WLR2:India Men & Women Teams Top Points Table of the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 Delhi 2013

New Delhi, 24 February 2013: Eleventh-ranked Indian men’s team registered an easy victory against fortieth-ranked Bangladesh 5-1 on seventh and final day of the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 Delhi 2013 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium today.

Bangladesh’s Md. Mamunur Rahman Chayan scored the first goal and gave lead to his team against India through a penalty corner in first 5^th min.

Indian fought back since then and outclassed the opponents in all section of the match. India didn’t allow Bangladeshi players to keep the ball for longer duration and space for their movement. Danish Mujtaba (15^th & 64^th min), Rupinder Pal Singh (32^nd min – PC), Akashdeep Singh (50^th min) and Malak Singh (58^th min) scored for India to win the last match.

With 15 points, India is at the top of the points table ahead of Ireland who collected 12 points from five matches.

Danish Mujtaba was adjudged as the Hero Player of the Match and for this achievement, Hockey India awarded Rs. 1 Lakh cash prize to Sardar Singh. Also, title sponsor Hero MotoCorp awarded Rs. 2 Lakh to Sardar Singh for being adjudged Hero Player of the Tournament.

Meanwhile, Twelfth-ranked Indian women’s team outplayed twentieth-ranked Russia 1-0 in a tough contest on seventh and final day of the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 today.

Both the teams played defensive shots fairly well, due to which none of the team scored in half time. Score-line was changed in 51st min as Rani scored the lone goal to win the match for India.

India and Japan top the points table with 13 points each but India is ahead of Japan as India won four matches and drew one. Whereas, Japan won three matches and drew two.

Rani was adjudged as the Hero Player of the Match and for this achievement, Hockey India awarded Rs. 1 Lakh cash prize to Jaspreet Kaur. Also, title sponsor Hero MotoCorp awarded Rs. 2 Lakh to Jaspreet Kaur for being adjudged Hero Player of the Tournament.

Twenty second-ranked Malaysia women’s team gave frustrating competition to ninth-ranked Japan in first half but lost the battle 0-4 on seventh and final day today.

The match started with felicitation of Japan’s Miyuki Nakagawa who completed her 200 international matches today.

Malaysian team didn’t give enough space in the midfield and kept Japanese team engaged through-out the first half. However, Ayaka Nishimura from Japan broke the wall and scored first goal in 31st min followed by Aki Mitsuhashi (45th min – PC), Akiko Kato (51st min) and Aya Ueda (55th min).

Aki Mitsuhashi from Japan was adjudged as the Hero Player of the Match for her tactical attack penalty corner.

In the first men’s match of the day, 15th -ranked Ireland whipped 18th -ranked China 4-0 in a one-sided Round 2 match here. Though, the match was tough but Ireland team performed extremely well as per their ranking and didn’t give space to their opponents throughout the match.

Peter Brown scored the first goal of the match in the 12th minute and Shane O Donoghue scored hat-trick in 35th, 39th & 50th min through penalty corner due to which is was adjudged Hero Player of the Match.

Thirty sixth-ranked Oman men’s team beat seventieth-ranked Fiji 7-3 in a hard fought match earlier today.

Fiji played an attacking game since the first minute of the match and kept the Omani defenders busy in the first half. Fiji opened the account with Captain Hector Smith’s goal in the 2nd min. Within a few seconds, Oman Captain Samir Haliyas Al Shibli equalised the score in the 2nd min.

Fijians fought back as James Saqacala (4th min) and Leevan Dutta (14th min) scored two back to back goals to take the lead in the match. Before the half-time whistle, Oman’s Ahmed Sabeel Al Balushi scored the second goal for his team in the 22nd min.

Oman team came back in the second half strongly and very soon they scored three goals with the help of Mahmood Salim Al Hasani (40th), Ahmed Sabeel Al Balushi (42nd) and Mohamed Hubais Al Shar (48th) to dominate the match there on.

In the 68th minute, Oman got their sixth goal through an own goal. In the very next minute, skipper Samir Haliyas Al Shibli scored again and took the score to 7-3.

Fiji could not come back in the match and lost their last league match of the Round 2. Oman Captain Samir Haliyas Al Shibli was adjudged Hero Player of the Match for his two goals and leading the team to victory.

In the first women’s match of the day, 33rd-ranked Kazakhstan thrashed 59th-ranked Fiji 4-0 in the Round 2 match here.

Kazakhstan Captain Natalya Gataulina opened the account in the 5th min through a penalty and kept the domination through-out the match. The No. 10 jersey holder Vera Domashneva scored two goals in both halves in the 10th and 48th minute.

Gulnara Imangaliyeva scored the fourth goal in 63rd-minute and maintained the score-line till the final whistle. Fijian girls gave some tough time to their opponents but their poor ball possession cost the match.

Vera Domashneva was adjudged Hero Player of the Match for her two goals.

Awards in Men’s Category

Top Goal Scorer – VR Raghunath (IND) and Alan Sothern (IRL) – 8 goals each

Best Player of the Tournament – Sardar Singh (IND)

Best Defender – VR Raghunath (IND)

Best Goalkeeper – David Harte (IRL)

Best Forward Player – Alan Sothern (IRL)

Best Mid-fielder – Rashel Mahmud (Jimmy) (BAN)

Awards in Women’s Category

Top Goal Scorer – Rani (IND) – 7 goals

Best Player of the Tournament – Jaspreet Kaur (IND)

Best Defender – Jaspreet Kaur (IND)

Best Goalkeeper – Susana Mudunatagi (FIJ)

Best Forward Player – Siti Rahmah Othman (MAS)

Best Mid-fielder – Sachimi Iwao (JPN)