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India slam a dozen against Japan

In a virtual warm-up match before the crucial semi-final with Singapore, India whipped Japan 12-0 to stay unbeaten in the sub-junior Asia Cup hockey tournament in Singapore, on Wednesday.

Skipper Prabodh Tirkey banged in five goals and inspired fellow players upfront as India, whose victory was a foregone conclusion, used every opportunity to score.

Goals came thick and fast with Tirkey leading from the front and fleet-footed Chinnappa helping himself to three.

The Indians may have wished for a needle sharp match before Friday's semi-final, but it turned out to be one-sided affair with Japanese forwards making only three forays into India's 16-yard area.

India earned as many as 19 penalty-corners while Japan managed just one.

Tirkey got into the act straightaway with a neat conversion of the second penalty corner in the fourth minute. Swift-mover Ravi Inder Kumar then came up with a field goal (10th minute) before Tirkey (14th) slammed in a penalty corner.

The free-scoring Indians struck two more before respite came for Japan with the half-time hooter.

Tushar Khardekar (21st) flicked one from close range and all Imtiyaz Ahmed had to do was to gently nudge into an open goal when Amajit Singh's penalty-corner hit rebounded off Japanese goalkeeper Hirayama's pads in the 33rd minute.