India top points-table with four wins in a row

GUANGZHOU: Star drag-flicker Sandeep Singh continued his goal-scoring spree as India defeated Japan 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win and finished atop the points-table in group B of the Asian Games men's hockey competition, on Sunday.

Sandeep kept a cent per cent record in penalty corners today, converting the two short corners India earned in the day with precision in the 38th and 62nd minute to see his team finish the preliminary stage on an impressive note.

However, it was captain Rajpal Singh (31st minute) who drew parity for India after Japan had surged ahead with a Hiroki Sakamoto strike in the 21st minute.

And then seven minutes later Sandeep converted the first of his two set pieces with a fierce drag-flick to ensure his team a 2-1 lead at the breather.

Crossing over, both the teams struggled hard for goals till the 62nd minute when Sandeep once again was bang on target from India's second penalty corner.

Japan, however, pulled one back a minute later through another field strike from Sakamoto.

With four wins out of as many matches, India finished on top of Group B with 12 points, while arch-rivals Pakistan finished second with nine points.

India will now take on the second placed team from Group A -- the winners of the match between China or Malaysia later in the day -- in the semifinals on November 24 while Pakistan will be up against formidable Korea.

Read more: India top points-table with four wins in a row - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/India-top-points-table-with-four-wins-in-a-row/articleshow/6964647.cms#ixzz15z0cKEK2

Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for first time in 12 years Read more: Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for fir

NEW DELHI: Indian rowers scripted history after settling for two sliver medals for the first time in 12 years in the men's four and men's lightweight four events respectively on the sixth day of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

India's Anil Kumar, Saji Thomas, Ranjit Singh and Jenil Krishnan claimed the silver medal in the men's four event. China won the gold while Uzbekistan took the bronze.

In the lightweight men's four, Lokesh Kumar, Manjeet Singh, Rajesh Kumar Yadav and Satish Joshi finished second to win silver. Japan took the gold while Hong Kong settled for bronze.

Earlier in the day, India's Sania Mirza brushed aside Hong Kong's Chan Wing Yau in under an hour, showing no signs of the illness which forced her out of the women's team tournament, as she eased through her Asiad opener on Thursday.

Mirza, whose world ranking has slumped to 166 after a series of injuries, won 6-1, 6-0 and now tackles either Chinese sixth seed Zhang Shuai or Malika Rana of Nepal for a place in the quarterfinals.

With the addition of two silver medals, India's medal tally rose to one gold, seven silver and seven bronze but the collection could have been far better had the shooters lived upto their reputation on Wednesday.

Unheralded Sandhyarani Devi proved to be the saving grace for India by bagging a silver medal in wushu on Wednesday. The Manipuri lost 0-2 to Iran's Khadijeh Azadpour in the 60 kg final to fetch the second medal from the event.

Read more: Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for first time in 12 years - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/Indian-rowers-script-history-win-two-silver-medals-for-first-time-in-12-years/articleshow/6945510.cms#ixzz15bapdkmF