India vs Japan Hockey LIVE: FT India 0-1 Japan; Heartbreak for India as Urata's strike sends Japan to Paris

 Preview: India take on Japan in the third-fourth place playoff match in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi on Friday. The winner goes through to the Paris Olympics as one of the three qualifiers from this stage of the competition. USA and Germany, who will contest the final in the evening, are assured of the other two sports. India went down to Germany in heartbreaking fashion in the semi-finals on Thursday. The women’s hockey team produced a last gasp winner to force a penalty shootout. In that make-or-break stage of the competition, India had the lead but couldn’t hold on as Germany won the shootout 4-3. The two teams were level on 2-2 after regulation with Deepika and Ishika Chaudhary scoring for India. Japan, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by the USA in the first semi-final of the day. Japan were in the lead at the end of the third quarter but threw it away in the final quarter as USA booked their tickets to France. India will be looking to shrug off that disappointment and heartbreak when they face Japan. The women have qualified for the Olympics in consecutive editions now and would be eager to make it three in a row.