India begin SAG campaign on mixed note

Dhaka: Regional behemoth India`s 11th South Asian Games campaign got off to a bitter-sweet start today

with their women football team whipping Sri Lanka here but their men`s squad went down to Afghanistan in Chittagong. The women`s team rode on Moriangthem`s hat-trick to pound Sri Lanka 8-1 at the Bir Shrestha Mostafa Kamal Stadium here but their male counterparts went down 0-1 to Afghanistan at the M A Aziz Stadium in Chittagong. Competition was held only in football discipline today. The match between the Indian eves and their Sri Lankan counterparts was a lop-sided affair with Moriangthem striking in the ninth, 56th and 59th minutes. Among her teammates, Naoba Chaun scored back-to-back goals in the 82nd and 83rd minutes, while Sasmita (45th), Yumnam (51st) and Pinky Bompal (90+1) completed the rout. Sri Lanka reduced the margin through Pushpa Ekanayaka in the 74th minute. Indian men`s team, however, began their campaign with a defeat with Belal Arezou scoring the winner. PTI