|
Indias junior womens team continued their commanding start to the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 in Moqi, China, producing another emphatic performance to register an 11-1 victory over Malaysia in their second Elite Pool match on Sunday.
The two-time winners and defending champions built on their opening 4-1 win over South Korea, looking far more settled and assured. Seven different players found the net, while Indias improved coordination was reflected in the varied manner of their goals, with four coming from field play, five from penalty corners and two from penalty strokes. Having overcome the initial nerves of their tournament opener, India looked increasingly confident and cohesive. Their attacking movements were sharper, while their penalty-corner execution remained a major strength. India wasted no time asserting their authority, opening the scoring in the first minute through Puja Sahoo, who converted a penalty stroke. The early breakthrough immediately set the tone, and India doubled their advantage in the fourth minute when Purnima Yadav found the back of the net. The defending champions continued to pile on the pressure, with Binima Dhan converting a penalty corner in the eighth minute before Krishna Sharma added another in the 14th minute. The second quarter saw Purnima completing her brace in the 17th minute, again converting from a penalty corner. Two more goals came off Indian sticks before half-time, as Sukhveer Kaur got herself on the scoresheet in the 21st minute before Geeta Yadav struck in the 28th minute. Both scored off penalty corners. India went into the interval with a 7-0 advantage. Malaysia finally found a breakthrough in the 38th minute when Nur Mohd scored their only goal of the contest. However, the consolation strike did little to disrupt Indias momentum. India were awarded another penalty stroke in the 42nd minute, and Puja calmly converted to complete her brace. Sanika Chandrakant Mane then scored in the 43rd minute to make it 9-1 heading into the final quarter. There was no let-up from India in the closing stages. Geeta scored her second goal of the match with another penalty corner conversion in the 53rd minute, before Sanika scored once again in the 58th minute to complete the 11-1 rout. The result gives India two wins from two matches and six points, putting them at the top of the standings in the Elite Pool. China and Japan are second and third, respectively, with three points each after playing and winning one match; goal difference separates them. South Korea and Malaysia occupy the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, after suffering two defeats each. India will enjoy a rest day on Monday before returning to action against Japan in their third pool-stage match on September 8. (ANI)
|
