The Indian men’s hockey team’s hopes for a second consecutive medal at the Summer Games suffered a massive jolt on the eve of their semifinal against Germany, after star defender and first rusher Amit Rohidas was on Monday handed a one-match suspension that will keep him out of the crucial encounter at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in Colombes on Tuesday.
The ban was on the back of Rohidas receiving a red card in the Indian team’s quarterfinal match against Britain on Sunday.
“Amit Rohidas was suspended for one match for a breach of the FIH Code of Conduct which occurred during the India vs Great Britain match on August 4,” the FIH official statement read.
“The suspension affects match No. 35 (India’s semi-final match against Germany), where Amit Rohidas will not participate and India will play with a squad of 15 players only,” the statement added.
Hockey India appealed against this decision to the FIH jury bench, but it was rejected. Reflecting on the ban, India skipper Harmanpreet Singh said that the team is focussed on their task despite the setback.
“Now, these things are not in our control. While it is a setback to not have Amit on the pitch for the semis, we are focused on the task at hand,” he said.
The Indian team, ranked fifth, finished second in the group stages with three wins in five matches, before beating Britain in the quarterfinals in a shootout. Harmanpreet and Lee Morton scored for their respective teams as the match headed to shootout. PR Sreejesh starred in the shootout with two saves to steer his side into the final four for the second edition running.
Harmanpreet, India’s top goal-scorer at Tokyo 2020 en-route to a bronze medal, is once again leading the attack with seven goals in six matches.
The world No. 2 Germany hockey team, meanwhile, defeated Argentina 3-2 in the quarterfinal on Sunday. Teo Hinrichs, Gonzalo Peillat and Justus Weigand scored for the three-time Olympic champions to set up a clash against India.
Germany played India in the bronze medal playoff at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In a high-scoring thriller, the Indian team emerged victorious 5-4.
Since then, both teams played six matches, all in the FIH Pro League. India won five of these matches while Germany won only one in June this year, which was also their most recent meeting.
While the odds are stacked against India with Amit’s ban, there will be no shortage of high-octane action when the two teams lock horns for a shot at glory.
India, who finished on the podium for the first time in 41 years at Tokyo 2020, will be looking to add to their 12-medal tally, which includes eight golds while Germany will be hoping to add to their three gold medals at the Olympics hockey men’s tournament.