Indian men's hockey team hammers New Zealand 5-0 to win Olympic Test Event
Tokyo: The Indian men's hockey team won the Olympic Test event here on Wednesday, beating New Zealand 5-0 to avenge the loss it endured in their round robin clash. Captain Harmanpreet Singh (7th minute) set the ball rolling before Shamsher Singh (18th minute), Nilakanta Sharma (22nd minute), Gursahibjit Singh (26th minute) and Mandeep Singh (27th minute) scored for India at the Oi Hockey Stadium here.
India had lost 1-2 to New Zealand earlier in round robin league-stage. "We played very well. We managed to score our opportunities at the start of the game," Harmanpreet said after the triumph. "I think the final was always going to be tough, we lost to New Zealand earlier. But we had been having practice sessions after that and worked on our mistakes to win today," he added.
Both teams began the match on a cautious note by turning over the ball in the mid-field. India won a penalty corner in the seventh minute, but couldn't capitalise on the opportunity. However, skipper Harmanpreet didn't miss out on a re-awarded penalty corner. He executed a perfect dragflick to put India in the lead.
The Indian team continued to hold possession and put tremendous pressure on the New Zealand defense as they ended the first quarter at 1-0. Shamsher scored India's second goal through a penalty corner in the 18th minute.
New Zealand managed to make only two circle entries in the second quarter as the Indian team scored three more goals. Nilakanta found the back of the net in the 22nd minute before Gursahibjit and Mandeep scored in quick succession.
Vivek Prasad intercepted the ball brilliantly to assist a goal for Gursahibjit and Mandeep converted a penalty corner just before the half-time whistle. After an action-packed first half, the intensity dropped from both sides. New Zealand tried to make a few inroads in the third quarter as they took a shot in the 37th minute which went wide of the post.
Jarmanpreet Singh saved a penalty corner in the next minute as India and New Zealand played out a goalless quarter but the former held the lead at 5-0. In the last quarter, India ensured they stayed in the lead and didn't allow New Zealand to break through their defense throughout the match.
India's attacking approach in the match paid off as they walked off the pitch as winners of the competition.
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Drug bust by Mangaluru CCB Police: Kerala man with narcotics worth ₹73 lakh held near Mulki
Mangaluru: In an effort to make Mangaluru ‘drug-free,’ the CCB Police arrested a man, Shameer PK, near Mulki and seized 738 grams of hydro ganja worth ₹73 lakh, which he was transporting in his car.
The police said on Friday that Shameer is a resident of Kandalad village in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. They have also confiscated his mobile phone as well as the car he was using to transport the narcotics, with the total value of the confiscated items estimated to be more than ₹80 lakh.
The officers stated that Shameer was transporting the narcotics from Goa to be supplied to various places, including Mangaluru and Kerala. The CCB Police intercepted his car near Bappanadu on the outskirts of Mulki town, and upon checking the vehicle, found 738 grams of hydro ganja.
An FIR has been filed at the Mulki Police Station, and further investigation is underway. The CCB Police have stated that a preliminary probe revealed the narcotics were supplied from abroad.
The CCB investigation team was led by ACP Manoj Kumar Nayak and included Inspector Shyamsunder HM, Sub-inspector Sharanappa Bhandari, and other police personnel.
