PARIS, Aug 4: Uncertainty looms over India’s key defender and first rusher Amit Rohidas’ availability for Tuesday’s crucial men’s hockey semifinal of the Paris Olympics after he received a rare red card against Great Britain in the last-eight match here on Sunday.
Rohidas was sent off the pitch almost 40 minutes from the final hooter after his stick unintentionally hit a rival player.
In football, red card rules a player out of the next match.
In hockey’s case, the umpire will give his report to the technical delegate, who will then see the footage and decide whether the foul was intentional or not.
If the foul was found intentional, Rohidas will be ruled out of the semifinal, which will be a big setback for the Indians.
“The decision would depend on the severity of the incident,” said an official.
India chief coach Fulton said he would back his player to the hilt, though at this moment he was unsure what led to the situation.
“I need to look at it, speak to him. But obviously, if someone gets hit to the head, something’s wrong. But I will stand up for Amit. He’s not that kind of player.
“You’ve always got to look where there’s smoke, there’s fire. So, what happened first, for that to happen and we’ll just look to that. Not the other way,” Fulton said after India beat Great Britain 4-2 in shoot-out after both the sides were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation 60 minutes.
Great Britain goalkeeper’s Ipad controversy in shoot-out
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Great Britain goalkeeper Ollie Payne had his Ipad removed from the pitch during the tense penalty shoot-out against India after it emerged that he was using the device to consult notes before facing each penalty.
After a few minutes of confusion about what was happening in that corner of the pitch, the gadget was handed over to the Great Britain assistant coach.
While it made no difference to India’s shooting, as skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Rajkumar Pal scored from their attempts, Great Britain fluffed both shots after the incident to crash out of the tournament.
Conor Williamson’s reverse hit flew above, while Phil Roper took a lot of time for his aim and was easily blocked by India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.
“It’s not something that we do. But I need to find out what actually happened. I don’t have all the facts,” said Fulton without making much fuss.
Hockey India officials, though, were furious but stopped short of lodging an official protest. Nevertheless, they have expressed their displeasure.
“These incidents have undermined confidence in the officiating process among players, coaches, and fans. Hockey India calls for a thorough review of these matters to uphold the integrity of the sport and ensure fair play in future matches,” an HI statement read. (PTI)
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