The Indian men's hockey team registered a comprehensive 16-1 victory over Singapore in their Pool A match at the Asian Games on Tuesday, September 26. However, the team's defence was once again found wanting, as they conceded a solitary goal to their opponents.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh led the way for India with four goals, while Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick. The other scorers for India were Akashdeep Singh (2), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (2), Sukhjeet Singh (1), Shamsher Singh (1), and Jugraj Singh (1).
Singapore's only goal came through a penalty corner in the second quarter. The penalty corner was awarded after India's defence was caught napping and conceded a free-hit inside their own circle.
While the Indian team's victory is commendable, the fact that they conceded a goal to a relatively weaker team is a cause for concern. The team's defence has been a liability in recent matches, and they will need to tighten up if they want to challenge for a medal at the Asian Games.
India's coach Graham Reid is aware of the team's defensive woes, and he has promised to work on them ahead of their next match against Japan on Thursday, September 28.
"We need to tighten our defence. We can't afford to give away soft goals like that," Reid said. "We will work on our defensive drills in the next few days to make sure that we are better prepared for our next match."
It remains to be seen whether India's defence will be able to improve in time for the next match. However, if they want to have any chance of winning a medal at the Asian Games, they will need to find a way to shore up their backline.
