score before the end of the first half.
India took the lead early on in the second half with Mariana Kujur scoring her first goal in the tournament. Captain Rajani Etimarpu made two big saves to deny Proteas the opportunity to get back on to the level terms. Mumtaz Khan took a reverse hit on target, only to be denied by Proteas goalkeeper Mmatshepo Modipane. Captain Dirkie Chamberlain completed her hat-trick as she nestled the ball into the nets to draw level. Both teams fought till the final whistle but the match ended in a 4-4 draw.
