Sandeep double takes India past Pakistan, into semis

Sandeep Singh scored two goals as India stormed into the Asian Games men's hockey semi-finals with a 3-2 win over Pakistan on Saturday, their fourth success over their arch-rivals this year.

The penalty corner specialist slammed one in each half and Dharamvir Singh chipped in with the third goal as India recorded their third consecutive win in group B to move into the last four.

India have nine points ahead of Sunday's last league match against Japan, who are level with Pakistan on six points each.

India beat Pakistan 4-1 at the World Cup in March, won 4-2 in the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia in May and hammered the rivals 7-4 at last month's Commonwealth Games.

The match began on a rousing note as Sandeep put India ahead in the second minute and striker Rehan Butt drew level for Pakistan in the fourth.

India took a 2-1 lead by half-time as Dharamvir swooped on a pass from the centre to flick the ball past the rushing goalkeeper Salman Akbar in the 16th minute.

An error from Indian defender Dhananjay Mahadik, who failed to clear a loose ball, allowed veteran Shakeel Abbasi to net Pakistan's equaliser eight minutes into the second session.

India earned their second penalty corner five minutes later and Sandeep once again executed a perfect flick to make it 3-2.

Pakistan's only penalty corner of the match, which came in the 58th minute, did not succeed as Indian goalkeeper Bharat Chetri leaped in the air to deflect Sohail Abbas' stinging drag flick.

Pakistan's final attempt at drawing level for the second time in the match was wasted as Abbasi failed to trap a good pass from the right.

Pakistan, who won the last of their seven Asian Games gold medals in Beijing in 1990, have not bagged a major title since the World Cup triumph in Sydney in 1994.

They face Bangladesh on Sunday with their hopes of making the semi-finals hanging in the balance.

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