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India Womens hockey player Deepika Sehrawats spectacular eight-goal performance in Indias 19-0 demolition of Uzbekistan in their Asian Games 2026 opener has brought immense pride to her family in Rohtak, with her father Jagdish Sehrawat crediting the entire team for the emphatic victory.
Deepika found the back of the net in the 8th, 22nd, 25th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 41st and 54th minutes, setting a world record for most goals by a women's player in the history of the Games. The forward spearheaded Indias dominant start to the tournament with an eight-goal haul, including five from penalty corners, as India registered a commanding victory over Uzbekistan. Speaking to ANI, Deepikas father Jagdish Sehrawat credited the entire team for the emphatic win, saying her eight-goal feat was a proud moment for the family and the country. He added that the victory would boost the confidence of the players and expressed hope that India would continue its strong performance in the tournament. "Yes, every Indian feels proud. Today, Indias women's team is performing remarkably well. Even in the World Cup, the performance was reasonably good. Looking ahead, we hope they will deliver a fine performance here as well. The confidence of all the girls must have soared today. Our blessings are always with them," he said. The credit goes entirely to the team. It's about ball-to-ball coordination within the team. As far as her personal achievement is concerned, naturally, any parent would feel proud, and I feel very proud as well. Beyond that, they are all teammates and the team is functioning very well; all the girls are playing wonderfully. So, it is a proud moment for the entire country," Deepikas father added. Deepikas father expressed confidence in Indias chances of winning the gold medal, while saying Deepikas eight-goal feat was a significant addition to her achievements and a source of immense pride for the family and the country. "Yes, we are definitely in contentiona hundred per cent in the running (for the gold medal). Ultimately, it comes down to the conditions and the temperament on that given day and which side it favours. But we are completely hopeful," he said. "It adds to her achievements (scoring eight goals). May God continue to keep her dedicated to the nation in this manner. When individual records are made, it feels even better. As parents, we feel immense pride; the country feels proud, and we are very proud of her as well," he added. Deepikas brother Pravesh Sehrawat said he was pleased with her individual record but stressed that hockey is a team sport, crediting the entire team for their strong overall performance. It feels great. Setting an individual record is good, but since hockey is a team sport, the entire team contributes. We are glad that the overall performance of the team was very good," he said. Speaking about whether he thinks India can win the gold medal, Jagdish acknowledged the tough competition ahead but said Indias aim remains to win the gold medal. We assess that there will be some tough matches ahead; there are Olympic medalist teams like China. Still, the goal and effort will be to win the gold medal, he said. Coming to Indias match against Uzbekistan, Lalremsiami opened the scoring for India in the sixth minute after Navneet Kaur's initial attempt was saved by the Uzbekistan goalkeeper, but India recovered the ball, and Lalremsiami slotted it. Deepika soon doubled India's lead with a powerful strike from the right side before Ishika added the third goal after receiving a fine pass from Sunelita and finding the net with a first-time shot. Baljeet then made it 4-0 before the end of the first quarter by converting a rebound. India continued their attacking display in the second quarter, with Neha scoring a brilliant reverse-hit goal to make it 5-0. Deepika then converted a penalty corner to score her second goal of the match, followed by Rutuja's rebound finish to extend the lead. Deepika completed her hat-trick with another penalty corner conversion as India went into halftime with an 8-0 lead. The third quarter saw India further extend their advantage, with Deepika scoring four more goals, all from penalty corners, taking her tally to seven in the match. Ishika, Sakshi Rana and Lalthantluangi also found the net as India raced to a 15-0 lead. Navneet Kaur added another goal in the final quarter as India continued their relentless attack. Deepika and Ishika completed their hat-tricks, while Lalthantluangi, Neha and others contributed to the emphatic victory. Deepika finished with eight goals, while Ishika scored three. Neha and Lalthantluangi netted twice each, with Lalremsiami, Baljeet, Sakshi Rana and Navneet Kaur adding one goal apiece. India's commanding win marked a strong start to their campaign, with the team showcasing their attacking strength and penalty corner efficiency. (ANI)
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