Muscat, 29 Jan: Maninder Singh struck four goals as India mauled Jamaica 13-0 in their third and final pool match to enter the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey5s men’s World Cup here on Monday.
Maninder scored twice in the second minute and once each in the 28th and 29th minutes, all field goals.
Manjeet (5th, 24th), Raheel Mohammed (16th, 27th) and Mandeep Mor (23rd, 27th) struck a brace each while Uttam Singh (5th), Rajbhar Pawan (9th) and Gurjot Singh (14th) were the other scorers.
India initiated the onslaught right from the start, with Maninder scoring two quick goals through precision shots. The early momentum continued as Uttam and Manjeet also contributed with one goal each, propelling India to a commanding 4-0 lead within the first six minutes of the game.
Despite establishing a substantial lead, India maintained relentless pressure on Jamaica’s defence with persistent attacks. Pawan and Gurjot capitalised on the opportunities as India entered the half-time break with an impressive 6-0 lead.
The second half mirrored the first, as India focused on ball possession and maintained an aggressive offensive strategy. That approach proved effective as Raheel, Mandeep, Manjeet and Maninder collectively scored numerous goals, securing India’s dominant 13-0 win.
The Indian team had defeated Switzerland before losing to Egypt in its opening two Pool B matches on Sunday. However, the victory against Jamaica has confirmed India’s quarterfinal berth. (PTI)