India once again paid the price of some sloppy defending and conceded a late goal to lose 2-3 to lower-ranked Malaysia and crash out of the title race of the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh.
Already assured of a place in the Rio Olympics, Asian Games champions India will start their preparations for the mega-event with the 24th Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament where they would face Korea in their opening match in Ipoh on Sunday.
It was a complete performance by the Indians who dominated their arch-rivals throughout the match to post a facile win and zoom to the top of Pool B ahead of The Netherlands.
The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in Sunday's summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals -- three field strikes and one through penalty corner.
Unbeaten India looked the most convincing team in the tournament so far but the dangerous and defensive Koreans came tantalisingly close to register a stunning win over the Manpreet Singh-led side.
Here are the latest updates in the Indrani case after she was rushed to hospital after an alleged over dose in prison
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
No headway was made on Thursday in resolving sticky issues for OROP implementation during talks between agitating ex-servicemen and government even as two more veterans on indefinite hunger strike were shifted to the army hospital following doctor's advice.
Skipper Sardara Singh has been rested for third Asian Champions Trophy. In his absence, Hockey India said, midfielder Manpreet Singh will lead India's 18-member squad for the tournament in Kakamigahara, Japan, from November 2-10.
The relay hunger strike by retired soldiers demanding implementation of One Rank One Pension scheme enters Day 10.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Four key players, including ace drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh and midfielder S K Uthappa, were dropped from India's 18-man squad for the Hockey World League semi-final, in Antwerp, Belgium, from June 20 to July 5. Besides Rupinder and Uthappa, forwards Mandeep Singh and Satbir Singh got the axe.
'There were tears in my eyes when I parted with my medals. I thought was it for this moment did I become a soldier?' In 2008, Captain H Balakrishnan (retd) of the Indian Navy returned all his medals to the President of India to protest the government's failure to implement the One Rank One Pension scheme.
Underlining that 'maximum' demands of the veterans have been fulfilled, he said the judicial commission that will be set up will look into the 'problems'.
The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide by consuming poison at a park in New Delhi area on Tuesday evening.
India were outclassed 0-4 by hosts Belgium in a lop-sided last-four clash, with Florent Van Aubel's fine hat-trick playing a pivotal role in the side's passage to the final of the FIH Hockey World League semi-finals in Antwerp.
A group of ex-servicemen on Monday announced that they will boycott all official functions, including ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations of the victory in 1965 war, in protest against delay over implementation of "One Rank One Pension" by the government.
Delhi Waveriders' winless streak continued as they lost 2-3 to defending champions Jaypee Punjab Warriors to slump to their third defeat in the fifth edition of the Hockey India League, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Another veteran Havildar Saheb Singh (retired) took his place and began the fast-unto-death.
Indian men's hockey team fired in a goal two minutes from the final hooter through Ramandeep Singh to pull off a 3-2 win over France and begin their FIH World League semi-finals campaign on a winning note in Antwerp.
Defence Minister Parrikar was in favour of granting OROP to ex-servicemen but pressure was exerted on him by his cabinet colleagues on the issue, Ram Jethmalani claimed.
Hundreds of army veterans held a 'Sainik Ekta' rally to press for "honest and truthful justice" as they rejected the One Rank One Pension scheme announced by the government even as some ex-servicemen groups dissociated themselves from the demonstration.
Agitating ex-servicemen on Monday continued with their relay hunger strike over the 'One Rank One Pension' issue at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi as they prepared for a mega rally this weekend to press for removal of "anomalies" in the OROP announced by the government.
The government is considering appointing a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension, Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who has been leading the 'One Rank One Pension' protest in Jantar Mantar for the last 80 days, said after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The Indian National Lok Dal had split following differences between Ajay Singh Chautala and his younger brother Abhay Chautala.
'Think about this: A widow of a jawan is drawing only Rs 3,500. If OROP is implemented, she will get additional Rs 1,500. These poor girls are young and have no source of income; they are trying their best to just make ends meet. It is the pain of these situations that has driven me to this.' 'We don't want to put pressure on the government -- that's not our intention. We have full faith in our prime minister. We are asking for a meeting with him, and when we get that, we are sure he will not only give us what we are asking for, but 10 per cent extra.' Major General Satbir Singh, who headed the OROP agitation at Jantar Mantar, speaks out.
Police on Tuesday began probe into the complaint against the family of Dadri lynch victim
'We all expected Modi with the majority to tame the bureaucracy, but it is the bureaucracy that tamed him.'
A dominant India triumphed in the third Sultan of Johor Cup with a thumping 3-0 victory over hosts Malaysia in the title clash of the Under-21 hockey tournament Johor Baharu.
India trounced Korea 6-1 in their penultimate round-robin match to virtually seal a place in the final of the Sultan of Johor Cup Under-21 hockey tournament, at the Taman Daya Hockey stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on Thursday.
'It seems to us that bureaucracy is again at its best machination to delay, dilute and finally destroy our most legitimate, already sanctioned scheme of OROP.' The letter the Veterans sent the prime minister.
"The next 48 hours will be critical for her," J J Hospital Dean Dr T P Lahane told reporters on Saturday when asked if she is out of danger.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Friday said the government will soon implement 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme even as agitating ex-servicemen threatened to intensify their protest if any unilateral announcement is made which does not meet their long-standing demand.
A Delhi court on Friday convicted 17 Uttarakhand Police personnel, seven of them for murder and others for various offences including criminal conspiracy and kidnapping in a fake encounter case in which an MBA student was shot dead in Uttarakhand in 2009.
India's defence crumbled in the bronze medal playoff as they crashed to a 1-5 defeat against Great Britain for a fourth-place finish at the World League Semifinals in Antwerp.
Jasjit Singh sent two rasping penalty corner drag flicks into the net as India edged past hosts Malaysia 3-2 to move to the semifinals of the Hockey World League semi-finals in Antwerp.
With all hopes of making it to the final erased, a misfiring India had to toil to get the better of lowly Canada 5-3 and register their first victory in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Thursday.
Activation of this advanced landing ground would not only improve the response time for various operational situations but also the efficacy of the air operations in the eastern frontier.
Uttar Pradesh Wizards and Jaypee Punjab Warriors finished 2-2 to register the first draw of the second edition of Hero Hockey India League (HHIL) at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow.
Welcoming the government's decision to implement One Rank One Pension, agitating ex-servicemen on Sunday announced withdrawal of their hunger strike, but decided to continue their protest till all the "sticky" issues are resolved.