The Indian women's hockey team continued its unbeaten run at the Women's Hockey Asia Cup, securing a 4-2 victory against Korea in their first Super 4s stage match. The win, which came after a hard-fought contest at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium, keeps India in a strong position to qualify for the final.
India got off to a quick start, with Vaishnavi Phalke scoring from a penalty corner in just the second minute of the match. Phalke's goal, a rebound from a save by the Korean goalkeeper, gave India an early lead. The team went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage, but the goals started to flow in the second half.
The game became more open in the third quarter. Sangita Kumari scored a tap-in in the 32nd minute to double India's lead, but Korea’s Kim Yujin immediately responded with a penalty corner goal just a minute later. India then restored their two-goal cushion when Lalremsiami received a pass inside the circle and fired the ball past the Korean goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
Korea, last year's runner-up, refused to give up. Kim Yujin scored her second goal of the match in the 53rd minute, again from a penalty corner, to keep the pressure on the Indian team. With the score at 3-2, the final minutes were tense, but Rutuja Dadaso Pisal put the game to bed with a penalty corner goal in the 59th minute, securing a 4-2 victory for India.
With this win, India starts the Super 4s stage with three points. The team, which finished the pool stages with seven points, will now face a strong Chinese side on Thursday. The Super 4s stage is a round-robin format, and the top two teams will advance to the final. India's victory over Korea is a significant step towards achieving that goal.
