<p>Ahmedabad: Indian men’s and women’s water polo teams started their campaign in the group stages of the Asian Aquatics Championships with one-sided defeats to Singapore here on Saturday.</p>.<p>The women’s team went down 10-23 in the morning session while the men lost 8-20 in the last group match of the day.</p>.<p>The unranked men’s team, however, started brightly as they took the lead thrice in the opening quarter with their lead striker Bhagesh Kuthe and team-mate Sarang Vaidya scoring early on. World No. 26 Singapore responded to each goal quickly and before the home side could realise, the South East Asians took 4-3 lead by the end of the second quarter.</p>.From reluctant swimmers to winners.<p>India, however, suffered big blow early in the second quarter as Bhagesh was permanently suspended from the match following his third major foul. It was all Singapore show from there on for the next three quarters with their Indian-origin captain Sanjiv Rajandra scoring four goals while Wen Zeh Goh managed a hat-trick.</p>.<p>The gulf in quality was apparent as Singaporeans only look better by effectively using the rolling substitutions to rest and rotate players. The story was similar in the women’s game early in the morning. But they had positives to take from the game as Risha Purokayastha scored a hat-trick. She was backed by Kripa Ranichithra, who scored a brace too before World No. 19 side overwhelmed them with their quality.</p>.<p>Despite the defeats, India’s road to the quarterfinals seems comfortable as the men’s team need to finish among the top four in the five-team Group A while the women’s team will qualify for quarters even if they don’t register a win in their four-team Group A. But any favourable result will make their knockout draw easier.</p>.<p>India men’s team face Japan on Sunday followed by Kazakhstan and heavyweights Japan in back-to-back games while women’s team will take on Uzbekistan (October 7) and Japan (Oct 8) in their remaining group matches.</p>.<p><strong>Results: Men:</strong> China: 9 lt to Iran: 14; Thailand: 12 lt to Japan: 24; Singapore: 20 bt India: 8.</p>.<p><strong>Women:</strong> India: 10 lt to Singapore: 23; Kazakhstan: 12 lt to Thailand: 14.</p>
<p>Ahmedabad: Indian men’s and women’s water polo teams started their campaign in the group stages of the Asian Aquatics Championships with one-sided defeats to Singapore here on Saturday.</p>.<p>The women’s team went down 10-23 in the morning session while the men lost 8-20 in the last group match of the day.</p>.<p>The unranked men’s team, however, started brightly as they took the lead thrice in the opening quarter with their lead striker Bhagesh Kuthe and team-mate Sarang Vaidya scoring early on. World No. 26 Singapore responded to each goal quickly and before the home side could realise, the South East Asians took 4-3 lead by the end of the second quarter.</p>.From reluctant swimmers to winners.<p>India, however, suffered big blow early in the second quarter as Bhagesh was permanently suspended from the match following his third major foul. It was all Singapore show from there on for the next three quarters with their Indian-origin captain Sanjiv Rajandra scoring four goals while Wen Zeh Goh managed a hat-trick.</p>.<p>The gulf in quality was apparent as Singaporeans only look better by effectively using the rolling substitutions to rest and rotate players. The story was similar in the women’s game early in the morning. But they had positives to take from the game as Risha Purokayastha scored a hat-trick. She was backed by Kripa Ranichithra, who scored a brace too before World No. 19 side overwhelmed them with their quality.</p>.<p>Despite the defeats, India’s road to the quarterfinals seems comfortable as the men’s team need to finish among the top four in the five-team Group A while the women’s team will qualify for quarters even if they don’t register a win in their four-team Group A. But any favourable result will make their knockout draw easier.</p>.<p>India men’s team face Japan on Sunday followed by Kazakhstan and heavyweights Japan in back-to-back games while women’s team will take on Uzbekistan (October 7) and Japan (Oct 8) in their remaining group matches.</p>.<p><strong>Results: Men:</strong> China: 9 lt to Iran: 14; Thailand: 12 lt to Japan: 24; Singapore: 20 bt India: 8.</p>.<p><strong>Women:</strong> India: 10 lt to Singapore: 23; Kazakhstan: 12 lt to Thailand: 14.</p>