Men's hockey team defeats Uzbekistan 16-0 in the Asian Games 2023
The Indian men’s hockey team began its campaign with a 16-0 goal fest against Uzbekistan. In a lopsided encounter, India’s charge was powered by Varun Kumar’s four-goal effort and three goals each from Lalit Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh.
The difference between India (ranked No. 3 in the world) and Uzbekistan (No. 66) went beyond the rankings. Uzbekistan, who came through the qualifiers, are making their debut at the competition and their lack of experience, especially in defence, unravelled in quick time.
The Uzbeks managed to hold India off for a while. Upadhyay broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when he tapped in a rebound off a penalty corner. India earned a penalty corner, which Varun dragflicked to double the lead.
With a 2-0 advantage, India came back in the second quarter with renewed vigour and slotted home five goals. The highlight of the quarter was consecutive field goals from Abhishek (17th minute) and Mandeep (18th minute), which were results of quick moves inside the circle.
Result: India 16 (Varun Kumar 12, 36, 50, 52; Lalit Upadhyay 7, 24, 53; Mandeep Singh 18, 27, 28; Sukhjeet Singh 37, 42; Abhishek 17, Amit Rohidas 38, Shamsher Singh 43, Sanjay 57) bt Uzbekistan 0.
