Sport - Afro-Asian Games   

India struggles to beat Nigeria

By V.V. Subrahmanyam

India's Len Aiyappa exults after scoring his team's fourth goal as Nigeria's Sunday Ogodugu looks on in the Afro-Asian Games hockey competition in Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: Vino John

HYDERABAD OCT. 25. Indians survived some close calls in the dying minutes but managed to record a 5-3 win over Nigeria for its second consecutive victory in the men's Pool B match in the Afro-Asian Games men's hockey competition at the Gachibowli Complex here today.

Dilip Tirkey converted of a penalty corner in the 25th minute to give India the lead. Then within minutes, Deepak Thakur came with a beautiful reverse flick from the right of the `D' off a brilliant effort from Prabhot from the left flank to make it 2-0.

To the credit of Nigerians, they were never daunted by the early setbacks as Baba Abdullahi Ndana, Nuhu Jatau and Auwolu Lamido made frequent forays but were clearly found wanting in finishing off the job. Even as they were trying to get back into the match, Sandeep Michael's diving effort gave India a 3-0 lead off yet another Prabjot contribution in the 32nd minute. At half-time the Indians led 3-0.

On resumption, it was the turn of the Nigerians to be more aggressive and it got three penalty-corners within no time. Even as India was pondering at the yellow card shown to Prabodh Tirkey in the 21st minute for dangerous tackling, Oluwa Segun Ademisoro slipped into the striking area from the left-flank to find the target. But India counter-attacked to score the fourth goal through a superb penalty-corner hit by Len Aiyappa in the 22nd minute to give India a 4-1 lead.

But the Nigerians struck twice in the last seven minutes. First, Oluwa Segun Admissoro's spectacular solo effort which started off on the left-flank and culminated in a perfect carpet drive helped reduce the margin to 2-4. However Len Aiyappa converted another penalty-corner to seal the rivals' fate in the dying seconds of the contest.

Pakistan put behind a sluggish first-half to record a 3-1 win over Egypt in the Pool B men's match.

Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi and Ghazanfar Ali scored for Pakistan while Sameh Metwally reduced the margin for Egypt.

The results:

Men: Pool B: Pakistan bt Egypt 3-1; India bt Nigeria 5-3. Pool A: Malaysia bt Ghana 5-0; Korea bt South Africa 2-0.

Women: Pool B: China bt Nigeria 3-1; Thursday's matches: Pool A: South Africa bt India 3-1; Kazakhstan bt Ghana 3-1; Pool B: Korea bt Nigeria 6-0; China bt Kenya 2-1.

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