Hockey Asia Cup
Hangzhou (China), Sep 13: Indian women’s hockey team qualified for the Asia Cup final despite playing out a 1-1 draw against Japan after hosts China beat Korea 1-0 in the last match of the Super 4 stage here on Saturday.
India will face China in the summit clash on Sunday, and the winning team will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
After the 1-1 draw against defending champions Japan, India had to wait for the result of the match between Korea and China, who have already qualified for the final.
Korea needed to win by a margin of at least two goals to qualify for the final, but China’s victory ensured that India, the third-place finisher in the 2022 edition, made it to the summit clash.
China topped the Super 4s table with nine points after three wins, while India ended at second with four points from one win, one draw and one loss. Korea secured just one point — one draw and two losses — to end at the bottom. Japan finished third with two points.
Against Japan, India took an early lead with Beauty Dung Dung putting them ahead in the seventh minute with a field goal. But Japan hit back late, as Kobayakawa Shiho (58th) scored the equaliser just two minutes from the hooter.
It was the second draw between the two sides in this tournament, after their pool-stage clash had also ended 2-2.
A win against Japan would have straightaway put India in the final against hosts China. So, India waited for the result of the Super 4s match between China and Korea. The Harendra Singh-coached side eventually made it to the final.
India had the better start in the early exchanges of the contest and threatened within the first few minutes itself, as Ishika Chaudhary hit the frame of the goal.
After that, Japan began to put together a few attacking moves, but were quickly pushed back as India struck in the form of Dung Dung.
Japan came out in the second quarter looking for the equaliser and were on the front foot in the first few minutes. They won a penalty corner as well, but India kept them out without much trouble.
As the contest progressed, the Indians started to regain the possession, and began building attacks.
Japan’s defence though held on and then put the pressure on India in the final stages of the first half. However, India’s defence kept them at arm’s length and went into the break with the score at 1-0.
The final quarter saw Japan stepping it up in attack as they looked for an equaliser.
Mid-way through the quarter, India started moving up the pitch, and won a flurry of penalty corners to put the pressure back on their opponents.
But Japan scored finally in the 58th minute. Captain Amiru Shimada surged down the left and released the ball into the circle. Amid a scramble, Shiho Kobayakawa reacted quickest and swept the ball into the net past Bichu Devi to level the scores.
India pressed hard in the dying moments, even earning a penalty corner, but Japan held firm as eventually both teams shared the spoils when the hooter sounded. (PTI)
