100th Anniversary SHF Tournament: India Finish Third After 2-1 Win Over Netherlands

The Indian men's national hockey team defeated the Netherlands by 2-1 on Sunday to earn a third-place finish in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament. For India, skipper Harmanpreet Singh (15') converted a penalty corner while Dilpreet Singh (50') netted the winning goal. Thierry Brinkman (25') equalised for the Dutch but could not guide his side to a win, as per Olympics.com. India, currently the fourth-ranked team in men's hockey, entered the playoff match for the third position after it finished last with two points in three group-stage games.

Harmanpreet Singh's team lost 2-1 to Spain in their first match before drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands. The final league match saw them draw with England, denying them a berth in the final.

Early on, the Indian men's hockey team demonstrated their aggressive attitude by pressuring the Netherlands high up the pitch.

Meanwhile, the Dutch squad turned to counterattacks, firing long balls into the Indian half. In quest of an early goal, the Indian squad made quick runs to put pressure on the Dutch defensive. A penalty corner gave the Men in Blue the lead in the final minutes of the first quarter.

Captain Harmanpreet beat Dutch goalkeeper Maurits Visser to make it 1-0 for India. At the end of the first quarter, India was leading by 1-0.

The Netherlands increased their attacking intent in the second quarter in pursuit of an equaliser. India struggled to adjust to the tempo of the Dutch attack, but the defence made some last-ditch stops to prevent the Dutch from scoring.

However, the Dutch equalised five minutes before halftime with a penalty corner. Thierry Brinkman drag-flicked the ball into the Indian goal, allowing the Dutch to go into half-time