KARACHI, 23 April 2004 — India’s dangerous short corner specialist Sandeep Singh showed his class as the reigning world junior champions massacred helpless Sri Lanka 17-1 in the 5th Junior Asia Cup here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium yesterday.
Sandeep, 19, scored seven goals most of them coming through lightning drag flicks to climb up as the event’s top scorer so far with a tally of ten goals.
In addition to stamping their superiority in the short corner department, India also displayed their lethal attack in what was this tournament’s biggest victory margin yet surpassing Pakistan’s 15-1 rout of Chinese-Taipei a day earlier.
Sandeep, a Patiala-born youngster and brother of Indian star Jugraj Singh, was in devastating form right from the very start of the match.
“He (Sandeep) showed that he is mentally tough and determined and the way he is playing here is a good sign for us,” said India coach Harindera Singh.
India are focusing on their biggest group clash against Malaysia as a win in that game will give them a semifinal place as the top finishers in Group B.
Sandeep drag flicked one off a short corner in the very first minute of the match, the angle just too perfect for Sri Lanka’s goalie Thusitha Ratnasiri to handle. He got another chance four minutes later but his flick missed the target. India got their third short corner in the 11th minute and this time Sandeep’s attempt earned them a penalty stroke which he himself converted easily to make it 2-0.
Between the 15th and 25th minutes, the free-flowing Indians scored four more goals through Hari Prasad, D. Muthuselvan, skipper Sandeep Michael and Sandeep Singh to go ahead 6-0. A 34th minute goal by Girish Pimpale on a short corner rebound gave India a 7-0 lead at half-time.
By the 48th minute, India had scored six more goals to go up 13-0. It was Sandeep Singh who opened the scoring in the second session with an accurate flick off India’s 12th short corner. Goals came in quick succession during the next 11 minutes with Nitin Kumar, Hari Prasad, Tushar Hadnker contributing the goals while Sandeep Singh converted two more short corners.
Then in the 50th minute came the best moment of the match for the Sri Lankans when skipper H.S Hettiarachchi made full use of a casual Indian defense and scored with a stinging shot from the top of the circle to give his team its first goal in the competition. Not too worried after conceding the goal, Indians continued to torment their opponents with four more goals by Sandeep Singh, Sandeep Michael, Muthuselvan and Handker.
Earlier short corner executioner Jong Hyun Jang and Sung Kweon Shn scored two goals each to help defending champions Korea record a 5-0 win over minnows Singapore. Three of the five Korean goals came off short corners. The Koreans refrained from exerting too much in the easy Pool A game and were never in a hurry to score goals. They led 2-0 at half-time with both goals coming through Jang.
Sung scored his two goals in the second session Chang Yong Yeo netted the ball once to complete a 5-0 whitewash. It was Korea’s second straight win the competition as they remain in hunt for a last-four place from Group A. Pakistan with two big wins remain on top of the group on points difference and play their third game against Japan today.
