The Indian U-18 men’s hockey team registered their third consecutive win of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as they beat Kenya 7-1 in their third Pool B match held at the Parque Polideportivo Roca on Tuesday.
India’s Sudeep Chirmako (5’, 10’), and Rabichandra Moirangthem (5’,11’) were in prime form as they scored a brace each, while skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad (8’), Sanjay (14’) and Rahul Kumar Rajbhar (17’) also scored in the convincing victory. Kenya’s only goal came in the seventh minute through Olanda Ouma.
India started the match well as they took eight shots at the Kenyan goal inside the first three minutes. It was only in the 5th minute that the Indian team took the lead through Sudeep Chirmako’s goal. The same minute saw Rabichandra Moirangthem also register his name on the score-sheet as he took India’s lead to two goals.
Kenya also threatened on the counter attack and scored their opening goal in the seventh minute through Olando Ouma as his shot was deflected off Indian keeper Prashant Chauhan’s left leg and into the back of the net.
India’s captain Vivek Sagar Prasad restored his team’s two-goal lead as he scored in the eighth minute to make the scores 3-1. It was Sudeep Chirmako who got onto the score-sheet again as he scored in the dying seconds of the first period to extend India’s lead to 4-1.
The second period also started on a positive note for the Indian team as Rabichandra Moirangthem scored his second goal of the match in the 11th minute. Three minutes later, Sanjay found himself in space inside the Kenyan half and scored with a precise finish to make the scoreline 6-1.
India kept putting pressure on the Kenyans and scored their seventh goal in the 17th minute through Rahul Kumar Rajbhar. In the last minute of the match, India were awarded a penalty corner but Kenyan keeper Paul Ongadi made a great save to deny Sanjay.
Both the Kenyan keepers, Samuel Silong and Paul Ongadi, were busy throughout the match as they made eight and six saves respectively but their efforts went in vain as India won the match convincingly 7-1.
The Indian team will now face Australia in their fourth match of the Hockey 5s competition on Thursday, 11th October 2018, at 02.15 hours.
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