Sport

Diwakar stars in India’s first win

Ipoh: Riding on two goals by Diwakar Ram, India made a fine rally from a one goal deficit to outclass Canada 3-1 and keep itself in contention in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here on Sunday.

India dominated the proceedings, getting nine penalty corners as against two by its opponent, but trailed 0-1 at the breather only to bounce back strongly in the second session with its forwards for once showing the bite in the attack.

Canada took the lead in the ninth minute from its second penalty corner when Wayne Fernandez’s firm push sailed high into the left side of the net.

India equalised in the 45th minute when Diwakar converted a penalty stroke which was awarded after S.V. Sunil’s goal-bound push, following India’s fourth penalty corner, hit a Canadian defender. The 19-year-old Diwakar scored again in the 51st minute to put India ahead. He sounded the boards with a fine low push.

Two minutes later, captain Sardara Singh’s free-hit touched the stick of Sunil and rolled towards Shivendra Singh who gently tapped the ball into the open goal to give his side its first win from three matches.

The Canadians pressed hard late in the second-half, but in vain. Innocent Kullu and Gurbaj Singh brought some goalline saves in this spell to keep India’s lead intact.

The results: Canada 1 (Wayne Fernandes 8) lost to India 3 (Diwakar Ram 44, 51, Shivendra Singh 53); Malaysia 2 (Azlan Misron 34, S. Selvaraju 43) bt New Zealand 0; Pakistan 3 (Muhammad Zubair 10, Muhammad Saqlain 44, Waqas Akhbar 63) drew with Argentina 3 (Pedro Ibarra 31, Ignacio Juan Gilardi 50, Ricardo Ignacio Bergner 63). — Agencies

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