ERROL D’CRUZ

The Indian camp must have heaved a collective sigh of relief after China deprived Malaysia of a semi-final spot in the 2022 Asian Games hockey in Hangzhou with a draw on Monday.

It may have been half a decade ago, but the defeat via the shootout must still rankle India who lost the semi-final in a shootout to the Speedy Tigers in Jakarta-Pelembang and with it the chance to qualify directly for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

For those whose memories go further, the Malaysians were India’s nemesis at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, again in the semi-finals and for players of the last generation, defeat, again in a semi-final to Malaysia, this time at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur must all construe to have made the Malaysians India’s hoodoo team.

The task in Wednesday’s semi-final now is to get past South Korea who have the second-highest collection of Asian Games titles – four – after Pakistan, consigned to also-rans, with eight. The semi-final is set for Wednesday.

Three-time champions India have run up 58 goals in the six-team pool while conceding just five and sustaining a 100 per cent record. They have ridden on captain Harmanpreet Singh’s rich vein of form with two hat-tricks in his tally of 11. Nine of those goals have come from drag flicks with two from penalty strokes.

India began with a 16-0 win over Uzbekistan followed by 16-1 against Singapore. They then took on Japan, the defending champions, in what was their first stern test of the campaign. The Men in Blue dominated three-quarters of the match by running up four goals without reply but were given a reality check by the plucky Japanese in the closing minutes before holding on for a 4-2 win.

Pakistan who have fallen on lean times were underdogs but a 10-2 win for India defied expectation from even the most ardent fan and was incongruous to the legacy of hockey’s most famous rivalry.

Bangladesh, in the last pool match, proved to be lambs to the slaughter in a 12-0 rout as the Indian juggernaut moved inexorably to the top of the pool.

South Korea, in the midst of a resurgence, lost their way in their pool when they frittered away a 2-0 lead with just minutes to go against hosts China who pulled off a sensational 3-2 victory.

However, Korea, with backs to the wall turned things around in the next match against Malaysia, the 2018 silver medallists. The Koreans’ 4-3 win reignited their campaign and, with a runaway 16-2 win over Oman in the last round of matches, virtually sealed a semi-final spot.

Malaysia needing a win over China, nothing less, were held 4-4 by the hosts in a rousing encounter. The result ensured the overnight leaders stayed at the top of Pool B to set up a semi-final clash with Japan as the Malaysian players sank to their feet in agony.

India have held sway over South Korea in recent times – the last meeting, at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, ended in a 3-2 win for the former who went on to beat Malaysia 4-3 in the final.

South Korea, an epitome of speed, agility and awesome fitness marked by sharp skills, are ominous opponents but have a chink or two in their armour, mainly emanating from an ageing squad.

Protagonist Jang Jong-Hyun, the 39-year-old drag-flicking hero leading the scoring charts with 17 goals, has 326 caps and continues to hold the team together. The other veterans include captain Lee Nam Yong, also 39 with 304 international matches behind him, Lee Seung-Hoon, 38 (175) and Kim Jae-Hyeon (191).

South Korea, however, have been erratic in recent years and the failure deprived them of a place in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics as well as the 2018 World Cup. Shin Seok Kyo is a shrewd and passionate coach but it all depends on whether his charges bring along their A Game. Should the World No. 12 side do so, India would be stretched to the hilt.

World No. 3 India have steamrollered opponents, save Japan, in the pool. They have scored in free-wheeling fashion with goals shared by 14 players – Mandeep Singh and Varun Kumar being prominent besides Harmanpreet.

Craig Fulton, the South African who took over from Graham Reid of Australia, is a coach from the top drawer. But he knows what the pressure of expectation can do. The Indians have fumbled in the business end of tournaments in recent times. A loss to New Zealand in the pre-quarterfinals of the World Cup at home via the shootout upset all calculations. At Jakarta, the team had done even better in the pool with a 76-3 record, only to succumb to Malaysia, again via the shootout in the semi-finals. Then, last year in the Commonwealth final, Australia took India apart with a 7-0 win.

In Chennai a month ago, India survived anxious moments in the last quarter as South Korea attempted to take the semi-final into the tie-breaker. If it comes to the crunch, few would bet against Jang Jong-Hyun and his men.

The 2024 Paris Olympics beckons. So does a direct spot to the French capital that the gold here would bring. Failure to clinch the top prize in Hangzhou would mean a nerve-wracking Olympic qualifying tournament where the likes of Olympic champions Belgium, World Cup winners Germany, Great Britain, Spain and New Zealand lurk among other teams keen on clinching a coveted spot in the Games.

Japan who finished second to India in Pool A won the gold after a pulsating final against Malaysia was settled in a shootout at the last Asian Games. They did so without the anxiety of qualifying for the Olympics, thanks to the hosting rights they enjoyed. They play hosts China, Pool B winners, in the second semi-final. The Chinese have galvanized themselves into a unit to be feared after re-entering the international arena at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai last month.

China struggled to find their feet and finished at the bottom of the six-team competition but it’s clear the hosts have imbibed lessons during their Chennai sojourn.

China head coach Weng Haiquin seems to have done a remarkable job in using his resources optimally. The Chinese have been playing a calculated game, defending stoutly and counter-attacking with aplomb with Gao Jieshing who has scored eight times from drag flicks being their trump card.

After a sensational win over South Korea when they pulled it out of the fire, China matched Malaysia toe-to-toe and saw out the final quarter and a dying-second penalty corner to seal a semi-final spot and spark celebrations in the stands.

However, China, who won a silver medal at Doha 2006 and who first suggested they have the potential to join higher echelons with a third-place finish at the first-ever Asia Cup in 1982, know the task they face.

Japan have been precise and sprightly in their campaign. They have the winning experience of the last Asian Games where resilience was the keynote of their gold medal victory. In Seren Tanaka, the 151-match stalwart, they have the engine room of the side and Kenta Tanaka, hero of the final in 2018, has recovered from a facial injury sustained against India.

A 3-2 victory over Pakistan in the concluding pool match sealed Japan’s place in the last four and head coach Akira Takahashi will pit wits against Haiquin who has worked wonders with his Chinese team. In its own right, this will be a battle royale. The ambience at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park promises to be electric, in the wake of a new-found legion of fans for China’s men, long living in the shadow of their vaunted women’s team.