Sunday 15 / December / 2024
Muscat: Indian girls retained their Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Junior Asia Cup title in dramatic fashion, defeating China 3-2 in a penalty shootout at the Hockey Oman Arena on Sunday.
Locked at 1-1 after regulation time, India prevailed in the tense decider to not only reclaim the crown but also avenge their earlier group-stage defeat to China.
This marks India’s second consecutive triumph in the tournament, following their 2-1 victory over South Korea in the 2023 final held in Kakamighara, Japan. The win also elevates India’s tally to two titles in the competition’s history, putting them behind South Korea, who hold the record with four titles, and China, who have three.
Adding a historic touch, the Indian girls matched their male counterparts, who recently won the Junior Asia Cup at the same venue by defeating Pakistan.
The star of the final was India’s goalkeeper Nidhi, who delivered a heroic performance with three brilliant saves during the shootout. Her composure under immense pressure proved decisive, especially as India missed one penalty in the nerve-wracking finish.
The match began with both teams displaying strong defensive organisation. Despite India dominating possession and mounting several attacks, the first quarter ended goalless. As the second quarter drew to a close, China’s Jinzhuang Tan converted a penalty stroke in the final moments, giving her team a slender 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
India, coached by former Olympian Tushar Khandekar, regrouped in the third quarter and leveled the score in the 41st minute. Kanika Siwach unleashed a powerful strike, beating Chinese goalkeeper Hailin Cen to make it 1-1. Both sides battled fiercely in the final quarter, but neither could find the winner, setting up a high-stakes penalty shootout.
The shootout began with China’s Lihang Wang missing her first attempt, thanks to a stunning save by Nidhi. India took the lead as Sakshi Rana calmly slotted past Mengyao Zhang. China equalised through Guoting Hao after Mumtaz Khan’s attempt for India was off-target.
Tangjie Liu briefly gave China the lead, but Ishika restored parity for India. Nidhi then produced a crucial save against Jingyi Li, but the pressure mounted as Kanika, who had scored during regulation time, missed her penalty. Nidhi stepped up once more, denying Dandan Zuo, before Sunelita Toppo converted the winning goal to spark jubilant celebrations among the players and fans.
Path to glory
In Saturday’s semi-finals, India defeated Japan 3-1, with early goals from Mumtaz Khan, Sakshi Rana, and Deepika sealing their place in the final. China advanced with a dominant 4-1 win over South Korea.
South Korea take bronze
South Korea clinched bronze with a 3-2 shootout win against Japan after a 1-1 draw. Malaysia thrashed Thailand 6-0 for fifth place, Chinese Taipei routed Hong Kong 6-1 for seventh, and Bangladesh overwhelmed Sri Lanka 8-0 to finish ninth in the ten-team tournament.
India’s victory not only cements their growing stature in junior hockey but also highlights their resilience and ability to perform under pressure, as they aim to build on this momentum for future tournaments.
