India women begin hockey series against NZ with crushing loss

India were outplayed 1-4 by New Zealand in their opening game of a five-match women’s hockey series which began here at the Rosa Birch Park on Sunday.

New Zealand found their first breakthrough in the 13th minute when Jordan Grant converted a field goal to end the first quarter with a 1-0 lead. Olivia Merry scored a 23rd minute goal to put further pressure on India. Anupa Barla (31’) converted a field goal only 40 seconds into the third quarter to narrow the goal difference to 1-2.

Mohun Bagan defeated East Bengal 2-0 in a Kolkata derby to enter the summit clash of the Hero Federation Cup football tournament at the Barabati Stadium. Darryl Duffy’s 35th-minute header and Balwant Singh’s 84thminute strike proved to be the difference between the two sides as the defending champions progressed to the final, where Bengaluru FC wait for them.

Bengaluru FC advanced to the final after clinching a 1-0 victory over I-League champions Aizawl FC. Cameron Watson’s eighthminute penalty strike led Bengaluru to the final.

Star striker Sunil Chhetri is in doubt for India’s Asian Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan as well as the international friendly against Lebanon next month, according to his I-League club Bengaluru FC’s chief executive officer.

In a letter sent to All India Football Federation complaining about the cramped scheduling of the Federation Cup in Cuttack, Bengaluru FC CEO Parth Jindal has blamed the fixture for Chhetri’s injury. “In making the semifinals of the tournament, Bengaluru FC will be playing their fourth game in six days — a schedule that is detrimental to players’ health. The cramped and unheard of fixture has claimed its first victim in club and national team captain Sunil Chhetri who is certain to miss the rest of the season for us .”