FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: Janneke Schopman, the chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team, said on Friday that inconsistent umpiring, more than her girls' performance, left her frustrated during the 0-1 defeat to Japan in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers here that denied India a berth in the Paris Olympic Games later this year.
Schopman said she was frustrated by the officiating as the umpires gave Japan penalty corners for fouls outside the circle and allowed the goal off penalty corner despite being scored from outside the circle.
"I also thought the umpires were a little bit, you know, giving mixed signals. We were pushed off the ball. They get penalty corners outside the circle, the penalty corner they scored was from outside the circle. The same stuff happens in the third quarter and we don't get a penalty corner," said Schopman after India lost 1-0 to Japan in the third-place match in the Hockey Olympic Qualifiers on Friday.
