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India's men's hockey team sent a strong message to its rivals by crushing Bangladesh with a staggering 15-1 margin in the Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier held on Tuesday. With a solid team effort, they dominated from start to finish, effectively setting the stage for upcoming challenges against Oman and Pakistan.
Maninder Singh was the star of the game, as he scored an impressive four goals. Not far behind, Mohammed Raheel contributed to the onslaught with a hat-trick. Additional scorers included Sukhvinder, Gurjot Singh, and Pawan Rajbhar, each of whom netted two goals, while Mandeep Mor and Dipsan Tirkey rounded off the tally with one goal each.
Bangladesh opened the scoring with Sawon Sarowar netting a goal early in the match. However, India responded immediately with Raheel leveling the scores. "In the eighth minute, skipper Mor put India in the lead," setting the pace for a spree of goals that followed. Suraj Karkera's stunning save contributed to India's morale, enabling Gurjot Singh to add another goal to the tally.
By halftime, India was leading 7-1, and they did not let up in the second half either. Maninder Singh's goal in the 18th minute was soon followed by another from Rajbhar, effectively pushing India's lead to 9-1. The team continued to press deeper into Bangladesh's half, leaving no room for a counterattack. "Sukhvinder's strike propelled India into double figures in the goal tally," and Gurjot Singh didn't waste time, adding India's 11th goal shortly after.
With no signs of slowing down, Mohammed Raheel capped his performance with a reverse hit, completing his hat-trick, followed by Rajbhar adding yet another goal. Maninder Singh closed out the game with two goals in the last few minutes, completing his hat-trick and sealing the 15-1 victory.
This dominant performance undoubtedly boosts India's confidence as they prepare for challenging matchups against Oman and Pakistan on Wednesday.
(With inputs from Opta, powered by AI)
