Young striker Mandeep Singh netted a hat-trick as India blanked minnows Oman 8-0 to start their 9th Asia Cup Hockey Championship campaign on a perfect note at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium here on Saturday.
For the winners, Mandeep (4th minute, 40th, 44th) struck thrice, while Ramandeep (17th), V R Raghunath (28th), Rupinderpal Singh (34th), Malak Singh (47th) and S K Uthappa (69th) sounded the board once.
Knowing fully well that winning the Asia Cup would guarantee a place in next year’s World Cup at The Hague, Netherlands, the Indians meant business from the onset and concentrated mainly on building formations.
The Indians were expected to control the proceedings against Oman and they did exactly that as the play was mostly centred around the Oman half. After starting on a rather casual note, the Indians soon tightened up their grip over Oman and mounted continuous raids. In the opening half, majority of India’s build ups came from the right flank with Ramandeep Singh and Malak Singh combining well.
But penalty corner conversion still seems to be a worry for India as they utilised just two out of the six that came their way in the entire duration of 70 minutes. The Indians earned their first penalty corner as early as in the third minute but Rupinderpal’s flick was saved by Oman goalkeeper Al Noufali Fahad Khamis Salmeen. But an opportunistic Mandeep scored from the resultant rebound to give India a 1-0 lead.
India doubled their lead in the 17th minute through an unmarked Ramandeep who scored after receiving a Malak assist from the right flank.
India earned a penalty in the 28th minute when Nithin Thimmaiah was brought down inside the Oman circle and V R Raghunath made no mistake from the spot to make the scoreline 3-0 in favour of the Indians.
Just a minute from the breather, India increased their lead through Rupinder who converted the team’s fifth penalty corner with a high flick that crashed on to the top right of the Oman goal. It took India just five minutes into the second half to find the back of the net, Mandeep scored his second goal of the day with a perfect reverse flick after being fed by a cross from Chinglensana Singh.
Mandeep was again at the thick of things as four minutes later he scored histhird goal of the day after receiving a pass from Ramandeep.
Three minutes later, it was Malak’s turn to register his name in the score-sheet after Dharamvir intial shot was saved by the Oman goalkeeper.
A diving Uthappa rounded off the tally a minute from the hooter by tapping home Malak’s cross from the right flank.
India will play title holders Korea in the second match on August 26.
Pak, Malaysia have it easy
Pakistan thrashed Japan 7-0, while hosts Malaysia demolished debutant Chinese Taipei 10-2 in their respective Pool A matches.
For Pakistan, Muhammad Waqas (12th, 20th), Abdul Haseem Khan (22nd), Muhammad Tousiq (25th, 35th) and captain Muhammad Imran (33rd), were the scorers.
Malaysia, stunned by the early goal, regrouped and scored five goals in each through Faizal Sari (10th minute, 13th, 69th), Ashaari Muhammad Firhan (18th, 69th), Abdul Jalil Tengku Ahmad Tajudin (23rd), Mohd Jalil Muhammad Marhan (32nd), Ahmad Tajuddin Izwan Firdaus (39th), Mohd Noor Nabil Fiqri (45th) and Sari Mohd Fitri (62nd).
We were a bit sloppy in second half: Oltmans
A comprehensive win might have been achieved, but India’s interim coach Roelant Oltmans feels his team was a bit sloppy in the second half of its Asia Cup hockey tournament opener against Oman here today.
“It was a regular win. We played very well in the first half, but in the second half we were a bit sloppy. But it happens because it is difficult to give your 100 per cent concentration throughout the match, especially when you are 7-0, 8-0 up. The heat took a toll on us (in the second half),” the coach said after the Indians posted an 8-0 win at the Sultan Azlan Shah stadium here.
“But I am happy with the overall performance. It’s always nice to get on the points tally.”
Oltmans lauded captain Sardar Singh, saying that if fully fit, the mid-fielder will play a crucial role in deciding the team’s fortunes in the tournament here.
Oltmans said he went against his own instinct and opted to play Sardar in India’s opening Pool B match against the minnows to give the star mid-fielder ample time to get back to full shape before the business end of the tournament.
“I spoke to him last night as well as this morning and I must say he recovered very well from his throat problems. We all know Sardar in great shape will be important for us in the last stage of the tournament,” the Dutchman said.
“So to bring him up in great shape he needs his minutes to play so we decided to play him 10 minutes in each half and we will build that up slowly up.
“Sardar is a great player when he is great shape. He can create a lot of opportunities for us. Our aim is to bring him a lot closer to the goal of the opponent,” he said.
Oltmans made it clear that he will play Sardar in phases during the entire tournament.
“Sardar will never play the entire 70 minutes. That is one of the reasons why he got injured. For the last four years he has been playing continuously. In modern hockey you can’t play 70 minutes. It will kill the body,” he said.