The Indian women's field hockey team clinched the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy as they defeated Japan with a commanding 4-0 victory in the finals hosted in Ranchi.
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The Indian women’s field hockey team clinched the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy as they defeated Japan with a commanding 4-0 victory in the finals hosted in Ranchi. India’s triumph in the final, which took place on Sunday, saw local talent Sangita Kumari open the scoring in the 17th minute, followed by goals from Neha Goyal, Lalremsiami, and experienced Vandana Katariya. The win marked India’s first major title since their victory at the FIH Nations Cup in Valencia in December 2022, which also secured the team a spot in the Pro League under the guidance of coach Janneke Schopman.
Before the action unfolded, the game’s commencement faced a minor hiccup which was delayed by nearly an hour due to a technical difficulty with the stadium’s floodlighting. Despite the long-wait, the Indian squad, aroused by the home crowd’s support and cheered by the Indian men’s hockey team, who themselves were winners of the continental championship in Chennai, displayed their dominance on the field.
The Indian women had an aggressive start as they frequently breached the Japanese defense. Early on, Deepika missed a golden opportunity to score. However, the breakthrough came when Navneet Kaur made a remarkable dash towards the Japanese circle, setting up Neha for an assist to Sangita. This time, India capitalized on the opportunity as Sangita didn’t miss the chance to score. Japan momentarily leveled the scores, but the equalizer was overturned following a successful referral by the Indian team.
Captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia was simply sensational in the final as she successfully defended three penalty corners and a penalty stroke in the final stages of the game. India’s second goal was a result of a well-executed penalty corner, where Deepika and Deep Grace Ekka orchestrated a play that Neha scored with precision. The goal tally continued to rise with Lalremsiami‘s penalty corner conversion, and Vandana sealed the deal with a goal in the game’s final minute.
Having won the Asian Champions Trophy earlier in 2016, this was India’s second crown in the continental event. In 2016, India defeated China by 2-1 to secure their first-ever title in Singapore. In the third-place playoff of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023, China got the better of South Korea with a 2-1 victory, wrapping up the tournament’s podium places.
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