Lagatar24 Desk
The Indian junior women’s hockey team stormed into the quarterfinals of the Junior Women’s Asia Cup with a one-sided 7-0 victory over Japan in Mokui, China, on Tuesday, taking their tally to nine points from three matches and topping their pool, with India set to face China on Wednesday in their final pool match to determine the top team in the Elite Pool.
India’s Third Consecutive Win in the Tournament
The win marks India’s third consecutive victory in the tournament, having earlier thrashed Malaysia 11-1 and South Korea 4-1. A total of 10 teams are competing in this year’s edition, divided into two pools, the Elite Pool and the Challenger Pool, with five teams in each. The Elite Pool includes India, China, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, while the Challenger Pool comprises Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Pakistan. China currently has six points from two matches.
India Dominate First Quarter with Three Goals
India opened their account early, with Krishna Sharma scoring the first goal in the fifth minute, followed by Supriya’s second goal in the ninth minute. Purnima Yadav extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal in the 14th minute, as Japan struggled to find their footing throughout. No further goals were scored in the second quarter.
Geeta Yadav’s Hat-Trick Seals Comprehensive Win
Geeta Yadav delivered a hat-trick for India, scoring the fourth goal in the 41st minute, followed by the fifth in the 45th minute and the sixth in the 46th minute. Sanika Chandrakant Mane added the seventh goal in the 50th minute to complete India’s dominant 7-0 victory, with Japan unable to find the back of the net throughout the match.
