Asian Games Hockey: Indian Women Beat Singapore 7-0 To Finish Unbeaten, To Play Korea In Semi-Finals

Sunelita Toppo scored a brace as the Indian women's hockey team trounced Singapore 7-0 in their final Pool B match to set up the Asian Games semifinal against Korea in Kakamigahara Sunday. India topped Pool B with five wins from as many games. The semifinal is scheduled for September 30. Skipper Salima Tete (17th minute), Sunelita (22nd, 24th), Lalremsiami (26th), Rutuja Dadoso Pisal (29th), Nikki Pradhan (35th) and Deepika (55th) scored for India. Defending champions and reinging Olympic silver medallist China will take on hosts Japan in the other semifinal.

Unfancied Singapore gave India a run for their money in the first quarter even though the Salima Tete-led side dominated thner e proceedings.

Singapore were particularly brilliant in their penalty corner defence as they denied India as many as eight penalty corners.

The play was mostly in the Singapore half with India mounting attacks after attacks and in the process earning innumerable penalty corners but the Singaporeans defended with heart to deny their opponents.

But two minutes into the second quarter, skipper Salima finally gave India the lead with a fine field goal.

In the 22nd minute, Sunelita doubled India's lead scoring from from a botched up penalty corner effort.

Sunelita again registered her name in the score sheet, again directing in a Deepika's flick from a penalty corner from a variation.

Lalremsiami then extended the lead deflecting in another Deepika flick from a penalty corner three inutes later.

Rutuja made the scorelin 5-0 with a fine field goal in the 30th minute.

But the Indians were quote sloppy from penalty corners as they converted just three from 15 they earned in the first two quarters.

The Indians continued to earn penalty corners a galore but failed to convert them from direct tries.

Four minutes into the third quarter, India extended their lead through Nikki Pradhan, who pushed home a loose ball from another messed up set piece.

The Indians secured five more penalty corners in the third quarter but failed to convert them as the Singaporeans defended in numbers.

Fo records, India had 24 penalty corners in the first three quarters out of which they converted just three, that too from variations and a rebound.

Five minutes from the hooter, India secured two back-to-back penalty corners and Deepika finally scored with a powerful flick to the left of the Singapore goalkeeper.

India had another set piece a minute later but wasted the chance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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