The Indian men’s hockey team defeated Russia 4-, while the women’s team beat USA 5-1 in the first-leg of two-legged Tokyo Olympic qualifiers in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
Women’s side led by Rani Rampal played confidently and score goals in quick succession to take home four-goal advantage going into the second leg.
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Manpreet Singh-led men’s team got tough competition from their Russian counterpart but managed to sneak in a close win. Despite not playing to their full potential they managed a two-goal lead going into the second leg.
The second leg will be played on Saturday and the aggregate winners at the end of the two-match qualifier (each for men and women) will seal their places in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
FIXTURES
Women: India vs USA, Match 2 (6 pm IST)
Men: India vs Russia, Match 2 (8 pm IST)
(With Agency Inputs)