India makes flying start in Asian Champions Trophy with a 7-2 win over China

The hosts India made a flying start in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Thursday with an emphatic 7-2 win over China. Earlier, Malaysia stunned Pakistan 3-1 and Korea defeated Asian Games champions Japan 2-1.

Playing before a strong home crowd, India made an impressive start by taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, thanks to a brace by skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who converted penalty corners in the fifth and eighth minutes. And when the teams were about to break at the end of the first quarter, Sukhjeet Singh, latched on a rebound off a drag flick to hoist India’s third goal.

Six of India’s goals came directly or from rebounds of penalty corners. While Harmanpreet Singh accounted for the first two, Sukhjeet Singh (15^th minute) and Mandeep Singh (40^th) scored from rebounds. Another drag-flicker, Varun Kumar, too, had a brace to his name with his brilliant penalty corner conversions in the 19^th and 30^th minutes.

Akashdeep Singh scored the lone field goal for the home team. He found the target after a brilliant move in the 17^th minute.

For China, who fought gamely throughout, success came in the 18^th minute when E. Wenhui foxed the Indian defence to slam the ball home. In the second quarter, China also converted a penalty corner. In the 25^th minute Gao Jiesheng found the target with a neat flick.

Prabhjot Singh