The Indian junior women’s hockey team produced a dominant performance at the Junior Asia Cup in Mokpo, China, defeating Pakistan 19-0 in the quarter-final to secure a place in the semi-finals.
India scored 10 goals in the first half and nine after the break, leaving Pakistan without a goal throughout the contest. The result marked India’s biggest victory in junior women’s hockey and underlined the defending champions’ strong title defence.
Pooja Malik was the standout performer, completing a hat-trick and earning the Player of the Match award. Roshni Aind, Madhur Sidar, Supriya and Sanika Chandrakant Mane also made significant contributions to the emphatic victory.
India Score Five Goals in First Quarter
India wasted little time taking control of the match. Pooja Sahu opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Roshni Aind doubled the advantage two minutes later.
Tanushree Dinesh Kadu added another goal in the 11th minute, while Sukhveer Kaur and Sanika Mane struck in the 13th minute as India ended the opening quarter with a commanding 5-0 lead.
The Indian attack continued to put Pakistan under sustained pressure as the match progressed.
Ten Goals Before Half-Time
India added another five goals in the second quarter to take a 10-0 lead into half-time.
Madhur Sidar, Geeta Yadav, Sanika Mane, Tanuja Toppo and Pooja Malik found the net during the quarter. Sanika Mane finished with two goals, while India maintained a relentless attacking tempo.
Pakistan struggled to create meaningful opportunities and spent long periods defending inside its own half.
Pooja Malik Completes Her Hat-Trick
India continued its scoring spree after the interval. Purnima Yadav, Madhur Sidar and Supriya scored in the third quarter as India extended the lead further.
The final quarter produced another five goals. Krishna Sharma, Pooja Malik, Supriya, Binima Dhan and Roshni Aind all scored.
Pooja Malik found the net in the 49th and 51st minutes, completing her hat-trick and further highlighting her impact on the contest. Roshni then scored India's 19th goal in the 60th minute.
India Earn 18 Penalty Corners
India's domination was also reflected in its penalty-corner statistics. The defending champions earned 18 penalty corners and one penalty stroke during the match.
Pakistan, meanwhile, failed to win a single penalty corner or penalty stroke and could not breach India's defence at any stage.
The gulf between the two sides was evident both in possession and attacking opportunities.
Unbeaten India Tops Group Stage
India had already impressed during the group stage, winning all three of its matches against Japan, Malaysia and South Korea to finish at the top of its group.
The defending champions also faced China earlier in the tournament, with that contest ending in a goalless draw.
The consistent results have placed India firmly among the leading contenders for another Junior Asia Cup title.
India Set for September 12 Semi-Final
India will now face the winner of the quarter-final between South Korea and Malaysia in the semi-finals on September 12.
India won the Junior Asia Cup titles in 2023 and 2024, while the 2021 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 19-0 win over Pakistan gives the defending champions significant momentum heading into the knockout stages, although the semi-final is expected to provide a tougher test.
Record Win Boosts Title Defence
India's record margin against Pakistan has strengthened its campaign to retain the Junior Asia Cup crown.
With a balanced attack, strong penalty-corner execution and an unbeaten run in the competition, India enters the semi-final with confidence. The focus will now shift to maintaining that momentum when the competition reaches its decisive stage.
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