Indian Women's Hockey Team Dominates Indonesia with a 17-1 Victory
India's Impressive Win at the Asian Games
File image of Indian women hockey team(Photo: @ZafaronIndigo/X)
Kakamigahara, Sep 21: The Indian women's hockey team showcased an outstanding performance at the Asian Games, overpowering Indonesia with a staggering score of 17-1 during their Pool B match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Monday.
Star forwards Deepika, Rutuja Pisal, and Navneet Kaur each netted hat tricks, leading the Women in Blue to their second consecutive victory in the tournament, following a resounding 19-0 win against Uzbekistan in their opening match.
Under the leadership of Salima Tete, the Indian squad displayed relentless attacking prowess, scoring four goals in the first quarter and adding five more in the second, establishing a commanding 9-0 lead by halftime.
Continuing their momentum, India scored another five goals in the third quarter, conceding only one, to extend their lead to 14-1, before finishing strong with three additional goals in the final quarter for a decisive 17-1 triumph. This victory keeps India at the top of Pool B with six points from two matches and an impressive goal difference of 35.
This match also marked a significant achievement for former captain Savita, who earned her 321st senior international cap, surpassing Vandana Katariya's previous record of 320.
The match began with India aggressively attacking, earning multiple penalty corners early on. Deepika opened the scoring in the eighth minute, followed by Sunelita Toppo and Lalremsiami, who each scored in quick succession. Ruturaj Pisal capped off the first quarter with her first goal, bringing the score to 4-0.
The second quarter saw Lalremsiami score again, and Rutuja added another goal, pushing the lead to 6-0. Sakshi Rana then scored, extending the lead to 7-0, before Deepika's shot was saved just before halftime, allowing India to enter the break with a 9-0 advantage.
Indonesia managed to create some chances in the third quarter, earning a couple of penalty corners, with Innes Adiyita finally scoring for them. However, India quickly responded with Salima scoring again, and despite a couple of green card suspensions, the Women in Blue maintained their dominance, leading 14-1 by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter continued in India's favor, with Navneet and Sakshi adding three more goals, including a hat trick for Navneet, alongside Rutuja and Deepika's contributions.
Looking ahead, India is set to face Thailand in their next Pool match on Wednesday, aiming to continue their strong performances in pursuit of the gold medal at the Asian Games.