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The Indian junior women's hockey team continued their winning streak in the tour of Europe with a well-deserved win over Belgium.
On Tuesday, India edged past the Belgian side with a tight scoreline of 2-1 at the Hockey Centre of Excellence, Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, Belgium. Lalthantluangi (35') and Geeta Yadav (50') scored goals for India, as per a press release from Hockey India. The first half remained goalless as both sides could not manage to break the deadlock in the tight contest. In the 35th minute, India finally scored the opening goal as Lalthantluangi successfully converted a fortunate penalty stroke. In the last quarter, Van Hellemont (48') scored the equaliser through a field goal for Belgium. However, just two minutes later, Geeta Yadav replied with a field goal herself and grabbed the winner for India. India then defended well to fend off the Belgian attacks in the final 10 minutes of the game and ensured they enjoyed another win over Belgium. After two consecutive wins, the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team will next play Belgium for the third and final time in their Tour of Europe on June 12. The Indian junior hockey team continued their international campaign with a five-match European tour from June 8-17, as a part of which they are taking on Belgium, Australia, and the Netherlands. The team, which recently concluded a promising outing at the Four Nations Tournament in Rosario, Argentina, started the tour with three matches against Belgium at the Hockey Centre of Excellence, Wilrijkse Plein, in Antwerp. They will then face Australia at Beerschot Tennis Hockey Padel Club, in Kontich, before wrapping up the tour with a match against the Netherlands at Hockey Club Kampong, in Utrecht. In Argentina, the Indian side delivered strong performances against quality opposition. They registered a 2-1 win and a 2-2 (2-3 shootout) loss against Chile, earned a 1-1 (2-0 shootout) win and a 2-4 loss against hosts Argentina, and defeated Uruguay twice -- 3-2 and 2-2 (3-1 shootout). The tour served as an important step in the team's preparations, offering valuable lessons in handling high-pressure scenarios and adapting to different playing styles. Notably, these matches are also a key part of India's preparation for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Women's Junior World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Santiago, Chile, in December 2025. Facing strong international opponents in varied conditions will help fine-tune the squad's combinations, build match temperament, and instil the confidence required to perform on the world stage. (ANI)
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