Amit Rohidas suspended for semifinal after red card vs Great Britain; India appeals decision

Key defender Amit Rohidas will miss India’s Paris Olympics semifinal after he was suspended for a game for the red card he received during the quarterfinal clash against Great Britain on Saturday.

India’s Amit Rohidas in action against Great Britain. | Photo Credit: Anjum Naveed

FIH disciplinary committee suspended Amit Rohidas, who received a red card in India’s quarterfinal hockey match against Great Britain, for one match making him ineligible to play in the Paris Olympic semifinal against Germany.

The Indian defender was sent off after the video umpire deemed he had hit a British player’s face with his stick intentionally.

Hockey India (HI) though has appealed against the decision, informed HI president Dilip Tirkey.

A suspension in hockey depends on the nature of the offence, unlike football where every red card leads to a one-game ban. A technical delegate hears the case after the match decides on an appropriate penalty.

“In deciding on the duration of any suspension, the Technical Delegate is limited to the remaining matches in the competition but, if the Technical Delegate decides that the appropriate penalty may or ought to include the imposition of a suspension that affects matches or should otherwise take effect beyond the conclusion of the competition, the Technical Delegate must, within 3 days of the decision being published,” the official rules for hockey at Paris Olympics state.