Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: Japan breaks Indian hearts and Olympic dreams, books ticket to Paris 2024

Jude Menezes, an optimist at the worst of times and poker-faced at the best, allowed a rare display of emotion the minute the hooter went at the end of the match, kneeling down to say a silent prayer of thanks to the powers above.

As a lacklustre, erratic Indian women’s team’s Olympic hopes ended with a 0-1 loss to Japan in the 3rd place play-off at the Olympic Qualifiers here on Friday, the India-born coach of Japan, a teammate of Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey during his playing days, knew how much Friday’s win meant for his side.

Japan had lost the last five games between the two sides but it won the one that mattered the most. With three spots on offer from the tournament, India had to finish on the podium to ensure it would travel to Paris later this year.

But after giving everything on the field in the semifinal against Germany, it was a very different India that turned up against Japan. Two months back in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy, India had won with ease. But when the stakes were raised, India faltered.

IND vs JAP: Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Highlights

There was little India did right on the field on the day. Even as coach Janneke Schopman swung between stone-cold stoicism and disappointment on the sidelines, the Indian team swung between trying to attack and desperately defend.

If the first half was all about Japan taking control of the game and dominating the Indian defence, the second was about India trying to shift gears and press hard.

Japan earned its third penalty corner in the 6th minute of the game and Kana Urata made no mistake in putting it ahead. In reply, India had seven PCs in the second half but none of them had either the power to blast through the Japanese defence or the variation and guile to outsmart them.

Menezes admitted after the game that the plan for his girls was to get the first goal and then sit back, absorbing the pressure, and they did it with precision.

India appeared flustered and willing to give up early on, making the most basic of errors in trapping and passing and not even attempting the half chances. Even when they took charge post-break, it was more an attempt to throw everything at the opposition defence inside the circle, hoping something would stick, rather than any planned attacks. The left flank was left unutilised and individual skills were non-existent.

Janneke admitted the loss hurt. “I think we didn’t start well defensively, sometimes that can happen. What I saw was a team that fought back and dominated in the latter part, they were fighting and trying but couldn’t get the goal.

It’s going to hurt for a long time because when the Olympics are on TV, we will want to be there and, to be honest, we have the quality to be there. That is on me, we should have been and that hurts,” she shrugged.