MUSCAT, AUG 29
Favourites India and Pakistan made thumping starts to their campaign in the Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup 2023 in Salalah on Tuesday.
India started brightly with a 15-1 thrashing of Bangladesh while Pakistan hammered Japan 26-1 in a later match to take the top spot of the Elite group.
The top three teams in the Asia Cup will qualify for the first-ever Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2023 to be staged in Muscat’s Al Amerat Stadium from January 24 to 31, 2024.
The Women’s Asia Cup concluded on Monday with India emerging champions while finalists Thailand and third-placed Malaysia also made it to the World Cup.
In the Men’s Asia Cup’s first Elite group match at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex, India dominated against Bangladesh.
For India, Maninder Singh (10, 18, 28, 30 minutes) hit four goals while Mohammed Raheel (2, 15, 24 minutes) netted three.
Sukhvinder (13, 22), Pawan Rajbhar (19, 26) and Gurjot Singh (13, 23) scored two goals each while Mandeep Mor (8) and Dipsan Tirkey (9) netted one each.
Bangladesh’s lone goal came through Sawon Sarowar in the second minute as a 1-1 equaliser. After that the Indian players displayed their supremacy to pump in goals past Bangladesh goalkeeper Asim Gope.
India led 7-1 at the half-time.
PAKISTAN RAIN GOALS
Knowing they needed a better goal tally to beat India for a top place in the group, Pakistan delivered more than required with a mammoth score of 26-1 against a hapless Japanese side.
Pakistan led 9-0 at the break and added 16 more in the second-half.
Japan scored their lone goal after conceding 15 goals with captain Naotaka Tani netting the consolation goal in the 23rd minute.
For Pakistan, captain Abdul Rana led the assault with eight goals to his credit. Arshad Liaqat netted five goals, while Muhammad Abdullah and Zikriya Hayat scored three apiece.
Muhammad Murtaza, Abdul Rehman and Abdul Wahab scored a brace each while Ahtisham Aslam also found the target in the huge win.
Pakistan goalkeeper Ishtiaq Abdullah Khan and Ali Raza were the only players not to score against Japanese goalkeeper Koichi Takeyasu.
IRAN, KAZAKHSTAN WIN
In the Challenger group, Iran thrashed Hong Kong 7-2 to open their account. Iran led 5-1 at the break.
Kazakhstan beat Indonesia 4-1 in another match.
India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh and hosts Oman are placed in the Elite group.
Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Iran, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are slotted in the Challenger group.
Pictures by Abdulwahid al Hamadani
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