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India humble Mexico in\n field hockey qualification

India player Sardar Singh, foreground, plays the ball ahead of Mexico's Sa Zuleta during their Olympic qualifying match in Santiago, Chile, on Tuesday. PHOTO: EPA

India routed Mexico 18-1 to remain unbeaten along with Great Britain at the men's Olympic field hockey qualifying tournament in Chile on Tuesday.

Also, Britain overcame host Chile 4-1, and Austria edged Russia 5-4.

Only one team will qualify for Beijing, and Britain and India, both multiple Olympic champions, are heavily favored to meet in Sunday's final. They meet today in the round robin.

Britain has won three Olympic titles, while India has won a record eight and hasn't missed a games since its debut in 1928.

They have nine points each, Austria six, and Chile three through three rounds, while Russia and Mexico are winless.

On Tuesday, Rajpal Singh and VR Raghunath scored five goals each for India, four of Raghunath's from penalty corners. Prabhjot Singh added four to give him a tournament-leading seven.

In the last minute, Pol Moreno Quiroz scored Mexico's first goal in three matches.

Chile, the only team yet to play in an Olympic Games, conceded nothing to Britain in a scoreless first half. The drought wasn't broken until the 42nd minute, when Richard Mantell scored from a penalty corner.

Esteban Kranz leveled for Chile five minutes later but three minutes after that Barry Middleton notched the go-ahead goal, and James Tindall scored twice to finish off.

A couple of Dmitry Azarov goals helped Russia lead Austria 3-2 with less than 20 minutes to go. But the first of Peter Proksch's pair equalized as Austria scored three straight, including Michael Korper's second from a penalty corner, to lead 5-3 five minutes from time.

Today, Austria meet Mexico, and Chile play Russia.
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