Rampaging India hammer Asian Games champions Japan 9-0
Asian Hockey Champions Trophy
Muscat, Oct 22 : The Indian men's hockey team put up a clinical performance against Japan, demolishing the Asiad gold-medallists 9-0 for its third win in as many matches at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here.
As many as six Indian players made entries on the score-sheet on Sunday night in a dominating show that reaffirmed their supremacy in Asia and showed that the below-par Asian Games performance was an aberration.
With their third successive win, India lead the six-team event's league standings with a maximum nine points, followed by Malaysia on six points from two games.
Strikers Lalit Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh scored two goals each, while drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke and a penalty corner to lead the goal-fest.
Upadhyay opened the Indian scoring in the fourth minute with a diving deflection and again got into the action in the 45th minute for his double, while Harmanpreet converted a penalty stroke in the 17th minute and then sounded the board with a low penalty corner shot in the 21st minute.
As Japan's defence was swept away by the Indian raids, Mandeep Singh capitalised on two openings in the last quarter -- in the 49th and 57th minute.
Japan's goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa was injured in the eighth minute when he blocked Harmanpreet's penalty corner shot, only for the ball to rebound to Gurjant, who flicked it in. Thereafter, reserve Yusuke Takano had to bear the brunt of the Indian attack.
Indian coach Harendra Singh was pleased by his team's ruthless performance.
"The way we played was good. We played to a plan and did not allow Japan's team to play in a certain manner," said Harendra. The game also saw a goal each from Akashdeep Singh (36th) and Sumit (42nd).
On the points table, Pakistan have three points from two matches, while Japan are on three points in three games. South Korea and Oman have lost both their matches.
Japan coach Siegfried Aikman said India were too strong to be contained in this contest.
"We tried our level best, but they were very strong. We were below the level as India sparkled with their speed, agility and hard-press game," said Aikman.
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Petrol pump worker killed as SUV hits motorcycle head-on in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): A petrol pump worker died after an SUV rammed into his motorcycle in the Sushant Lok area here, police said on Thursday.
The accused driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle after the accident. An FIR has been registered at the Sushant Lok police station, they said.
According to police, the accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Mukesh was travelling from Sector 44 to Sushant Lok on Vyapar Kendra Road for some work.
Near Vyapar Kendra, a white Thar coming from the wrong side at high speed hit his motorcycle head-on, leaving him critically injured, they said.
The driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind, police added.
Eyewitnesses claimed the vehicle had no number plates either at the front or rear.
Locals took Mukesh to a private hospital, where he died during treatment, police said. He was a resident of Rohta Patti in Palwal and worked at a petrol pump in Sector 44.
An FIR was registered against the unidentified driver, based on a complaint lodged by his brother Ashok. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem on Thursday, police said.
“The Thar vehicle has been seized from the spot. CCTV footage from the area is being examined, and the driver will be arrested soon,” a Gurugram police spokesperson said.
