New Delhi, January 31: India again failed to get past their nemesis the Netherlands and lost the quarterfinal contest 4-7 and crashed out of contention in FIH Hockey5s Men’s World Cup in Muscat, Oman on Tuesday. 

Last week Indian women lost to the Netherlands in the final of the Women's 5s World Cup here and then the Indian men's team lost to the Dutch in their last match of South Africa in the longer version of the game.

Today again in the crucial knockout match, India did put up a good fight but that was not enough to get past the Dutch. It seems the men in blue (Even Women in blue) have developed some fear complex while taking on the orange shirts and that shows in their repeated failures.

Mohammed Raheel (1’, 7’, 25’) scored a hat-trick, while Mandeep Mor (11’) netted a goal for India. For the Netherlands, Sander de Wijn (4’, 15’), and Alexander Schop (10’, 26’) scored a brace each, while Lucas Middendorp (12’), Jamie van Aart (13’), and Pepijn Reyenga (20’) netted a goal each.

The match opened with a promising start for India, as Mohammed Raheel (1’) showcased his skills scored a goal in the very first minute, setting the tone for an intense competition.

However, the Netherlands swiftly responded to their rivals' early lead, with Sander de Wijn (4’) levelling the score. Undeterred by the quick equalizer, India intensified their offensive strategies, leading to another goal by Mohammed Raheel (7’).  The Netherlands, demonstrating resilience, managed to equalize once again, courtesy of a goal by Alexander Schop (10’).

The back-and-forth nature of the match continued, with Mandeep Mor (11’) reclaiming the lead for India. Nevertheless, the Netherlands countered with a rapid succession of goals, as Lucas Middendorp (12’) and Jamie van Aart (13’) skillfully found the back of the net, swinging the momentum in favour of their side.

Heading into halftime, Sander de Wijn (15’) delivered a crucial challenge goal, leaving India trailing. The second half witnessed the Netherlands asserting their dominance, as Pepijn Reyenga (20’) and Alexander Schop (26’) further extended their lead. Despite a valiant effort by Mohammed Raheel (25’) who once again scored a goal to complete his hat-trick, India ultimately fell short, succumbing to a 4-7 defeat.

India will next play against Kenya in the 5-8th place match.