FIH Media Guide gets some vital facts wrong

On the eve of New Zealand – India contest in London Olympics, the oversight of committed in the official FIH Media Guide with respect to Olympic result of these two traditional powers, cannot be over-looked.

Thankful to India, perhaps carried over by its past image, the guide shows India having won when NZ when it met India in the 1968 Olympics.

What a blunder!

Anyone who knows Indian hockey knows the Oceania teams, New Zealand and Australia, handed out crucial defeat to India at Mexico.

What more, New Zealand defeated the defending champions India in the opening match 1-2, creating in its wake a sensation. It was only second defeat for India in the annals of its Olympics, thus the Kiwis had became the only the second country after Pakistan to defeat India. Pakistan won India in the 1960 final.

This is how an official NZ publication (‘Season of Honour) describes the historic match: …the tournaments could not have started better for New Zealand which opened with a 2-1 victory over India. Following a period of converted pressure, in which Judge and McIintyre were prominent, New Zealand scored through Keith Thomson after 30 minutes and added a second goal immediately before half time when Selwyn Maister converted a penalty stroke. India pulled a goal back in the second half but NZ held on to win 2-1, the first time it had ever defeated India at the Olympics Games.

In fact, its Prithipal Singh who struck for India through a late penalty corner. The Sandeep Singh of yore was surprised when his attempt to strike the ball during the PC sequences were stopped by umpire whistle for under-cutting.

Once you get a match result wrong, the entire sequence of allied statistics go wrong, and so in this with respect to India, though it must be mentioned the over all India’s performance shown on page No. 62 stand somehow stand correct.

Again, the Guide, which otherwise gives a whole gamut of information, and is very helpful to media, makes some mistakes in assorted stats section too.

In the ‘Most lopsided Games at the Olympics’ (Page No. 64), again Indian stat is wrong. India’s defeat of Tanzania (18-0) did not find a place, instead it brags of 13-0 of India Vs Cuba.

Similarly, in the early pages too, ‘Most Goals scored in one Olympic Game’ (Page 63), Tanzania gets magnanimity, ignoring its India match, instead 11-2 by Russia Vs Cuba etc are shown.

This site however is not aware any corrigendum is issued in the MPC. Hope it is done.

India and New Zealand at Olympics

1960 defeat New Zealand 3-0
1968 Lost to New Zealand 1-2
1972 defeat New Zealand 1-2
1984 defeat New Zealand 1-0
1992 Defeat New Zealand 3-2