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Asian Games: Saudi Arabia crushes Indonesia in one-sided handball match
Indonesia suffered a crushing defeat to Saudi Arabia, going down 13-47 in a group stage match of the men's handball competition of the 2018 Asian Games on Friday.
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Asian Games mascot Atung the Bawean deer plays handball. (Courtesy of/Inasgoc)
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seasoned Saudi Arabia men's handball team defeated an inexperienced Indonesian outfit 47-13 in their Group C match of the 2018 Asian Games at the POPKI Sports Hall in Cibubur, East Jakarta, on Friday. Saudi Arabia also cemented its position at the top the group.
Dressed in red and white, supporters of the home crowd dominated the venue, which can accommodate around 1,400 fans, as they, together with the women’s handball team, produced a coordinated chant accompanied by drum rolls.
However, Indonesia lacked focus and fumbled the ball throughout the match.
On the contrary, Saudi Arabia played an attacking game, and looked to exploit the holes in Indonesia’s defense that left goalkeeper Saepul Rahman vulnerable. The guests further demonstrated their talent by scoring a number of cheeky goals.
Three minutes before half time, Indonesia earned a chance to add to its goal totally from the penalty spot but failed to execute, finishing the first half down 4-21.
Indonesia started the second half in strong spirits, scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes, but Saudi Arabia did not pull any punches, launching a series of counter attacks.
Indonesian fans still managed to find something to cheer about in the second half, with a number of good saves from substitute goalkeeper Fidelano Risky. Saudi Arabia won the match 13-47, with Saudi Arabia's Alsaffar Abbas the match’s top scorer with eight goals.
Indonesia now needs to focus on reeling in its goal deficit after losing to Hong Kong 17-40 on Monday.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has cemented its place at the top of Group C after previously defeating Hong Kong 42-24 on Wednesday.
