Colombia take second victory

12 Jun. 2019

Colombia take second victory

The final round four match for Group A at the 3rd IHF Emerging Nations Championship saw Colombia record their second victory and join P.R. of China on four points. India put up a solid fight and were close until the 55-minute mark, but missed out on taking their first win at Georgia 2019.

GROUP A
Colombia vs India 41:36 (22:18)

Despite the defeat, it was the best match for India at the Emerging Nations Championship so far. They were well in with a chance to take the two points up until the last five minutes, as Colombia’s advantage stood at two goals, 37:35, before the Pan American team recorded a 4:1 run to the buzzer.

One key to India’s improved performance was the contribution of more players than previous games. Coach Shivaji Sindhu was able to rely on more of his squad to hit the goal than in the last match, versus P.R. of China, and it kept India in touch throughout the game. However, India were still led by a stand-out attacker, with Devinder Singh scoring 13 goals.

Colombia reached a comfortable lead of five goals, 20:15, in the first half, and extended that to an advantage as large as seven, 28:21, in the 36th minute. After 29:22 with just over 20 minutes on the clock, India started to come back.

A 5:0 run from the 46th minute to the 50th brought, helped by some important saves from goalkeeper Lucky, brought India within two goals at 34:32. But the Asian team could not come closer than that, and Colombia regained control in the final minutes.

Players of the match:
Colombia: Santiago Mosquera
India: Devinder Singh