BUSAN, (South Korea), Sept 30: Seven-time champions Pakistan scored a comfortable 8-3 win over China in Group B of the men’s hockey competition at the Gangseo Stadium here Monday.

Hosts South Korea and defending champions India also regisetered comfortable victories. The South Koreans played an attacking second-half for a 4-0 verdict over Japan, while India shrugged off a first-half scare to beat Hong Kong 5-1.

Pakistan’s Group B match was a one-sided affair despite an early goal from underdogs China.

Kashif Jawwad scored three times, while penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas and Mohammad Nadeem found the mark twice each for Pakistan, looking for their eighth Asian Games gold.

Salim Khalid was the other marksman for them.

China drew first blood, but faced a flurry of attacks from Pakistan from then on. Song Yi’s sixth-minute goal did not help his team as they trailed 7-1 by the 46th minute.

Zhang Xiahoui and Hu Hui Ren scored two late goals for China even as Pakistan tried out most of their players with the match in control.

The Pakistan attack worked well in tandem with the midfield and the goals came almost at will. The only worry was the number of goals conceded in the match.

“We shouldn’t have conceded three goals. But at least it was good to see the midfielders and our attack-line play so well,” said Pakistan coach Tahir Zaman.

“The goals conceded by us were not because of any great play by China but rather due to our own mistakes.”

Pakistan play their next match against Bangladesh Friday while China take on Malaysia.

South Korea played tighter in their Group A win over Japan, going from strength to strength as the match progressed.

Captain Kang Keon-Wook, Hwang Jong-Hyun, Song Seung-Tae and Shin Seok-Kyo accounted for a goal each as the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games champions started their bid to regain the title.

Japan looked good in the first-half, but the Koreans played a more attacking game after the breather to run away with the match.

The Japanese defence failed to come to terms with the repeated forays from South Korea and would have conceded more goals but for some fine goalkeeping from Yasuhiro Nobui.

South Korean skipper Kang scored an opportunistic first goal in the 20th minute off a defence lapse by Japanese defender Atsushi Takehara.

Hwang scored in the 39th minute off a cross from Seok Kyung-Kim on the right, while Song, in the 43rd minute, and Shin, after 58, converted penalty-corners.

In an earlier Group A match, India looked lacklustre without star player Dhanraj Pillay, who was brought on as a substitute to help them take charge when the score was 2-1.

The team management was planning to rest Pillay, but they had to field him as Hong Kong looked dangerous towards the end of the first-half, earning five penalty corners in a space of 25 minutes.

Striker Gagan Ajit Singh slammed in two goals, defender Jugraj Singh converted two penalty strokes while Daljit Singh shot in once for India. Captain Farooq Saeed was on target for Hong Kong.

After two early strikes through Gagan Ajit (penalty-corner) and Daljit (field goal), Kamal Preet Singh missed a penalty stroke as India struggled to take the initiative.

But the complexion of the game changed after Pillay’s introduction along with that of Jugraj.

Indian coach Rajinder Singh was not happy at the result.

“We should have scored at least 10 goals,” he said.

“Though we did try out some new combinations and even taking into consideration that the players were just settling down, we should have done better.—AFP

Pakistan 8 China 3

South Korea 4 Japan 0

India 5 Hong Kong 1