Women’s Jr Asia Cup Hockey | India looks to draw against Chinese Taipei to make SF

Indian Junior Women’s Hockey team players celebrate a goal | File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Unbeaten India would look to seal their semifinal berth when they face Chinese Taipei in their final pool match of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament on June 8.

India have blanked Uzbekistan 22-0 and then registered a hard-fought 2-1 win over Malaysia.

In their last pool match, they came from two goals down to salvage a point with a fighting 2-2 draw against Korea to have two wins and a draw to their name. India is currently atop Pool A with seven points from three games and a draw against Chinese Taipei would be enough to seal a last-four berth.

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Mumtaz Khan and Deepika have been brilliant for India scoring goals at will, while Deepika Soreng too has sparkled. Deepika’s form can be ascertained from the fact she has scored in every single game of the tournament so far.

But going into the business end of the tournament, India cannot afford to slip in their title pursuit.

“The tournament so far has been good for us as we are yet to lose a game. The matches against Malaysia and Korea were closely-fought, but it gave us a chance to prove our mettle as we bounced back in both games after conceding first,” India captain Preeti said.

“We consistently keep our plans and objectives in focus, ensuring that we remain steadfast against any opposition we may encounter. Regardless of the challenges we face, we are committed to giving our best and staying dedicated to our strategies,” she added.

Going by their recent form, India shouldn’t face much trouble in defeating Chinese Taipei, who has so far won only one game out of three they have played in the tournament and are placed fourth in Pool A with just three points in their kitty.