20 December,2023 06:56 PM IST | Valencia | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Image (Pic: AFP)
Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh struck a brace each as the Indian men's hockey team beat France 5-4 in its fourth and final match to notch up its lone win in the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 on Wednesday.
Jugraj scored in the 20th and 60th minutes while Harmanpreet found the target in the 25th and 56th minutes. Vivek Sagar Prasad (16th) struck once in the match that went back and forth throughout its duration.
India thus ended their largely disappointing campaign with a win. They had lost all their earlier three matches in the tournament -- 0-1 to Spain, 2-7 to Belgium and 2-3 to Germany.
France are the lowest-ranked side at ninth while India are at third.
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Earlier, India's woeful run in the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 continued as it lost 2-3 against Germany to slump to its third consecutive defeat on Tuesday.
Abhishek (9th minute) and Shamsher Singh (14th) found the back of the net for India in the first quarter before the Germans fought back with strikes from Malte Hellwig (28th), Christopher Ruhr (50th) and Gonzalo Peillat (51st).
Besides, India had earlier lost to Spain (0-1) and Belgium (2-7) respectively. The Indians, though, started on a bright note and raced to a 2-0 lead.
In women's hockey, India suffered its second consecutive defeat by going down 1-2 to Belgium in the 5 Nations Tournament on Sunday. Belgium won the match riding on goals from Ambre Ballenghien (22') and Louise Versavel (37'). Meanwhile, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke (56') scored the only goal for India on Saturday. India had lost 2-3 to Spain in the opener.
The breakthrough finally came in the second quarter as Ambre scored, giving Belgium the lead going into the half-time break. Both teams were eager to score next and it was Versavel's shot on goal, early in the third quarter. In the dying moments of the game, Vaishnavi scored. India next face Germany on December 19.
(With agency inputs)
