NEW DELHI: The Indian U-16 national football team today defeated local side Besiktas 5-1 in a training match during an exposure tour of Turkey.
The Indian colts rode on Vikram Pratap Singh's hattrick (3rd, 40th, 52nd minutes) and strikes from Rohit Danu (81st) and Bhuvensh (87th) to register an easy win over their Turkish opponents.
The flood gates opened as early as the third minute when Vikram found the back of the net from close range to propel India into the lead.
In the 13th minute, Ricky's rasping shot was saved by the opposition custodian but Vikram once against burst into the scene in the 40th minute and scored to double India's lead going into half-time.
The Indians wasted little time in the second half and extended their lead in the 52nd minute when Vikram completed his hattrick, finishing with acumen from inside the box.
Rohit and Bhuvnesh added more gloss to the scoreline in the 81st and 87th minute respectively, after the Turkish opponents found the net in the 85th minute to reduce the deficit.
With less than a month left for the AFC U-16 Championship Final, the Indians are currently in the final stage of their preparation.