Women's Asian Champions Trophy: India thrash Korea 5-0

RANCHI: The Indian women's hockey team continued their unbeaten run at the Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy by securing a commanding 5-0 win against Korea in their last Pool match on Thursday. Salima Tete (6’, 36’), Navneet Kaur (36’), Vandana Katariya (49’), and Neha (60’) netted goals for India as they maintained their unbeaten run in the competition.

With this win, the Indian squad claimed the top spot in the points table, amassing 15 points from five matches. Meanwhile, Korea, having garnered seven points from five games, concluded their group stage campaign in fourth place. As per the standings, both teams are set to clash once more in the Semifinals.

India will take on Korea in the second Semi-Final of the tournament on November 4.

Similar to their previous matches, India initiated the game with an aggressive high-pressing strategy and relentless attacking, yielding early dividends.

In the opening moments of the match Salima Tete (6'), left unmarked within the circle, beautifully slotted a goal, giving the hosts an early advantage.

India sustained the offensive onslaught with frequent circle penetrations. Although they came close to notching a second goal on several occasions, they failed to capitalise on those opportunities. As the opening quarter concluded, India maintained a 1-0 lead.

The second quarter mirrored the first, with India dominating possession and orchestrating swift passes to keep Korea on the defensive. India even managed to secure two penalty corners in this period but couldn't capitalise on them as the teams went into the half-time break with the hosts leading 1-0.

Determined to make a comeback in the game, Korea launched an aggressive assault in the third quarter and even approached the goal with potential equalising opportunities on a couple of occasions.

Nevertheless, India swiftly turned the tables by counterattacking, reasserting their dominance.

Their persistence paid off when they won a penalty corner following which Navneet Kaur (36') unleashed a powerful shot to find the back of the net. Just moments later, Salima Tete (36') displayed her prowess by scoring a remarkable field goal, extending India's advantage to 3-0, which stayed intact by the end of the penultimate quarter.

In the last quarter, India continued to challenge the Korean defence despite the healthy lead. Their determination bore fruits as Vandana Katariya (49') executed a splendid flick, further extending India's lead to 4-0. Adding to the emphatic victory, Neha (60') secured a field goal in the closing moments of the match, sealing a resounding 5-0 triumph for the Indian team.