India advance, WC door shut on Pak

Jakarta, May 26: Rising to the occasion, Indian men’s hockey team slammed six goals in the final quarter for a crushing 16-0 victory against Indonesia, a result that took the holders into the knockout stage of the Asia Cup but shut the World Cup door on Pakistan, here on Thursday.

India needed to win the Pool A contest by at least a 15-0 margin to qualify and the young players of the side delivered under pressure.

Both India and Pakistan finished on four points each in Pool A behind Japan but the defending champions qualified for the Super 4s due to better goal difference (1).

Pakistan had lost 2-3 to Japan earlier in the day.

The result not only pushed Pakistan out of the tournament but also dashed their hopes of World Cup qualification since only the top three teams here will be given tickets for the big event.

India, being the hosts, will play the World Cup later in the year and hence Hockey India decided to send young players to this tournament for exposure.

Dipsan Tirkey (5 goals) and Sudev Belimagga (3 goal) shared eight goals between them, playing a key role in team’s crucial win.

Veteran S.V. Sunil, Pawan Rajbhar and Karthi Selvam scored a brace each while Uttam Singh and Nilam Sanjeep Xess were the other goal getters for India.

With odds stacked against them, India started on an attacking note and had the first shy at the goal in the seventh minute but Uttam Singh, who had only the goalkeeper to beat, pushed wide Maninder Singh’s feed .

In the 10th minute, Rajbhar broke the shackles with a powerful shot from top of the circle. Rajbhar doubled India’s lead a minute later through a rebound from the team’s first penalty corner.

A minute from the first quarter, India extended their lead through Uttam, who was at the right place at the right time to tap home.

India continued their attacking instinct and secured another penalty corner in the 19th minute from which Sunil scored after they recovered from a miss-stop.