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India beat South Korea to finish in ninth spot

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The Hague: Akashdeep Singh scored two goals as India posted a comfortable 3-0 win over Asian champions South Korea to finish a lowly ninth in the men’s hockey World Cup here on Saturday.

With this win in the ninth-tenth place play-off match, India managed to avenge their 4-3 loss to South Korea in the final of last year’s Asia Cup in Malaysia.

Akashdeep opened India’s account in the sixth minute by tapping in a square-pass from SV Sunil and then rounded off the scoring with a reverse hit in a crowded circle in the 50th minute.

In between, Rupinder Pal Singh converted a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute after his penalty corner flick was stopped by a defender with the body on the goal-line.

India ended the World Cup one notch below their eighth-place finish in the New Delhi edition in 2010.

The first raid gave India the lead in the sixth minute of play when captain Sardar Singh fed Sunil the ball on the right flank in a counter-attack starting from inside the Indian circle.

Sunil moved up, down the flank beating the only defender blocking his view of the goal and drew out the Korean goalkeeper before squaring the ball for Akashdeep to flick into an open goal.

Sardar earned India their second penalty corner and resulting goal in the 42nd minute.

The penalty corner came after India sought a video referral to confirm that the ball had struck a Korean defender’s foot inside the circle. Rupinder’s drag-flick struck Hong Eun-seong’s body on the goal-line and the resultant penalty stroke was converted by the strapping defender.

Akashdeep then sent an opportunistic reverse hit into the boards in the 50th minute after a combined move between Sunil and Dharamvir Singh rattled the Korean defence.

A dismal ninth-place finish notwithstanding, Indian coach Terry Walsh chose to see the brighter side and said that the team is trying to mix the Asian and European styles of hockey.

“We’ve been mixing a bit of the Asian and European styles, but we are far from perfect. We have some way to go and we’re working on it,” said Walsh.

“It’s a long-drawn process, but I am confident the signs of change will soon become evident,” said Walsh, who went on to compliment captain Sardar Singh and the team members for trying to adapt the European style into their game.

“I take my hat off to these boys. They are trying to change, and are playing well,” he said. (PTI)

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