India Faces Defeat For The First Time In Champions Hockey

The six-nation Championship Trophy hockey tournament held in Breda, the Netherlands. The Indians fought valiantly till the end, but they were encountered by the champions Australia. Australia performed their best in the tournament and became the reigning World Champions.

They scored through Lachlan Sharp (6^th minute), Tom Craig (15^th) and Trent Mitton (33^rd) to score full points. The Indians also performed very well by scoring through Varun Kumar (10^th) and Harmanpreet Singh (58^th), before the finish. India is going to play its next match against Belgium. With thesix points, Netherlands stood at the second position. Australia manages to have seven penalty corners. On the other hand, just one piece of is nine set pieces were used by India. India got two penalty-corners, but both the time Birendra Lakra failed to stop Sardar Singh’s push. Harmanpreet faltered in both the penalty corners that were secured by India after the second quarter. India pressurised Australian defence and, in the process, secured three plenty corners in succession, the end of which was converted by Harmanpreet just two minutes from the hooter. The Indians got another opportunity to get the parity, just after few seconds from the hooter in the form of penalty corner but the Australians were successful in defending Harmanpreet and won the championship.

By: Divya Thakur

Content: www.rediff.com/sports/report/india-lose-to-australia-suffer-first-defeat-in-champions-hockey/20180627.htm