India crashed to their fourth successive defeat in the Olympic hockey competition today as they suffered a humiliating 1-4 reversal against South Korea.
India are the only team among 12 competing in these Olympic Games without a single point from five matches.
The eight-time gold medallists are now heading for their lowest-ever finish in the Olympics as they will finish at the bottom of the group and will have to play for the 11th and 12th positions.
India’s defence showed some resolve to hold on grimly against the fast-paced Koreans, but it crumbled thrice on well-directed penalty corner shots.
South Korea’s gameplan to exert pressure on India with fast overlapping game produced rewards as the tentative Indian defence again conceded some soft penalty corners.
Indian seemed a more coordinated unit that the previous three matches, but the their goal fell two times in the last four minutes.
The sustained pressure built by the Koreans midway through the first session was an indication of things to follow as India seemed desperate and fell back to defend their citadel, but they had no mechanism to stop Nam Hyun Woo from converting two penalty corners in the 59th and 70th minutes to shatter the Indian hopes of salvaging some pride.
South Korea took an early lead Jang Jong Hyun converted a sixth minute penalty corner by placing a rasping drag-flick just under the crossbar.
India got the equaliser in the 10th minute on a breakaway move in which Gurwinder Singh Chandi deflected in Gurbaz Singh’s cross from right into the boards.
Tushar Khandkar had an opening to put India ahead four minutes later, when he picked up a diagonal ball from Dharamvir Singh inside the striking circle, but shot straight into the goalkeeper’s pads
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