The Green Shirts, currently ranked 14th in the FIH standings, ended seventh in the World League Semi-Finals in London, where the likes of Germany, England, Netherlands and Belgium earned World Cup qualification by finishing in the top five.
India straightaway sought to put pressure on the home team and the positive intent worked as they drew first blood through a penalty corner awarded in the fourth minute.
India conceded the solitary goal in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter and final 15 minutes with Tom Boon (60th minute) finding the net for the hosts.
Known for his terrific fitness levels not only in India but worldwide, Sardar was included in the 18-man FIH All Star team in 2010 and 2011.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals in javelin throw event, was the first choice of the awards selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) C K Thakkar.
Junior World Cup heroes Varun Kumar, Dipsan Tirkey, Nilakanta Sharma, Gurjant Singh and Armaan Qureshi have been named in India hockey squad for the tour of Belgium and Netherlands.
In Women's division, Japan claims victory over India in the semi-final stage as they beat the Blue's 2-0 in the Hockey World League.
Argentina were too quick for India as they attacked right from the start. India drew a blank as they were left defenseless in the Semi-Finals and will face England in the Quarter-finals tomorrow.
Preeti's 38th-minute goal ensured India earned their first win in the tournament after a goalless draw against South Africa and a 1-4 loss to the mighty USA in their previous matches.
India came up with an improvised attack in the second quarter however the US didn't fumble when provided with the chances in the last 20 minutes of the game
An Olympic berth may not be confirmed yet as India pull out of the Pro League in both the Men's and Women's division.
Speculations suggest that the Hockey Indian League (HIL) league might not continue in 2018 due to financial concerns. Officials have stated regarding the matter.
As per some media reports, Hockey India has informed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that there will be no HIL in 2018 because of financial concerns related to some franchises.
Sreejesh will miss the Asia Cup but we will try our best to make him fully fit before the all-important Hockey World League Final in December, says India's High-Performance Director David John.
Inconsistent India had to settle for the sixth place after going down to Canada 2-3 in a fifth-sixth place match of the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Final.
Continuing their dominance over arch-rivals Pakistan, India hammered the green brigade by 6-1 in a 5th-8th place classification match in the Hockey World League Semifinals.
For India, it is their second defeat against Malaysia in little less than two months.
After registering emphatic wins in their first three games, India suffer their first defeat by 1-3 against higher-ranked Netherlands in the Hockey World League League Semi-Final.
Hockey World League Semifinal: India vs Pakistan hockey match live streaming online at Hotstar and TV Coverage at Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD 2.
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