Kalinga Lancers finish last in Hockey India League

Odhisa-based Kalinga Lancers’ debut in the second edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) ended on a disappointing note as they finished at the bottom of the table with a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Dabur Mumbai Magicians in their 10th and last match at Mumbai on February 16.

This was the seventh defeat for the Lancers, who won two and drew one to finish with 17 points. Lancers scored a total of 23 goals and conceded as many as 34. Argantine drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat was their highest scorer with eight goals. Sardar Singh-led, Delhi Waveriders emerged the champions beating, Jaypee Punjab Warriors 6-4 in the exciting final, via penalty shoot-out at the Astroturf Hocket Stadium in Ranchi today.

In terms of overall performance, Kalinga Lancers with Olympian-turned-Rajya Sabha MP Dilip Tirkey as their chief adviser, Aussie Olympian Terry Walsh as head coach and state star Prabodh Tirkey and Aussie Kiel Brown as co-captains, failed to live up to expectations and hype as they could not reach the semifinals.

Lancers started their campaign on a disappointing note by going down to Jaypee Punjab Warriors 3-7 here at Kalinga Stadium. A 5-0 drubbing in the next match against Delhi Waveriders came as a double blow. Though they posted a narrow 2-1 win over Dabur Mumbai Indians in the third match here, four more defeats thereafter ruined their chances of reaching the semifinals. Even a 4-1 win over defending champions Ranchi Rhinos could not help their cause.

Insufficient time for preparation, lack of coordination among players and a weak defence were the major reasons for the disappointing performance of the team. But at the end of the campaign, the general belief is that the team can do better in the next edition.

However, the participation of Kalinga Lancers in HIL and the staging of five matches here at the newly constructed astro-turf hockey complex in Kalinga Stadium worked as catalyst for the popularization of hockey, which was hitherto restricted mostly to Sundargarh district, all over the state, especially in the state capital.

The new stadium with a 7,000 seating capacity was found packed in all five matches. It is a different matter that most of the spectators were pass-holders and were given free refreshment by franchise owners IDCO and MCL. Four players from the state got the opportunity to Lancers in the tournament. The other three were Manjit Kullu, Dipsan Tirkey and David Minz.

Thanks to the HIL matches, people of the state were able to watch top-class hockey and broaden their knowledge about the sport. Live telecast of the matches by StarSports also helped the state and its capital city get world-wide exposure. Bhubaneswar emerged a new hub for hockey, capable of hosting international matches.

But mysteries surrounding the people, who handled the off-the-field affairs of the franchisee and lack of transparency in the financial management of Odisha Sports Promotion and Development Company (OSPDC) drew criticism. Though OSPDC was jointly formed by Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Company (IDCO) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), it is the former, which dictated the terms.

