Jakarta: The Indian men’s hockey team hammered a lowly-ranked Indonesia 17-0 to open their title defence in rousing fashion at the Asian Games, here Monday.
Three Indian players scored a hat-trick each as India toyed with the Indonesians in the lop-sided Pool A encounter.
Dilpreet Singh (sixth, 29th, 32nd min), Simranjeet Singh (13th, 38th, 53rd) and Mandeep Singh (29th, 44th, 49th) scored a hat-trick each for India, while Rupinder Pal Singh (first, second), Akashdeep Singh (10th, 44th), S V Sunil (25th), Vivek Sagar (26th), Harmanpreet Singh (31st) and Amit Rohidas (54th) were the other scorers.
It was expected to be a goal feast as Indonesians were never a match for the World No. 5 Indians. They got a chance to play in the event only by virtue of being hosts.
The floodgates opened from the onset and continued till the final hooter was blown. The Indians had 40 shots at the goal out of which they converted 17. India scored 10 field goals, six from penalty corners and one from the spot.
India will next play Hong Kong, Wednesday.