Nagpur, June 5: The dream of the Indian women’s team to play in the finals of the U-18 Hockey Asia Cup has come to an end. In a thrilling semifinal match, the Indian team faced a 1-3 defeat in a shootout against China after the score was tied at 2-2.
For India, Naushin Naz scored in the 3rd minute, and Kiran Ekka found the net in the 54th minute. For China, Li Jeyan scored in the 24th minute, and Zhang Yuzheng added another in the 48th minute. India started strong, netting their first goal within the first three minutes.
Captain Sweety Kujur delivered a brilliant pass from midfield to Naushin, who executed a fantastic shot, sending the ball into the goalpost. Both teams showcased solid performances in midfield, creating good opportunities inside the circle, but no additional goals were scored in the opening quarter.
China earned a penalty corner in the 21st minute, but Indian goalkeeper Mahak Parihar thwarted Feng Jiaxin’s drag flick, preventing a goal. However, just three minutes later, a defensive error by India allowed China to equalize, with Li Jeyan scoring a field goal.
In the third quarter, China received another penalty corner in the 34th minute, but the Indian backline excelled, keeping the ball out of the net. For the next few minutes, China maintained possession but failed to capitalize. India earned multiple penalty corners in the 43rd minute but could not break through China’s defense. Despite several chances, the score remained 1-1 at the end of the fourth quarter.
In the final quarter’s third minute, China took the lead with a penalty corner. Although India’s initial rush blocked the first shot, the rebound fell to Zhang Yuzheng, who scored, giving China the advantage. However, India’s Kiran equalized again with a penalty corner goal in the 54th minute, leaving the score tied at 2-2 by full-time.
In the shootout, China triumphed over India 3-1, thanks to some outstanding saves by their goalkeeper Liu Ju. For China, Lu Tongtong, Ge Chen, and Guo Jiaxin converted their shootout chances, while Sandipa Kumari was the only player to score for India.
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SM/AS
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