Indian football team's Asian Games campaign got off to the worst possible start after it got hammered by the hosts China in its opening clash 5-1 in Hangzhou on Tuesday, September 19 while playing at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium.
India were put under pressure early on after Giao Tianyi scored a goal in the 17th minute to give China a brisk opening. However, India managed to level the score in the dying moments of the first half courtesy of a brilliant goal from Rahul KP (45+1 minute).
The second half was entirely dominated by the Chinese as they kept on attacking and managed to score four goals in the second half. Dai Weijun (51st min) led the charge for the hosts and shocked the Indian defence within the initial few minutes of the second half while a double strike (72nd and 75th minute) from Tao Qianglong acted as salt to the wounds of an Indian team that looked far from its best.
Hao Fang scored another goal and China's fifth (90+2) before the completion of the game and routed India comprehensively.
Significantly, an intriguing incident happened during the game after India's solitary goal in the 45+1 minute. As soon as Rahul scored the goal, an Indian fan in the stands was seen celebrating the goal with the Indian tricolour in his hand but a member from the organising committee approached him and asked him to sit down. The video has taken the internet by storm after surfacing online and it has the netizens talking.
Watch the video:
Several users across social media platforms have expressed their rage on the incident saying every fan has the right to gleefully celebrate when his/her team does well during a game and should not be told to abstain from the same. Meanwhile, India will next take on Bangladesh at the Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium on September 21.
