Amit Rohidas handed one-match ban, to miss semi-final clash against Germany in Paris Olympics 2024

Published at :August 5, 2024 at 4:05 AM

Modified at :August 5, 2024 at 4:05 AM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

The defender was awarded a red card in India’s quarter-final victory against Great Britain.

Ace Indian defender Amit Rohidas is set to miss the Paris Olympics 2024 semi-final clash against Germany. The tournament director announced that he had to serve a one match ban, as a result of an offence committed during the quarterfinals against Great Britain on Sunday (August 4).

Earlier, India pulled off one of the greatest defensive performances of the decade, as they defeated World Number #2 Great Britain in the quarterfinals.

Also Read: India vs Great Britain Highlights

The Men in Blue had to play with 10 men for nearly three quarters, after Rohidas was given marching orders two minutes into the second quarter. The controversy, however, spurred India as they scored soon, with skipper Harmanpreet Singh converting a penalty corner.

Britain responded within five minutes, with Lee Morton scoring a field goal. At this point, it appeared that a tap had been opened. Except, that wasn’t the case.

Britain is a team which knows how to score in important moments. They scored late goals against the likes of Netherlands and Germany. But they just couldn’t get past the Indian wall.

Midfielder Manpreet Singh played as a centre-back. For support, he had Harmanpreet, Sumit and Jarmanpreet. The attackers too played their part in defense. Goalkeeper Sreejesh was a monster as usual. Britain had the lion’s share of position, but they just weren’t able to break through. There were a whopping ten penalty corners in the entire match, but none of them went in.

As the final hooter blew, the Indians realized that they had not only secured a draw, but also won a huge psychological battle. They were clinical in the penalty shootout, as they won it 4-2.

The controversial red card

Getting back to the foul, why was Amit Rohidas awarded a red card? In the 17th minute of the match, he had made a run down the middle, and in his desperation to retain possession, hit the face of William Calnan. The video umpire deemed the foul was intentional and advised the on-field umpire to award a red card.

The rules in hockey are designed such that red cards are as few in number as possible. Hence, there was a huge debate regarding whether it was the correct decision. The sporting fraternity were divided in their opinion on whether the foul was serious enough to be considered a red card offence or if a 10-minute suspension (yellow card) would have sufficed.

Unlike in football where an automatic one-match suspension is handed, the future punishment after a red card in hockey is decided after a review.

The tournament director announced that Rohidas would have to serve a suspension in the next match, which is the semi-final against Germany. While 11 players would be allowed on the field, only 15 from the 16-member squad would be allowed to participate, effectively meaning that India will not be able to slot in a player from the reserves.

Hockey India has appealed against the verdict, and the decision will now be made by the appeal jury.

Also Read: Hockey India issues statement about Amit Rohidas’ red card, umpiring in Great Britain match at Paris Olympics

Hockey India had earlier raised concerns about the quality of the umpiring. In a statement issued by them, the Indian governing body highlighted issues including inconsistent video umpire reviews, coaching of the goalkeeper behind the goalpost during the shoot-out and use of a video tablet by the goalkeeper during the shootout.

They further said that these incidents have undermined confidence in the officiating process among players, coaches and fans. They urged for a thorough review of these matters to uphold the integrity of the sport and ensure fair play in future matches.

If Rohidas indeed isn’t able to play the semi-final, it would be a huge blow for India. While his role as a defender during open play cannot be undermined, his key role as the first rusher during penalty corners will be missed badly. He is irreplaceable in that role and could make the team vulnerable during penalty corners.

Taking no credit away from India’s performance, Great Britain’s drag-flickers (with Nicholas Bandurak having been left out of the squad) lacked the necessary quality. That will not be the case against Germany, as they have one of the best drag-flickers in the world, in the form of Gonzalo Peillat. This means that India will need to take extra care to not concede too many penalty corners.

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Amit Rohidas handed one-match ban, to miss semi-final clash against Germany in Paris Olympics 2024

The defender was awarded a red card in India’s quarter-final victory against Great Britain.

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