Chances of India winning medal at Asian Games are high: Sardar Singh

Jakarta [Indonesia], August 22 (ANI): Indian hockey player Sardar Singh has said that India stand high chances of clinching a medal in the ongoing 18th edition of the Asian Games.

The comment came after Indian men's hockey team notched up a 26-0 victory against a hapless Hong-Kong China in their second Pool A match on Wednesday.

With this victory, India registered their highest ever victory margin in the history of the Asian Games.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "I would like to congratulate the whole team and I think it's a very big achievement as the team broke the earlier record of 17 goals. Every player made an effort and we have got the result."

"The kind of opportunities that we have, if we unveil them timely then I am sure our chances of victory would be high," he added.

Hong-Kong China had a little chance against a strong Indian defence that kept them from entering the striking circle. The Indian attackers, meanwhile, ran riot scoring insatiable goals at a heady pace.

India's drag-flick expert Rupinder Pal Singh scored a maximum of five goals while his young compatriot Harmanpreet Singh scored four.

A hat-trick of goals was scored by striker Akashdeep Singh and Manpreet Singh. Lalit Upadhyay and Varun Kumar scored twice while SV Sunil Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mandeep Singh, Amit Rohidas, Dilpreet Singh, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Simranjeet Singh and Surender Kumar too contributed to India's scoreline.

This performance took India's total score in the tournament thus far to a marvellous 43 goals.

India remained consistent with their goal-conversion rate with 42 per cent as they scored 26 goals from 59 shots. They made 38 field goal attempts to score 17 of them while they won 21 Penalty Corners and scored 9 goals from it.

India will play their next match against Japan on August 24.

India's total medal tally at the ongoing 18th edition of the prestigious event stands at eleven with four gold, three silver, and four bronze. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI