New Delhi [India], August 4 : Hockey India (HI) raised concerns over the quality of umpiring and decision-making in the men's hockey event in the ongoing Paris Olympics.
HI released an official statement to state that their complaint focuses on the inconsistencies in officiating during India's quarter-final match against Great Britain.
"This is to inform you that Hockey India has officially raised concerns about the quality of umpiring and decision-making in the ongoing Paris Olympic Games 2024 (Men's tournament). The complaint focuses on a critical match between India and Great Britain, where several inconsistencies in officiating potentially influenced the game's outcome," HI said in a statement.
India faced a setback when Amit Rohidas was shown a red card in the second quarter for lifting his stick to the face of Will Calnan, forcing India to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
One of the key issues that have been highlighted included, inconsistent video umpire reviews, particularly regarding the red card decision for Amit, which has eroded trust in the video review system.
Despite going down to 10 men, India showed resilience with goalkeeper PR Sreejesh emerging as the wall in front of the goalpost that Great Britain had no answers to.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner to send his team into the lead. Great Britain equalised through Lee Morton to level the scoreline. The match ended at 1-1 forcing the game into penalty shootouts.
HI raised an issue of coaching a goalkeeper from behind the goalpost during the shoot-out and the use of a video tablet by a goalkeeper during the shoot-out.
According to HI, "These incidents have undermined confidence in the officiating process among players, coaches, and fans. Hockey India calls for a thorough review of these matters to uphold the integrity of the sport and ensure fair play in future matches."
India managed to win the shoot-out by 4-2 and seal their place in the semi-finals.
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