Nagoya, September 20 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian men’s hockey team delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, defeating Indonesia 13-1. Head coach Craig Fulton expressed satisfaction with the team’s strong start in Pool A but emphasized the need for improvement ahead of their next match against Sri Lanka on September 22.
In this commanding victory, eight different players scored for India, with Dilpreet Singh netting four goals. Shilanand Lakra and Sukjeet Singh contributed two goals each, while Abhishek, Rajinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Jugraj Singh also found the back of the net.
Following the match, Fulton shared his thoughts in a video released by Hockey India. “Yes, I’m happy with the first game. I think the boys played well across all four quarters. It wasn’t an easy game. Obviously, we had more ball control. Full credit to Indonesia; they kept playing until the end. A score of 13-1 is certainly good. There were some great moments in our game, but there are definitely areas where we can improve, and we will focus on that for the second game against Sri Lanka,” he stated.
India took an early lead with goals from Shilanand and Abhishek, making it 2-0 in the first quarter. They maintained full control in the second quarter, with Dilpreet scoring two quick goals, followed by contributions from Rajinder, Mandeep, and Harmanpreet, leading to a 7-0 advantage by halftime.
Indonesia managed to score in the 33rd minute through captain Aulia Al Ard’s penalty corner, but India quickly regained dominance. Shilanand, Dilpreet, and Sukjeet added goals, bringing the score to 10-1 by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, Jugraj, Sukjeet, and Dilpreet scored three more goals, with Dilpreet completing his hat-trick in the 49th minute.
Fulton acknowledged that the team could have converted more chances and stressed the need to strengthen their defense after conceding a goal. “It was a good start, but there is room for improvement. Clearly, we conceded a goal and missed some scoring opportunities, but overall, it was a solid win, and we are pleased with it,” he concluded.
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