Harmanpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh scored a brace each as the Indian men’s hockey team routed Canada 8-0 in their third match and jumped to the top of Pool B at the Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.
Harmanpreet (7th, 54th minute) converted two penalty corners while Akashdeep Singh (38th, 60th) scored two fine field goals. Amit Rohidas (10th), Lalit Upadhyay (20th), Gurjant Singh (27th) and Mandeep Singh (58th) were the other goal scorers for India.
With this win, India overtook England to reach the top of the pool. They will play Wales in their final group match on Thursday.
The women’s team too defeated Canada 3-2 to enter the semi-finals.
Salima Tete (third minute) and Navneet Kaur (22nd) took India ahead, but Canada drew level through Brienne Stairs (23rd) and Hannah Haughn (39th).
Locked 2-2, Janneke Schopman’s girls responded brilliantly when Lalremsiami scored off a rebound, after a penalty corner in the 51st minute.
Judo medal
Judoka Tulika Mann, who was assured of a medal after booking a final berth, won silver in the women’s 78kg after losing to Scotland’s Sarah Adlington. The 22-yearold performed an ‘Ippon’ to humble New Zealand’s Sydnee Andrews within three minutes in the semi-final match earlier
The only other Indian, Deepak Deswal, went down to Fiji’s Tevita Takawaya in the men’s 100kg repechage.
Hope in squash
The mixed doubles pair of veteran Joshna Chinappa and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu progressed to the pre-quarter finals in squash. They defeated Sri Lanka’s Yeheni Kuruppu and Ravindu Laksiri 8-11, 11-4, 11-3.
Earlier in the day, Sunayna Kuruvilla defeated Fung-AFat of Guyana 11-7, 13-11, 11-2 in the women’s squash singles plate final.
In lawn bowls, the Indian women’s pair of Lovely Choubey and Nayanmoni Saikia beat Hina Rereiti and Olivia Buckingham of Niue 23-6.
In the men’s singles event, Mridul Borgohain humbled Chris Locke of Falkan Islands 21-5 in a one-sided affair.
Discus throwers Seema Punia and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon disappointed as they finished fifth and eight respectively in the final.
