Following the remarkable win over Uzbekistan, Indian hockey player Mandeep Singh said that the team will take things step by step, and focus now shifts to their next match against Singapore.
The Indian men’s hockey team dominated Uzbekistan in their opening Asian Games match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, securing a resounding 16-0 victory on Sunday.
“It was a must-win match. We won it by a nice margin. We will take things step by step and focus on our next match against Singapore,” said Mandeep, as per a video by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
For India, Lalit Upadhyay (7’, 24’, 37’, 53’), Varun Kumar (12’, 36’, 50’, 51’), Abhishek (17’), Mandeep Singh (18’, 27’, 28’) Amit Rohidas (38’), Sukhjeet (42’), Shamsher Singh (43’) and Sanjay (57’) scored in the commanding win. Three hat-tricks and eight different scorers marked a memorable victory, and with this, the three-time Asian Games champions climbed to the top of the Asian Games 2023 men’s hockey Pool A standings. The top two from each pool will make the semi-finals.
India’s men’s hockey team, third in the FIH Rankings, came into the Hangzhou Games on the back of their Asian Champions Trophy triumph last month. The Indian men’s hockey team will play Singapore in the next game on Tuesday. The men’s hockey tournament at the Asian Games 2023 is also an Olympic qualifier, with the eventual champion securing a berth to Paris 2024.