Women's Junior Asia Cup 2024: India trounce Thailand to book semi-final spot

The defending champions will face Japan in the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2024 semifinals.

The Indian junior women’s hockey team dominated on all fronts and defeated Thailand 9-0 in their fourth Pool A match at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat, Oman. Deepika (28’, 31’, 35’, 55’) scored four goals and leads the scoring charts of the tournament with 10 goals. Kanika Siwach (23’, 25’, 40’), Lalrinpuii (27’) and Sakshi Rana (17’) also contributed with goals.

With this win, India progressed into the semifinals and also sealed a spot in the FIH Junior World Cup 2025, to be held in Chile.

India junior women's hockey team hammer Thailand 🇹🇭 9-0 in their last group match of the Women's Junior Asia Cup 2024. 🇮🇳🏑With this India have also sealed their place in semis, where they will play Japan on December 14. 🔥#Hockey #WomensJuniorAsiaCup24 pic.twitter.com/DwLbgJPjTj

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) December 12, 2024

Tushar Khandker’s side started the game strong and dominated the possession in the first quarter and created good chances. India received two penalty corners but couldn’t make them count as the quarter ended all square.

They eventually found the opening goal early in the second quarter as captain Jyoti Singh provided an assist to her deputy Sakshi Rana whose powerful shot from distance found the net. Moments later in the 23rd minute, India received their third penalty corner. The ball went to Kanika Siwach who scored from a brilliant dragflick to increase the advantage.

The Indian junior women’s hockey team added another goal in the 25th minute as Kanika Siwach scored from another penalty corner to make it 3-0. The fourth goal came soon in the 27th minute with a field goal by Lalrinpuii and the fifth came from Deepika in the 28th minute through a penalty corner.

Deepika’s unstoppable form lights up the match with an incredible four-goal salvo against Thailand💥A true game-changer on the field💪🏑 #IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #Deepika #GoalMachine #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/Jf15DlIq6n

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) December 12, 2024

The third quarter began with a penalty corner for India which was converted by Deepika. The top-scorer of the tournament, Deepika scored another field goal in the 35th minute to complete her hat-trick. In the 40th minute, India played a string of good passes in the shooting circle and found the eighth goal with a close-range strike from Lalrinpuii.  

Thailand did well to fend off India’s attacks in the fourth quarter but Deepika continued her scoring spree and bagged a field goal to end the game 9-0 and progress into the Semi Final.

India will next face Japan in the semi-final on December 14 at 18:00 hours IST to fight for a spot in the grand finale.

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