In Novermber last year, IDCO published an advertisement for engagement of five professionals, including a CEO and three managers for OSPDC. But it remained mystery as to who got these jobs. According to inside sources, Vishal Kumar Dev, the CMD of IDCO and Saswat Mishra, Secretary, Sports Department, were taking all the decisions. But none from the management team was willing to provide information. Though OSPDA Director Rina Mohapatra was in-charge of the media affair, she always avoided queries or shifted responsibility.
RESULTS:
January 25 (Match No 1 at Mohali): Delhi Waveriders (Jason Wilson 47th, 68th; Talwinder Singh 29th) beat Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Affan Yousuf 33rd) 3-1.
January 26 (Match No 2 at Ranchi): Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Nikkin Thimmaiah 10th, VR Raghunath 51st, Pradeep Mor 63rd) beat Ranchi Rhinos (Mandeep Singh 4th, Justin Reid Ross 46th) 3-2.
January 26 (Match No 3 at Mohali): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Agustin Mazzilli 7th, Malak Singh 30th, Sandeep Singh 40th, Christopher Ciriello 47th, Dharamvir Singh 67th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Mark Gleghorne 15th, Ravipal Singh 17th, Vinaya Vakkaliga 39th) 5-3.
January 27 (Match No 4 at Ranchi): Ranchi Rhinos (Ashley Jackson 63rd) beat Delhi Waveriders 1-0.
January 28 (Match No 5 at Bhubaneswar): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Sandeep Singh 29th, 40th; Dharamvir Singh 6th, Lucas Rey 23rd, Affan Yousuf 31st, Simon Orchard 33rd, Jamie Dwayer 51st) beat Kalinga Lancers (Gonzalo Peillat 38th, 43rd; Mandeep Antil 60th) 7-3.
January 29 (Match No 6 at Mumbai): Uttar Pradesh Wizards (VR Raghunath 28th, 41st, 56th, Siddharth Shanker 52nd, SK Uthappa 59th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Gurjinder Singh 12th, Glenn Turner 18th, Sarvanjit  Singh 57th) 5-3.
January 30 (Match No 7 at Delhi): Delhi Waveriders (Rupinderpal Singh 13th, 29th; Matt Gohdes 21st, Danish Mujtaba 48th, Lloyd Norris Jones 53rd) beat Kalinga Lancers 5-0.
January 31 (Match No 8 at Delhi): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Sandeep Singh 8th, Satbir Singh 64th, Shivendra Singh 66th) beat Delhi Waveriders (Rupinderpal Singh 65th) 3-1.
February 1 (Match No 9 at Lucknow): Ranchi Rhinos (Ashley Jackson 18th, Barry Middleton 26th) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Edward Ockenden 50th) 2-1.
February 1 (Match No 10 at Bhubaneswar): Kalinga Lancers (Lucas Villa 8th, Aran Zalewski 27th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Glenn Turner 39th) 2-1.
February 2 (Match No 11 at Lucknow): Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Teun de Nooijer 12th, S K Uthappa 54th) drew with Jaypee Punjab Warriors (WHETTON Jake Whetton 6th, Satbir Singh 50th) 2-2.
February 2 (Match No 12 at Bhubaneswar): Delhi Waveriders (Rupinder Pal Singh 4th, Simon Child 28th, 40th; Arjun Halappa 58th) beat Kalinga Lancers (Lucas Vila 21st, Gonzalo Peillat 46th, 57th) 4-3.
February 4 (Match No 13 at Ranchi): Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Justin Reid Ross 58th) drew with Ranchi Rhinos (Trent Mitton 58th) 1-1.
February 5 (Match No 14 at Delhi): Delhi Waveriders (Yuvraj Walmiki 23rd) drew with Uttar Pradesh Wizards (S K Uthappa 62nd) 1-1.
February 6 (Match No 15 at Delhi): Delhi Waveriders (Akashdeep Singh 20th, Yuvraj Walmiki 66th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Glen Turner 49th) 2-1.
February 7 (Match No 16 at Ranchi): Ranchi Rhinos (Ashley Jackson 6th, Moritz Furste 57th, Amon Miras Tirkey 63nd) beat Kalinga Lancers (Gonzalo Peillat 32nd, Kiel Brown 51st) 3-2.
February 8 (Match No 17 at Lucknow): Delhi Waveriders (Talwinder Singh 8th, Rupinder Pal Singh 14th, Simon Child 19th, 20th) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Nikkin Thimmaiah 30th, VR Raghunath 38th, Teun de Nooijer 58th) 4-3.
