TIL Desk Sports/ India let history slip out of its hands with a heartbreaking quarter-final defeat against the Netherlands in the men’s hockey World Cup, a result which left the young players of the team crying on the pitch in Bhubaneswar, on Thursday. A well-oiled Indian unit had raised the hopes of making the semi-finals for the first time since 1975 but the Dutch side broke a million hearts by coming from behind to knock out the hosts 2-1 in the last-eight clash.
India took the lead in the 12th minute through Akashdeep Singh before Thierry Brinkman drew parity for Netherlands three minutes later. After a hard-fought third quarter, Netherlands scored the winner in the 50th minute when Mink vander Weerden converted a penalty corner. The defeat ended India’s long cherished dream of lifting the trophy only for the second time after its lone triumph in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur.
It was a momentous occasion for India to rewrite history books after 43 years as they had never qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup after 1975. The Netherlands played like true warriors and didn’t give an inch to the Indian safter the change of ends. The Dutch had the first shot at the goal in the 11th minute but Jeroen Hertzberger reverse hit went just wide of the Indian goal.
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