By IANS
Santiago : Two goals within the first 10 minutes ended the Olympic dream for India as they lost 0-2 to Britain in the final of the Olympic hockey qualifiers here. It means India will, for the first time in 80 years, not figure in the Olympic Games.
Bary Middleton (fourth minute) and Richard Mantell (10th) scored the two goals Sunday night. As India got desperate in the late stages of the game, they made mistakes and were twice reduced to 10 men. They also wasted a series of penalty corners and in the end lost the final, which added another sordid chapter in India’s falling fortunes in hockey.
India won eight gold medals between 1928 and 1980 but have since then not won any medals.
Britain will take the lone place Olympic berth available from the Santiago qualifiers.
In the other matches, Russia beat Austria 6-3 to finish third and Chile beat Mexico 9-3 to finish fifth.