Netherlands beat India, lift Punjab Gold Cup

Chandigarh: India lost to European Champions the Netherlands in the final of the Punjab Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium in Chandigarh on Monday.

The Indian team went down 1-2 to the Netherlands with Captain Sandeep Singh scoring the lone goal for the home team.

As the teams lined up in front of a capacity crowd in Chandigarh, there was a sense of anticipation. The young Indian team had played spirited hockey so far and were being keenly watched from the stands.

India started brightly, missing a penalty corner in the fifth minute with the Netherlands goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann defending brilliantly.

The Indian goalkeeper Baljit Singh, too, was kept busy by the Netherlands forward line.

After a goalless first half, India took the lead in the 43rd minute when Korean umpire Kim Hong Lee awarded the hosts a penalty stroke after striker Shivender Singh was unfairly tackled inside the striking circle by Dutch forward Wouter Jolie.

Sandeep coolly converted the penalty stroke give the home team the lead.

But the Dutch struck back immediately, equalling the score within three minutes when Robbert Kemperman's deflection beat India goalkeeper Baljit Singh.

The game heated up after that with both teams making a string of attacks but with just under a minute to go for the final whistle, the Netherlands delivered the knockout punch Hertzberger was the scorer again as India failed to break the jinx of not having beaten the

Netherlands in the last 13 years.

Hertzberger finished as tournament top-scorer and was also adjudged player of the tournament.

Last time India defeated them was during the Olympic qualifiers in 1996.

"It was a good tournament and it has helped Indian hockey. The tournament is a success. Our team is like a family. The result is because of hard work and we will work harder to take Indian hockey to mos1 where it was," said Sandeep after the narrow loss.

India's young team had been beaten but not disgraced, as the final celebrations to wind down the tournament got underway and the Dutch celebrated, maybe new hope had taken shape for Indian hockey.