Asian Games, men's hockey: India thrash Bangladesh 12-0, reach semi-finals
The Indian men's hockey team ran riot against Bangladesh with a 12-0 scoreline in their final Pool A match at the 2023 Asian Games. Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh slammed hat-tricks, while Abhishek registered a brace. Lalit Upadhyay, Amit Rohidas, Nilakanta Sharma, and Sumit were the other players on the scoresheet. With this win, India have qualified for the semi-finals of the event.
A look at India's Pool A results
India have topped Pool A with five wins and 15 points. They have reached the semi-finals and will play the second-placed team in Pool B. They started their journey with a 16-0 win over Uzbekistan followed by a 16-1 victory over Singapore. India defeated reigning champions Japan 4-2 before thrashing Pakistan 10-2. They finished the Pool A fixtures with a 12-0 win against Bangladesh.
How did the first half pan out?
India were on the attack from the first minute as Harmanpreet converted two quick-fire penalty corners to hand them a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Mandeep scored the third goal as he drilled the ball past the Bangladeshi goalkeeper. Lalit made it 4-0 scoring another field goal. Mandeep completed his brace before Rohidas converted a penalty corner.
How did the second half pan out?
Already leading 6-0 at half-time, India did not slow down as Harmanpreet completed his hat-trick in the third quarter via a penalty corner. Abhishek scored once in either quarter to complete his brace, while Mandeep also completed his hat-trick. Nilakanta found the net, with Sumit also working his way past the Bangladeshi goalkeeper with a silky move.
India wait for their opponents in the semi-finals
India will take on the runners-up in Pool B in the crucial semi-final clash. China will face Malaysia in the final Pool B match. China, with 12 points, are second in the standings, and a win will help them top the Pool. If China win, India will play South Korea, while they will face Malaysia if they win against China and finish second.
India aiming for their fourth Asian Games gold medal
The Indian men's hockey team have won three gold medals in 1966, 1998 and 2014 at the Asian Games. India's silver medals came in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1994, and 2002. India have won the bronze medal in 1986, 2010, and 2018 respectively. Notably, Pakistan have won the most number of gold medals at Asian Games (8).
