INCHEON (South Korea): Full-back Mohammad Imran and forwards Mohammad Rizwan Sr and Umar Bhutta slammed hat-tricks as Pakistan thrashed Sri Lanka 14-0 in the XVII Asian Games Hockey opener here on Saturday.

Defending champions Pakistan — looking to retain their Guangzhou Asian Games 2010 title in order to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics — looked in great touch as they slammed regular goals against minnows Lankans at the Seonak Hockey Stadium here on Saturday.

Imran blasted four goals by converting penalty corners while Rizwan and Umar shared six field goals. Forward Imran scored a brace while Mohammad Waqas, Mohammad Tousiq Jr scored one goal apiece to complete the tally.

Pakistan were leading 4-0 after the first quarter and added five more goals in the second period to make it 9-0 at the 10 minute mid-break. Sri Lanka then conceded five goals in the last 30 minutes to make 1t 14-0 for Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan team, featuring in the Asian Games hockey after 30 years, looked completely at sea as Pakistan gained a 2-0 in the first two minutes. Waqas put Pakistan in front with a brilliant reverse sweep in the first minute before the Sri Lanka goalkeeper and captain Thusith Darshana had even settled under the bars. As if that was not enough, Imran scooped in the first penalty corner at the top of cage in the very second minute to make it 2-0 for the Greenshirts.

As compared to Pakistan’s 14 penalty corners, Sri Lanka could secure only two in the fourth and last quarter. But Pakistani custodian Imran Butt thwarted the attempts.

Later, Pakistan head coach Shahnaz Sheikh said he was happy with the outcome of the first match and added that the players will Inshallah get better as the event progresses.

“We started brilliantly with two goals in the opening two minutes and that put Sri Lankan under great deal of pressure,” he told reporters in the post-match press conference. “We scored seven goals through penalty corners and as many through field efforts. It was a good combined effort by the team,” the former Olympian said.

He dispelled the impression that Olympians Shakeel Abbasi and Abdul Haseem Khan looked off colour in the match. “They played their part by giving regular passes but it is not possible that everyone scores in the match,” he said.

Shahnaz admitted that a good win against China on Sunday will do lot of good for the team’s morale. “The Chinese play tough hockey with a great deal of dedication they are a super-fit squad, soit will be good match tomorrow.”

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Akhtar Rasool, secretary Rana Mujahid, chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui and a few dozen Pakistanis residing in Seoul and Incheon also watched the match and cheered their team by waving the Pakistan flags.

In the other matches of the day Japan beat Bangladesh 8-0, Malaysia defeated Singapore 8 -2 and China beat Oman 5-0 in the last game.

Published in Dawn, September 21st , 2014