India lose 1-2 in second match vs Netherlands

The Indian men’s hockey team’s FIH Pro League title hopes went up in smoke after suffering a hardfought 1-2 defeat against the Netherlands in the second match of the two-leg tie here on Sunday.

India had lost 1-4 to the Dutch in the shoot-out on Saturday after both the sides finished 2-2 at the end of the regulation 60 minutes. The Indians needed an outright win over the Netherlands to have an outside chance of clinching the tile, but it was not to be.

The Netherlands won the FIH Pro League in the men’s section with 35 points from 14 games, with two games still in hand. Olympic champions Belgium finished second with 35 points from 16 games, while India occupied the third spot with 30 points from 16 matches.