India inch closer to SF spot

● India started on a bright note and attacked the Japanese goal in numbers from the outset

Jakarta, Aug. 24: Defending champions India continued their goal- scoring spree and spanked Japan 8– 0 to register their third consecutive win in the men’s hockey competition at the Asian Games, here on Friday.

The holders have so far scored 51 goals in three matches after d e m o l i s h i n g Indonesia 17- 0 and registering a record 26- 0 win over Hong Kong China in their previous two Pool A games.

Drag- flicker Rupinder Pal Singh ( 17th, 37th minutes) and Mandeep Singh ( 32nd, 56th) struck twice while SV Sunil ( 7th), Dilpreet Singh ( 12th), Akashdeep Singh ( 45th) and Vivek Sagar Prasad ( 47th) also registered their names in the score sheet.

India conceded only one penalty corner in the 48th minute of the match but Japan, ranked 16th, wasted the opportunity. World no. 5 India will next play Korea, ranked 14th, on Sunday before completing their pool engagement against Sri Lanka.

India started on a bright note and attacked the Japanese goal in numbers from the onset. India’s first charge came as early as the second minute but Dilpreet’s deflection from a Surender Kumar’s cross went wide.

The defending champions though did not have to wait much to get on board as Akashdeep fed Sunil with a reverse hit and the experienced striker easily found the back of the net.

Then Dilpreet, waiting in front of the goal post, sent the ball in with a fierce reverse hit to double the lead, five minutes later.

The Indian team missed out on converting a penalty corner before Japan made its first real attempt but could not execute.

It was Kenta Tanaka, who fired one in from the right but an alert Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh blocked the shot. pass