MUSCAT, Jan 31: The Indian women’s team made a solid impact on its FIH Pro League debut, beating China 7-1 in a match played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex here on Monday.
The Indian team, which has been invited to participate in this year’s FIH Pro League edition following the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand, came up with a brilliant performance to get the better of the Chinese in a contest played after the Women’s Asia Cup in which Savita’s team had bagged a bronze medal, beating the same opponents 2-0.
Relentless, talented and speedy, India’s entry into the FIH Hockey Pro League was marked by a win that showed that Janneke Schopman and her team are ready for the challenges in the big league.
It was a day of firsts in Muscat, Oman as the city hosted its first-ever FIH Hockey Pro League match. The hockey-mad city had just played host to the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup and now two of the teams from that competition – India (FIH World Ranking: 9) and China (World Ranking: 13) – came head-to-head in the opening FIH Hockey Pro League match of 2022.
For India, this was their first match in the FIH Hockey Pro League, following the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand from the competition because of Covid-related travel restrictions.
In another first for India, three goals were scored from penalty strokes, the most penalty strokes to be awarded and converted in a Hockey Pro League match.
India certainly hit the ground running. Two goals in the opening quarter showed the team were up for the challenge. In the 5th minute, Navneet Kaur smashed a shot past Wu Surong to give her side the lead.
Just seven minutes later, a great save by skipper and goalkeeper Savita from a China penalty corner was turned to India’s advantage and the counterattack allowed Neha to double the lead.
For the first 30 minutes of play, the fast-moving sequence of passes and a willingness on the part of the players to take on defenders meant India, who narrowly missed a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, were looking the stronger team.
In the second half, China raised their game to match the pace with which India had started the encounter. Unfortunately, China were unable to make the pressure count and India turned another counter-attack into a goal. This time it was Katariya Vandana who put the ball past Wu on the second attempt, after her first shot rebounded.
Some slick movements and speedy passing saw China finally rewarded. The ball was moved swiftly up the pitch and Deng Xue was able to steer the ball goalwards and past Etimarpu Rajani, who had replaced Savita in the India goal.
China’s hopes were dented when India won a penalty stroke in the 47th minute. Former captain Sushila Chanu made no mistake as she stepped up and put the ball into goal.
India’s next goal came from the stick of forward Sharmila Devi. A series of passes left the China defence stranded and Sharmila was able to turn the ball into the goal for India’s fifth goal.
A second penalty stroke was won by the India attack as the Chinese defence were just unable to get out of the way of the nimble stick work of Lalremsiami. Gurjit Kaur stepped up to calmly and precisely send the ball home.
With eight minutes left, Sushila scored her second penalty stroke of the game making the final score 7-1.
Sharmila Devi was adjudged Player of the Match.” (IANS)