February 8 (Match No 18 at Mumbai): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (SV Sunil 3rd, Dharamvir Singh 17th, Affan Yousuf 25th, Sandeep Singh 26th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (V S Vinaya 30th) 4-1.
February 9 (Match No 19 at Lucknow): Uttar Pradesh Wizards (V R Raghunath 17th, Nikkin Thimmaiah 41st, Teun de Nooijer 70th) beat Kalinga Lancers (Gonzalo Peillat 59th) 3-1.
February 9 (Match No 20 at Mumbai): Ranchi Rhinos (Justin Reid Ross 11th) beat Dabur Mumabi Magicians 1-0.
February 11 (Match No 21 at Mohali): Kalinga Lancers (Gagandeep Singh 10th, Mandeep Antil 26th, Ryan Archibald 41st) drew with Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Christopher Ciriello 18th, Jake Whetton 22nd, Simon Orchard 50th) 3-3.
February 12 (Match No 22 at Delhi): Delhi Waveriders (Akashdeep Singh 65th) beat Ranchi Rhinos 1-0.
February 13 (Match No 23 at Bhubaneswar): Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Nithin Thimmaiah 8th, Gunasekar Malayalan 17th, Nikkin Thimmiah 55th, Tushar Khandker 68th) beat Kalinga Lancers (Lalit Upadhyay 23th, Gagandeep Singh 58th, Gonzalo Peillat 62nd) 4-3.
February 14 (Match No 24 at Bhubaneswar): Kalinga Lancers (Gonzalo Peillat 33rd, 70th; Aron Zalewski 23rd, Devinder Walmiki 28th) beat Ranchi Rhinos (Somanna Pradhan 45th) 4-1.
February 15 (Match No 25 at Mohali): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Jamie Dwyer 21st, Sandeep Singh 29th) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Hugo Reid 35th) 2-1.
February 15 (Match No 26 at Mumbai): Delhi Waveriders (Rajpal Singh 11th, 54th; Yuvraj Walmiki 3rd, Akashdeep Singh 36th, Rupinderpal Singh 58th) beat Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Glenn Turner 10th, Timothy Devin 35th, Glenn Turner 68th) 5-3.
February 16 (Match No 27 at Mumbai): Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Glenn Turner 17th, Mark Gleghorne 33rd, Ravipal Singh 57th) beat Kalinga Lancers (Mohd Nizammuddin 43rd, Lucas Villa 58th) 3-2.
February 16 (Match No 28 at Mohali): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (SV Sunil 17th, Mark Knowles 34th, Sandeep Singh 55th, Kieran Govers 61st) beat Ranchi Rhinos (Amit Rohidas 23rd, Justin Reid Ross 29th) 4-2.
February 18 (Match No 29 at Mumbai): Dabur Mumbai Magicians (Gurjinder Singh 31st, Prabhjot Singh 56th, Glenn Turner 61st) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards (Nithin Thimmaiah 22nd, VR Raghunath 62nd) 3-2.
February 19 (Match No 30): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Sandeep Singh 21st, 52nd; Kieran Govers 30th) beat Ranchi Rhinos (Moritz Furste 14th, Ashley Jackson 40th) 3-2.
February 22 (Match No 31: Semifinal-1): Delhi Waveriders (Yuvraj Walmiki 15th) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards 1-0.
February 22 (Match No 32: Semifinal-2): Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Sandeep Singh 24th, 52nd; Jake Whetton 55th) beat Ranchi Rhinos (Ashley Jackson 15th, Floris Evers 58th) 3-2.
February 23 (Match No 33: Third place): Ranchi Rhinos (Manpreet Singh 30th) beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards (V R Raghunath 15th) 3-2 in penalty shoot-out (FT: 1-1).
February 23 (Match No 34: FINAL): Delhi Waveriders (Llyod Norris Jones 33rd, Sardar Singh 35th, Yuvraj Walmiki 52nd) beat Jaypee Punjab Warriors (Mark Knowles 2nd, Shivendra Singh 45th, Affan Yousuf 48th) 6-4 in penalty shoot out (FT: 3-3).

LEAGUE TABLE (Played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points, goal difference):
1.   Jaypee Punjab Warriors:    10-7-2-1-34-21-40-(+13)
2.   Delhi Waveriders:                10-7-1-2-26-16-39-(+10)
3.   Uttar Pradesh Wizards:      10-4-2-4-25-23-28-(+2)
4.   Ranchi Rhinos:                   10-4-1-5-15-19-26-(-4)
5.   Dabur Mumbai Magicians: 10-2-1-7-19-29-18-(-10)
6.   Kalinga Lancers:                 10-2-1-7-23-34-17-(-11)
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PHOTO: Kalinga Lancers team with actor John Abraham in Delhi on January 30, 2014.