India enter Super 4s stage of Asia Cup with 16-0 win over Indonesia, World Cup door shut on Pakistan | Hockey News

JAKARTA: The Indian men’s ice hockey team rose to the occasion, scoring six goals in the last quarter for a stunning 16-0 win over Indonesia, a result that propelled the defending champions into the Super 4 stage of the Asian Cup, but the Door to World Cup slammed Pakistan, here on Thursday.
India needed to win the competition in Pool A by at least 15-0 to qualify and the side’s youngsters performed under pressure.
Both India and Pakistan finished in Group A, each four points behind Japan, but the defending champions qualified for the next round on goal difference (1).

Pakistan had lost 2-3 to Japan earlier in the day.

The result not only knocked Pakistan out of the tournament, it also dashed their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, with only the top three teams getting tickets to the big event.
When it happened
India will host the World Cup next year and hence Hockey India has decided to send young players to this tournament to present themselves.
In Super 4, the four teams play each other once. The top two teams then play the final. Japan, Malaysia and South Korea are the other teams that qualified for the Super 4 stage.
India next plays Japan on May 28th.
Dipsan Tirkey (5 goals) and Sudev Belimagga (3 goals) shared eight goals and played a key role in the team’s decisive victory.

Experienced SV Sunil, Pawan Rajbhar and Karthi Selvam each scored twice while Uttam Singh and Nilam Sanjeep Xess were the other scorers for India.
Though the odds were slim, India started offensively and had the first shy of goal in the seventh minute, but Uttam Singh, who only had to beat the keeper, pushed Maninder Singh’s lining wide.
In the 10th minute, Rajbhar broke free with a powerful shot from the top of the circle.
Rajbhar doubled India’s lead a minute later with a rebound from the team’s first penalty corner.
With a minute left in the first quarter, India extended their lead through Uttam, who was in the right place at the right time to score home.
Continuing their attacking instincts, India secured another penalty corner in the 19th minute from which Sunil scored after recovering from a false stop.
A minute later, the Indians earned two consecutive penalty corners, the second of which was converted by Nilam Sanjeep Xess to make it 5-0.
In the 24th minute, Sunil deflected a pass from Karthi Selvam from the near post to make it 6-0.
After the break, Uttam missed another chance when she fired wide from close range, only to beat the Indonesian goalkeeper.
Minutes later, India secured their seventh penalty corner but Junius Rumaropen made another double save.
In the 40th minute, Selvam knocked after being set by a brilliant Rajbhar who went past three four Indonesian defenders with his stickwork and strong play.
India secured three consecutive penalty corners and Dipsan scored from the last to keep the team’s hopes alive.
Dipsan scored his second goal from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute.
The Indians managed two more penalty corners, but on both occasions Dipsan faltered.
Belimagga then scored twice in the space of two minutes before Dipsan completed his hat-trick by converting India’s 14th penalty corner to make it 12-0.
The Indians earned a handful of penalty corners after that, but the chances were running out.

Tirkey then converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute before Sudev struck from another standard rebound five minutes before the horn.
Desperate for goals, the Indians attacked outnumbered and their ruse bore fruit as Karthi Selvam scored from a field try. Tirkey converted two more penalty corners in the final minute of the game to extend India’s stay in the tournament.