MUSCAT, AUG 25
Hosts Oman, making their debut in a big tournament, were hammered by Hong Kong 16-0 in their first match of the Asian women’s qualifiers for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup, in Salalah on Friday.
Oman are placed in the Challenger group along with Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Iran.
Higher ranked India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand are placed in the Elite group of the women’s Asian Hockey5s Qualifiers.
In the first match of the Elite group, India thrashed Malaysia 7-2 at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex hockey pitch in Salalah.
In the tournament’s opening match, Indonesia overcame the challenge of Bangladesh women 7-4.
Other matches in the Challenger group saw, Chinese Taipei smash Iran 8-3 and Hong Kong delivering second defeat to Iran with a 9-2 score.
In a later match, Bangladesh earned their first win when they thumped Chinese Taipei 10-5.
Bangladesh scored 5 each in both halves while Taipei managed 3 and 2 goals in the halves.
The Omani women were completely dominated by Hong Kong as they deposited seven goals in the first-half and added nine more in the second-half.
Chan Yi Man contributed five field goals. Other scorers were Chan Tiffany with three goals and two goals each from Wong Ching Lung, Mcneil Kirsten and Lau Pui Sze while Yick Cheuk Tung and Chui Hay Yan netted one a piece.
Oman will take on Indonesia in a late match.
In Elite group, favourites India made a confident start against Malaysia.
For India, Navjot Kaur and Dipi Monika Toppo scored two goals each while Akshata Abaso Dhekale, Mariana Kujur and Mahima Choudhary netted one goal each.
The Malaysian reply was through Wan Wan and Aziz Zafirah.
India led 3-1 in the first-half and added four more in the second-half to make the final score 7-2. Malaysia netted one each in both halves.
The Hockey5s matches are played for 20 minutes with 10 minutes of two halves. The format doesn’t have Ds and penalty area and for fouls preventing goal attempts ‘challenges’ are given with an attacker and a rival defender along with goalkeeper permitted while taking the attempt.
Pictures by Abdulwahid al Hamadani
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