LONDON – India beat Pakistan 6-1 in a 5-8 position classification playoff in the Hockey World League Semi-Final at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday.
A Ramandeep Singh double along with goals from Talwinder Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh was enough to get the job done for India. Ajaz Ahmad scored Pakistan’s consolation goal in Q3.
The win is India’s second in a row over Pakistan in the tournament after a 7-1 result in their first match. The Indians will take on Canada in the 5th-6th place match on Sunday.
FT! A scintillating display by India as they secure a comfortable win over Pakistan in the Hero Men’s #HWL2017 SF in London on 24th June. pic.twitter.com/lcXnI0ovUu
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 24, 2017
#HWL2017 @salaamhockey v @TheHockeyIndia https://t.co/xLgdQWpmQn pic.twitter.com/RB7BaGnnVB
— FIH (@FIH_Hockey) June 24, 2017
The lineup’s are announced as India takes on Pakistan in the Hero Men’s #HWL2017 SF in London on 24th June.#IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/yCnySen7G5
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 24, 2017
The green shirts were earlier beaten 7-1 by India in the league pool. Pakistan exhibited dismal run in the league which is the qualifying round of the next year’s World Hockey Cup, suffering from three
back-to-back defeats in the league matches as Holland beat them 4-0 with Canada giving them a 6-0 thrashing, followed by loss to India.
Pakistan once the powerhouse of hockey, now a pale shadow of their glittering past notched up the only win of the World Hockey league by defeating little known Scotland 3-1.
With such a dismal show, Pakistan got into the quarter finals of the league when Canada which needed a win against Scotland to make it to the quarter finals played a 1-1 draw.
However, in the quarter finals, Pakistan faced mighty Olympic and World champions, Argentina which beat the green shirts 3-1. In the other quarter finals, Malaysia beat India 3-2, Holland thrashed China 7-0, England beat Canada 4-2.
The number ninth and tenth position in the league has already been decided as in another classification match, South Korea beat Scotland 6-3. In another classification match (5th to 8th place) Canada will take on China.
In the first semi-final, Argentina will face off Malaysia on Saturday and England will lock horns with Netherlands in the other semi-final on the same day.
Argentina, Malaysia, Holland and England being the semi-finalist teams of the league have qualified for the World Cup. Pakistan set to face India with hope of a finish as good as fifth in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London today (Saturday).
The winner between Pakistan and India will next face Canada for a fifth-sixth place then. Earlier in the tournament, India beat Pakistan 7-1.
