The Hindu : Indian girls thrash Korea, meet South Africa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2003

Sport

Sport - Afro-Asian Games

Indian girls thrash Korea, meet South Africa

By V. V. Subrahmanyam

India's Surinder Kaur (facing camera) celebrates with her teammates after scoring the first goal against Korea in the Afro-Asian Games hockey competition in Hyderabad on Tuesday. — Photo: Vino John

HYDERABAD OCT. 28. India recorded a methodical 3-0 win over Korea to set up a title clash with South Africa in the women's hockey competition of the Afro-Asian Games at the Gachibowli Hockey Complex on Tuesday. South Africa blanked Busan Asian Games gold medallist, China, 4-0, in the second semifinal.

The host was in an aggressive mood right from the start and earned four penalty corners within the first 17 minutes against a virtual second string Korea.

The wily Chanu Sanggai was seen all over the Korean defence in the company of Jasjeet Kaur and Adline Kerketta. But poor finishing put paid to some good moves.

At the other end, Korea, which earned its first penalty corner in the 19th minute, saw a solid strike by Hyun Park go just out. Soon, the Indian custodian Helen Innocent blocked another hard penalty corner hit from A. Rum Woo. The Koreans counter-attacked during this period to earn a few penalty corners, but failed to convert any of them.

Surinder and Chanu continued to work in tandem to create panic in the rival defence, but lost control of the ball inside the `D.' But India surged ahead at the stroke of the break when an alert Surinder capitalised on a deflection from the Korean goalkeeper who failed to cleanly block a penalty corner hit by Suman Bala. Surinder scooped the ball into the right corner of the goal to put India again.

The home team raised the tempo on resumption and earned its seventh penalty corner.

Another Suman strike was deflected home by Chanu as the Korean custodian, Jin Kyung Oh, blocked poorly again. The goal came in the fifth minute after half-time.

Though Korea continued to put pressure on the Indian defence with some clever moves on the right flank by Jin Ju Kim and Jong Eun Kim, the host defence, marshalled by Kanti Baa, Gurpreet Kaur and Kerketta, proved equal to the task. Even Chanu fell back to guard the Indian citadel on quite a few occasions. The fact that the Koreans failed to take advantage of four penalty corners they earned in quick succession between the 12th and 15th minutes reflected the strong Indian defence.

It was just not Korea's day as it messed up a penalty stroke in the 20th minute of the second session after Chanu committed a foul inside the `D.' Much to the chagrin of the Korean camp, Byoung Ju Sin's hit was well blocked by the Indian goalkeeper Helen diving to her right. Helen performed her job creditably, blocking most of the penalty corners with a touch of assurance.

Even as the Koreans Rum Woo and Jin Ok Jeong made some valiant attempts to score, it was India which put the issue beyond doubt when Jyoti Kukku scored the third goal off a superb combined effort.

First, Chanu dribbled to the top of the `D' from the left flank to essay a through pass to Jasjeet who deflected it towards the goal. Jyoti was quick to seize the ball and dodged past a closely marking defender to score off an acute angle to trigger off celebrations in the crowd.

India had 11 penalty corners and Koreans six, a fair indication of how organised the Indian attack was.

Superb show by South Africa

South Africa blanked defending Asian Games champion China 4-0 with a commanding performance. Coetzee Pietie, a consistent performer for South Africans put the team ahead in the third minute off a move on the right flank from Johke Kornhofa. The All-African Games silver medallist led 1-0 at the breather.

In the second half, Webber Susan Mary converted South Africa's second penalty corner with a direct hit in the 43rd minute.

And in the very next minute, Bee Kerry was quick to latch on to a lovely pass from Coetzee on the right flank and the finishing touches were given by Webber Susan Mary, in the 53rd minute.

The results (semifinals): South Africa bt China 4-0; India bt Korea 3-0.

Classification matches: Kazakhstan bt Nigeria 2-0; Kenya bt Ghana 2-1.

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