Harpal Singh Bedi
In an edge of the seat final ,India overpowered Korea 2-1 to clinch their maiden Women’s Junior Asia Cup title in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, Japan on Sunday.
Earlier Japan beat China 2-1 to win the bronze and, in the process, become the third team to qualify for the World Cup
Playing to a plan, India scored once each half through Annu (22’) and Neelam (41’) to win this elusive title. Seoyeon Park (25’) scored for the losers.
Hailing the team’s exceptional performance and their undefeated streak in the tournament, leading them to secure a spot in the Junior World Cup in Chile, the Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs two- Lakh for each player, while the support staff will receive Rs one- Lakh each as a token of appreciation. India was on the attack from the word go and earned a penalty corner in the opening minute of the game, but failed to capitalize on it. However, Korea shifted the momentum in their favour by counter-attacking and controlling the possession. They also won an early penalty corner but Neelam made a goal-line clearance to deny them the lead. .
Korea stuck to their attacking approach in the second quarter as well thus pushing India on backfoot. Their repeated attacks earned them number of penalty corners, however, India not only stood strong in defence to keep the opposition’s attackers at bay, but also put them under pressure by taking the lead through Annu (22’) who calmly converted a penalty stroke. However, India’s lead didn’t last long as Seoyeon Park (25’) scored an equaliser for Korea through a well-placed shot from inside the circle. The second quarter didn’t witness anymore goals as both teams went into the half-time break with the score levelled at 1-1.
The second half of the match started with Korea focused on keeping the possession, while the Indians switched to counter-attacking and it paid off as Neelam (41’) tly converted a penalty corner to put her side ahead as the third quarter ended with the score 2-1 in the favour of the Indian team.
In order to protect their lead, India shifted their focus on defending and controlling the tempo of the game by keeping possession in the fourth quarter, while, on the other hand, Korea made some forced errors and misdirected passes in their desperation of finding an equaliser. Ultimately, India stood strong and stuck to their strategy to win the summit clash 2-1.
Interestingly earlier this month, India also won the Men’s Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament after beating Pakistan in the final.
Speaking after the title victory ,team Captain Preeti said, “Following a 1-1 draw in the round-robin stage, we were acutely aware of the specific areas we needed to excel in order to overcome Korea. The Final match brought about a considerable number of nerves. However, we knew that as a team we have to play our best game to achieve something special and that’s exactly what we did. We are elated to make our nation proud.”
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey lauded the team for their glorious achievement and said, “We are filled with immense pride as the Women’s team clinched their maiden Junior Asia Cup, leaving us all in awe. Their exceptional display of talent and determination has been truly promising. This triumph has solidified their status as a dominant force in the field, and I firmly believe it will serve as a strong foundation for their upcoming challenge at the Junior World Cup later this year.
“To recognize their outstanding achievement, Hockey India has decided to honor the players with a well-deserved cash award. I congratulate the team and the dedicated support staff for their unwavering efforts in bringing glory to our nation.” Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh opined that this title victory serves as a strong testament to the effectiveness of Hockey India’s national program for young and emerging players.