India’s brilliant debut in FIH Hockey Pro League, thrashed China 7-1

India’s brilliant debut in FIH Hockey Pro League, thrashed China 7-1
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Muscat. After a historic performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the Indian women’s hockey team made an impressive debut in the FIH Hockey Pro League here on Monday. India trounced neighboring China 7-1 in their first match. This was the second encounter between India and China in the last four days in Muscat, but the results were the same. Earlier on January 28, in the bronze medal match of the 2022 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup, India beat China 2-0 and registered a big 7-1 victory in today’s match.

India started building their hold in the match from the very beginning. Playing aggressively as part of the strategy, India put pressure on China to take a 2-0 lead in the first quarter with two brilliant goals from forward Navneet Kaur and midfielder Neha Goel in the fifth and 12th minutes respectively. In the second quarter, however, China showed promptness, and this quarter was goalless. The third quarter also looked goalless for a time, but experienced forward Vandana Katariya’s brilliant field goal in the 40th minute took a 3-0 lead. China, however, retaliated to narrow the lead by scoring in the 43rd minute. Thus the third quarter ended with a score of 3-1.

Absolutely dominant at the start of the fourth quarter, scoring one goal after another, giving China no chance to return to the match. Sushila Chanu scored the fourth goal in the 47th minute, Sharmila Devi fifth in the 48th minute, Gurjit Kaur sixth in the 50th minute, and again in the 52nd minute, Sushila scored the seventh goal. Sharmila was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for her brilliant field goal. It is worth mentioning that the Indian women’s team got a chance to play in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the first time after Australia and New Zealand withdrew from the competition due to Corona-related travel restrictions. Ahead of the tournament, India’s head coach, Geneke Schopmann, expressed happiness over the opportunity for his team to play in regular and high-quality competition at the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Anita Amoli

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