Defending champion India lost 1-2 to three-time champion China in the third match of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup in Muscat on Wednesday. The match was a repeat of the 2012 final, when India dominated the first two quarters by creating chances. But the team failed to score any goals. The Chinese team showed aggressiveness in the third quarter. Captain Tan Jinzhuang (No. 32) scored a penalty kick and Wang Lihang (No. 42) took a corner kick. The Chinese team took a decisive lead.
Deepika, India’s top scorer in this World Cup, narrowed the deficit with a goal in the 56th minute. China tops Group A with nine points, while India shares second place with Malaysia on six points. India will take on Thailand in the fourth and final league match on Thursday. The defending champions earlier recorded impressive wins in the first two games of the five-team tournament, beating Bangladesh 13-1 and Malaysia 5-0 respectively. The semi-finals will be held on Saturday and the final on Sunday. The Indian team, which was held in Japan in the previous stage, defeated South Korea 2-1 to win the championship.
India gets off to a good start
Two days before this game, the Indian team defeated Malaysia 5-0 on December 9 and achieved consecutive victories. Deepika scored a hat-trick. This was India’s third consecutive victory over Malaysia in the tournament’s history. The team previously went 9-1 in 2015 and 2-1 in 2023. Meanwhile, India got off to a good start as they defeated Bangladesh 13-1 in the opening match of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup Hockey Championship on December 8.
(Input – PTI)
Also read:
IND vs AUS, 3rd Test: Curtain opens at Gabba, batsmen in trouble
Haris Rauf defeated Jasprit Bumrah to win the ICC award.
