Splendid start by India
HARPREET KAUR LAMBA
On expected lines, India pumped in a barrage of goals to open their Olympic qualifiers campaign here in style. They steamrolled Singapore 15-1 to set the tone for the nine-day tournament.
Singapore, ranked 41st in the world, were never in the reckoning and that showed in the 5th minute of the game.
Forwards S.K. Uthappa, Gurvinder Singh Chandi and Shivendra Singh combined well to beat the entire Singapore back and half-line, making their way to the rival `Dee’. Their effort did not earn India a goal, but it was a glimpse of what was to follow.
Chandi brought up the first goal off a combined effort in the 10th minute, while medio Sardar Singh added another effortlessly seconds later.
The entire Singapore lot was at sea as the Indians came charging in -the gulf between the two teams growing by the minute. For India, chasing the elusive London Games dream, it was crucial to post a big win, and the team did that in an exemplary manner.
Goals kept pouring in, with Shivendra and Danish Mujtaba taking turns to put the score at 6-0. Such was the tempo of the game in the opening half that goalkeeper Bharat Chetri could afford to let his guard down! India appeared relaxed in the second half, resulting in a Singapore goal in the 39th minute. Enrico Elifth Marican sent a rasping shot past the Indian defence and celebrated with a pumped fist -the visitors’ only high moment in the lop-sided match.
The formalities were completed by Tushar Khandker, Sandeep Singh, S.K. Uthappa, Yuvraj Walmiki and S.V. Sunil as India rounded off their biggest win ever against Singapore.
The last record was 12-0 in the 1982 Asia Cup in Karachi.
CANADA DAZZLE WITH BIG WIN
Earlier, Canada made their intentions clear with a 9-0 rout of Italy in their opening match.
The 39-year old Rob Short manned the team admirably and was the architect of their victory, with deft moves and clever passing. Besides Short, the others to get their names on the score sheet were Matt Guest (two), David Jameson, Hudson Stewart, Iain Smythe, Philip Wright, and Scott Tupper.
France had to labour to a 2-1 win over Poland in another match. TODAY’S RESULTS Men Italy 0 lost to Canada 9 (David Jameson 13, Matt Guest 20 and 56, Rob Short 34 and 57, Hudson Stewart 39, Iain Smythe 54, Philip Wright 60, Scott Tupper 65).
France 2 (Hugo Genestet 9, Lucas Sevestre 39) bt Poland 1 (Szymon Oszyjczyk 41) India 15 (Gurvinder Singh Chandi 10, 21, 40, Sardar Singh 11, Shivendra Singh 18, 30, Danish Mujtaba 25, Tushar Khandker 42, Sandeep Singh 47, S.K. Uthappa 48, Yuvraj Walmiki 53, S.V. Sunil 57, Birender Lakra 70) bt Singapore 1 (Enrico Elifth Abdul Lathif Marican 39) LIVE ON TEN SPORTS: MEN: SINGAPORE VS FRANCE 4PM | INDIA VS ITALY 8 PM | WOMEN: SOUTH AFRICA VS UKRAINE 2PM | INDIA VS CANADA 6 PM