China stuns India 3-2 in men hockey

Doha, Dec 5 (UNI) Disaster struck a disjointed India as they crashed to a humiliating 2-3 defeat to a lowly China in the pool 'B' league match of the men's hockey competition in the Asian Games here this evening.

It was a disaster waiting to happen. The Indians earned eight penalty corners but could convert only one while the Chinese got one and converted that which turned out to be the winner.

India paid the price for their incoherent and inconsistent play.

Their was no game plan, no sense of urgency and no clear cut strategy. It looked as they just trooped in to try their luck against their unfancied rivals who, unfortunately for them, turned the tables.

With a loose and uncoordinated half line, a forward line looking tired and lethargic and tentative defence, India were lucky to have lost by a one goal margin.

It may be called a sheer coincidence that China had beaten India 3-1 in women section of the tournament.

The defeat leaves a big question mark on the future of Indian hockey as it may not even qualify for the Olympics. The first two teams here will make it to the Beijing Olympics and other will have to go through the qualification round.

On the other hand, it was a red letter day for China they scored their first ever win over the eight-time Olympic Champions and much credit goes to their coach former South Korea captain King Sang Ryul.

Ryul was the captain of the Korean team which beat Indian in the final of the 1994 Hiroshima Games.

For the Chinese, who led 2-1 at half time, the goal scorers were Hu Liang (13th), Liu Xiantang (20th) and Song Yi (59th). Rajpal Singh (35th) and V Raghunath ( 61st) scored for the losers.

SPORTS-ASIAD-HOCKEY-INDIA-MEN TWO LAST DOHA The Chinese coach knew India's weakness and he fully exploited them. The winners played a defensive game and did not allow their rivals any space. It was sad to see Indian midfield functioning. They just had no clue of what was happening and less said the better about the forwards with Tushar Khandekar coming up cropper. Tejbir was a passenger and Hari Prasad and Shivendra Singh will like to forget this nightmarish tie.

The Chinese sounded the danger bugle in the 13th minute through Hu Liang who surprised the Indian defenders as he made full use of the defensive lapse to shot home the first goal and seven minutes later Liu Xiantang made it 2-0.

In fact these were the only two clear chances Chinese got and they converted them into goals.

India tried hard for the equaliser but the crowded rival defence gave them no chance Still a minute before the breather, Rajpal Singh Struck to raise the hopes of Indian fight back.

But superbly physically-fit Chinese kept looking for swift counter attacks and turnarounds and they forced their only penalty corner in the 59th minute and skipper Song Yi with a powerful drag flick scored to make it 3-1 and it was clear that Indians will not be able to equalise as the Chinese fell back to defend the lead.

The former champions forced another penalty corner in the 61st minute and this time V Raghunath scooped the ball home (2-3). After this, for the next nine minutes, Chinese raised a Great Wall around their defence and Indians could do nothing about it.

The Chinese, for once, were the deserving winners as much the Indians deserved to lose.

UNI