~ Men’s team beat Hongkong China 21-0 followed by a 12-5 win over South Korea ~
~ Women’s team beat Thailand to top their Pool ~
New Delhi, 27 April 2018: The Junior Indian Men and Women’s Hockey Teams continued to remain unbeaten at the Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. The Junior Men’s team beat Hong Kong China 21-0 and South Korea 12-5 to finish unbeaten on top of Pool A. Women’s team meanwhile beat Thailand 9-0 to finish top of their Pool B and qualify for the Semi-final.
In their first match of the day, the Junior Men’s team didn’t give Hong Kong China any breathing space scoring 21 goals in the match. Skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad scored the first of the nine goals in the first minute itself. He doubled the tally in the fourth minute followed by goals from Rahul Kumar Rajbhar and Rabichandra Moirangthem. It was Mohammad Alishan’s three goals in two minutes that took the opponents by surprise. At the end of first period India were leading 9-0.
The story wasn’t any different in the second period as India scored seven goals with two apiece from Mohammad Alishan and Shivam Anand and one each from Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, Sanjay and Yashdeep Siwach. While conceding none, Indian side piled up five more goals in the third period to register yet another dominating win.
The team then came up with another impressive performance beating South Korea 12-5 in their last group match. The two sides who were unbeaten throughout the tournament looked equals until the sixth minute as score-line read 2-2. But India changed gears hitting the back of the net thrice in next three minutes to lead first period 5-2. Second period saw Indian side consolidating their lead with four more goals to South Korea’s solitary as the scoreboard read 9-3.
The final period was no different as the Vivek Sagar Prasad led team scored three more to South Korea’s two ending the match at 12-5 ending the league stage on top of their Pool.
In their final Pool B match, the Junior Women’s Team beat Thailand 9-0 as goals came thick and fast throughout the match. The Indians scored three goals in the first period followed by four goals in the second period, while the third period saw India score two more goals. Mumtaz Khan (3’, 4’, 14’, 24’), Sangita Kumari (14’, 15’), Lalremsiami (4’), Deepika (12’) and Ishika Chaudhary (25’) scored the goals for India.
The Junior Men’s team will take on Pakistan / Bangladesh in the first Semi-final on Saturday at 1530hrs IST while the Junior Women’s team will take on Malaysia in their Semi-final on Saturday at 1430hrs IST.
The five-day tournament is a qualifying event for Youth Olympic Games 2018 to be held at Buenos Aires, Argentina which will follow the futuristic Hockey 5’s format.
Please find attached tournament schedule and pool standings.
Live streaming link: https://www.youtube.com/
HOCKEY INDIA TEAM PARTNERS
Odisha (India's Best Kept Secret) – Major Team Partner
Shiv Naresh
About HOCKEY INDIA
HOCKEY INDIA (HI) is the governing body having an exclusive mandate to direct and conduct all activities for both men and women hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting Hockey in India.
Headquartered in New Delhi, Hockey India was established on 20th May, 2009 and is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
Committed to the development of Hockey in the country, Hockey India with the assistance of Sports Authority of India and Department of Sports, Government of India, has drawn out a Long-Term Development Programme (LTDP) to train players, provide world-class infrastructure and International exposure besides regular international competition. With its vision to popularize the game and constantly promote it, Hockey India is dedicated to getting our team into the top three in the world.
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About ODISHA
Odisha - the Eastern State of India - is known for its love for Hockey. The State is the proud host of the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018. The State has successfully hosted the Champions Trophy 2014 and the Odisha Men's Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017. Kalinga Lancers, the team owned by the State, is the winners in the Hockey India League 2017. Taking a step further towards realising the dream of restoring the glory of Indian Hockey at the global level, the State is sponsoring the Indian Hockey Teams till 2023
Follow us on: www.Bhubaneswar.me