Hockey teams enter semi- finals
Gold Coast, April 10: Both of India’s hockey teams moved into the Commonwealth Games semi- finals with narrow wins here on Tuesday.
A profligate men’s team beat Malaysia 2- 1 in a Pool B encounter to move into the last four while captain Rani Rampal’s strike sent the women through with a 1- 0 win over South Africa.
Drag- flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh ( 3rd minute, 44th) scored from penalty corners to set up the win. Faizal Saari ( 16th) pulled one back for Malaysia. India earned nine penalty corners, the first of which came just two minutes into the game, and was converted by Harmanpreet.
The Malaysians claimed a penalty corner in the sixth minute but Razie Rahim missed out on the opportunity.
Malaysia though did not have to wait too long to score as Saari sounded the boards with a field goal 10 minutes later.
With time ticking away, Harmanpreet calmed nerves with another precise penalty corner conversion in the 44th, that put India ahead 2- 1.
RANI ON TARGET The women’s team needed only a draw to progress as they already had six points from three matches before they faced South Africa.
India qualified as the second- placed team from Pool A behind England, who finished on top with a better goal difference.
The match- winner came in the fourth quarter after Navneet Kaur initiated an attack from the left with a forward pass for Vandana Katariya. Rani trapped Vandana’s assist and unleashed a prompt shot to score.
BOXERS ON SONG Manoj Kumar ( 69kg) assured himself a second CWG medal as five boxers entered the semifinals on Tuesday.
The debutant quartet of Amit Panghal ( 49kg), Mohammed Hussamuddin ( 56kg), 19- year- old Naman Tanwar ( 91kg) and Satish Kumar (+ 91kg) joined Manoj in the semi- finals. At Glasgow in 2014, Indian boxers finished with three silver and a bronze. Amit defeated Scotland’s Aqeel Ahmed in a split 41 verdict. The 19- year- old Naman hammered Samoa’s Frank Masoe 5- 0.
Hussamuddin dismantled Zambia’s Everisto Mulenga 5- 0 while and Manoj had to toil against Australia’s Terry Nickolas. Later, Asian Games bronze medallist Satish defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s Nigel Paul.
ATHLETES SHINE Muhammad Anas shattered the national record for a third time but missed out on a 400m men’s medal while Hima Das qualified for the women’s 400m final.
Anas fell short of a medal by just 0.2 seconds, behind Isaac Makwala ( 44.35), Baboloki Thebe ( 45.09) and Javon Francis ( 45.11). In the women’s 400m women’s semis, the 18- year- old Hima qualified for the final with a personal best of 51.53.
In squash, defending champions Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal thrashed Pakistan 2- 1 in their opening group stage match. In the day’s first match, the 2014 winners beat Pakistan’s Fazia Zafar and Madina Zafar 10- 11, 11- 0, 11- 1. In mixed doubles badminton, Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik Rankireddy beat Guernsey’s Stuart Hardy and Chloe Le Tissier 21- 9, 21- 5. They next face England’s Lane Ben and Pugh Jessica.