Hockey: India finish fourth again

Indian ended with the wooden spoon again in the Four Nation hockey tournament, losing 3-4 to Korea in the bronze medal playoff tie of the second leg of the event in Darwin on Sunday.

India were the superior side in the first half but the usual script of their forwards failing to finish off continued as the two sides went for the breather at 2-2 scoreline. 

The Koreans, who were the runners-up to Australia in the first leg in Perth, took control of the second half and shut out the Indians.

For India, Tushar Khandekar (12th minute) and V Raghunath (28th and 70th) found the target while B Kim (16th, 68th) and Hye Sung Hyun (19th, 49th) were the goal scorers for the winners.

It was, however, India who caught Korea by surprise early in the match with captain Khandekar latching on to a defensive lapse to fire home in the 12th minute.

The Koreans recovered swiftly to make up for their lapse and, within four minutes of India taking the lead, showed their penalty corner conversion precision with B Kim making no mistake for their first goal. 

Three minutes later, Korea took the lead with Hye Sung Hyun scoring a fine field goal by getting past Indian goalkeeper after collecting a long pass.

However, India soon levelled the score from a penalty corner conversion of their own in the 28th minute with Raghunath sounding the board.

Korea moved quickly to regain the lead early in the second half, patiently working the ball into Indian circle before firing an accurate field goal via by Hye Sung Hyun again for his second goal of the match.

As the game progressed, Korea gradually gained control of it and they converted another penalty corner in the 68th minute.

Raghunath sounded the board in the last minute from a penalty corner but that was too late in the day for India to change the result of the match.

Earlier in the day, China showed why they have become a hockey power to reckon with as they matched Australia in all departments of the game only to lose 8-9 via penalty shootout after the two sides were locked 2-2 in the regulation and extra time.