India’s women’s hockey team announced their arrival at the Asia Cup in ruthless fashion, demolishing Thailand 11-0 in their Pool B opener at Hangzhou on Friday.
World No. 9 India barely allowed their 30th-ranked opponents a touch inside the circle, storming into a 5-0 half-time lead before piling on six more in a one-sided contest.
Udita Duhan (30th, 52nd) and Beauty Dung Dung (45th, 54th) grabbed a brace each, while Mumtaz Khan (7th), Sangita Kumari (10th), Navneet Kaur (16th), Lalremsiami (18th), Thoudam Suman Devi (49th), Sharmila Devi (57th) and Rutaja Dadaso Pisal (60th) found their names on the scoresheet.
India converted five of their nine penalty corners, Udita and Mumtaz setting the tone through set-piece strikes. Thailand, overwhelmed in every department, did not manage to earn a single penalty corner.
The contest opened brightly for India with early field goals from Mumtaz and Sangita in the first quarter. The advantage was soon stretched through Navneet and Lalremsiami, before Udita’s drag-flick closed out the second quarter.
Also read: India beat Japan 3-2 in Hockey Asia Cup, advance to Super Four
The momentum did not flag in the second half. Dung Dung and Udita added penalty-corner conversions, while Sharmila and Rutaja capped off a storming final quarter.
India, playing without stalwarts Savita Punia and Deepika due to injury, displayed depth and sharpness across the park, a promising sign as the competition heads into tougher territory.
The Asia Cup has traditionally proved a decisive tournament for India. They last won the crown in 2017, a triumph that secured a berth at the 2018 World Cup. The champions of this edition will qualify for the 2026 Women’s World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Eight nations are in the fray, split into two groups. The top two from each pool move into the Super 4s, from where the finalists will be decided. India face Japan next on Saturday before concluding their pool engagements against Singapore on 8 September.
The victory is also significant in the backdrop of India’s recent international form. The side endured a mixed outing at the Paris Olympics qualifiers, and the current campaign offers a chance to reassert dominance in Asia against regional rivals.
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