Men's Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier: India defeat Japan 35-1 and qualify for semifinals
Indian men's hockey team defeated Japan with a massive margin of 35-1 in the final league match of the Men's Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier in Salalah, Oman.
After winning 7-5 against Malaysia in the 1st match of the night, India continued to dominate against Japan and pulverized them.
In the first 10 minutes of the match, India scored 10 goals. Maninder Singh led the attack by scoring five. Mohammed Raheel scored three, while Sukhvinder and Pawan Rajbhar had two goals apiece.
In the next five minutes, India found the target eight times to end the first half at 18-0. India scored 7 more goals in the next five minutes to move to 25-0.
In the final 10 minutes of the match, India scored 10 goals. Japan found the target once, courtesy of their captain Masataka Kobori. India ended the match 35-1.
Maninder Singh was the top goal-scorer for the team with 10 goals. Mohammed Raheel scored seven, while Pawan Rajbhar and Gurjot Singh ended with five goals apiece.
India qualifies for the semifinals of Men's Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier
After winning both their matches on Thursday, India qualified directly for the semifinals of the Men's Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier. They finished second in the Elite Pool Points table.
Pakistan finished their league stage at the top of the Elite Pool points table with four wins and a draw in their five matches. India moved ahead of Malaysia to finish second with four wins and a loss.
Malaysia finished in the third spot with three wins, a loss, and a draw to their name. Bangladesh, who had two wins from five matches, finished in the fourth spot.
Oman ended their campaign in the fifth spot, while Japan finished in the sixth position in the Elite Pool Points table.
Indian men's hockey team will play the second semifinal of the Men's Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier on September 1. They will meet the winner of the Crossover match, which will take place early on Friday.