William Calnan of Britain in action with Amit Rohidas of India.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Paris: India will be without the services of ace defender and first rusher Amit Rohidas for the crunch Paris Olympics semifinal clash against Germany on Tuesday after the FIH handed him a one-match suspension for the reckless high-stick challenge against Great Britain’s Will Calnan.
During a midfield tussle with Calnan early on in the second quarter, Rohidas lifted his stick dangerously, and seemingly deliberately, that caught Britain's face.
After a brief review, video umpire Benjamin Roentgen handed out a straight red card to Rohidas and although India lodged a complaint with FIH after the match, the world body said the technical delegate too felt the defender deserved a severe reprimand.
“Amit Rohidas was suspended for one match for a breach of the FIH Code of Conduct which occurred during the India vs Great Britain match on August 4," a FIH statement read. “The suspension affects match No. 35 (India's semifinal match against Germany), where Amit Rohidas will not participate and India will play with a squad of 15 players only.”
Unlike football where a straight red card results in two or three-match bans depending on the severity of the offence, hockey depends on the umpire’s report to the technical delegate who then hands out the verdict. A red card for a second yellow in football usually means one-match suspension.
The only solace for Rohidas is he will be available for India’s gold/bronze medal game depending on their result against Germany.