Asian Games 2023: India Men’s Hockey Team Thrash Bangladesh 12-0 to Book Semis Spot

Hangzhou: India’s men’s hockey team secured a dominant 12-0 victory over Bangladesh to secure a spot in the Asian Games semifinals.

Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh both recorded hat-tricks, while Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Amit Rohidas, Abhishek, Nilakanta Sharma, and Gurjant Singh also scored for India.

India’s performance was characterized by both penalty corner conversions and field goals, with seven field goals and five penalty corner goals from 11 opportunities.

India’s relentless attack resulted in six goals in each half. Harmanpreet Singh wasted no time, converting the first penalty corner just two minutes into the game. He followed it up with another penalty corner goal two minutes later.

Abhishek and Mandeep played pivotal roles, with Abhishek assisting in the next two goals scored by Mandeep and Lalit during the second quarter. Mandeep then capitalized on a rebound after Harmanpreet’s flick was saved by the Bangladeshi goalkeeper. Amit Rohidas added another goal from a penalty corner before halftime, giving India a commanding 6-0 lead.

After the break, India continued to earn numerous penalty corners, and Harmanpreet Singh completed his hat-trick from one of these opportunities. Abhishek showcased his skills with a fantastic reverse-hit goal from the top of the circle. The combination of Mandeep and Abhishek led to India’s ninth goal.

Nilakanta Sharma scored from a rebound after Noyon saved Abhishek’s shot. Although India secured two more penalty corners, Bangladesh defended resolutely. In the final five minutes of the match, Gurjant and Abhishek scored two more goals to complete the emphatic victory.