Finance
India overcame Korea 2-1 in a thrilling final match on Sunday to win their first Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 in Kakamigahara, Japan.
In the thrilling final match played on Sunday, Annu (22′) and Neelam (41′) each scored one goal for India, while Seoyeon Park (25′) scored the lone goal for Korea.
The Indian junior women’s team’s victory in this key match was the result of a collaborative team effort. India has won the Women’s Junior Asia Cup for the first time.
India began the game on an offensive note, winning a penalty corner in the first minute but failing to capitalize on it. Korea, on the other hand, swung the momentum in their favor by counter-attacking and gaining possession. They also won an early penalty corner, but Neelam saved it with a goal-line clearance. Despite both sides attacking, the first quarter ended scoreless.
Korea maintained their attacking strategy in the second quarter, putting India on the defensive. Korea was also handed a number of penalty corners, but India not only defended well to keep the opposition’s attackers at bay, but also placed Korea under pressure by grabbing the lead through Annu (22′), who calmly converted a penalty stroke.
However, India’s lead was short-lived as Seoyeon Park (25′) equalized for Korea with a well-placed goal from inside the D. There were no additional goals in the second quarter, and both sides headed into the halftime break tied at 1-1.
The second half of the match began with Korea focusing on possession, while the Indian team switched to counter-attacking, which paid off when Neelam (41′) brilliantly converted a penalty corner to put India ahead as the third quarter ended with India leading 2-1.
To defend their lead, India focused on defense and controlling the tempo of the game by maintaining possession in the fourth quarter.
Korea, on the other hand, made some forced errors and misdirected passes in their desperation to find an equaliser. Ultimately, India stood strong and stuck to their strategy to win the summit clash 2-1.
Speaking about the Final, India junior women’s 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 to overcome Korea. The final match brought about a considerable amount 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 congratulated the Indian women’s junior hockey team on their maiden championship in the Women’s Junior Asia Cup, which was held in Kakamigahara, Japan, and awarded Rs 2 lakh to each member of the squad.
“In acknowledgement of the team’s exceptional performance and their undefeated streak in the prestigious tournament, leading them to secure a spot in the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup 2023 in Chile, the Hockey India Executive Board has proudly declared a cash prize of INR 2.00 lakh for each player, while the support staff will receive INR 1.00 lakh each as a token of appreciation,” Hockey India said in a release on Sunday.
Congratulating the team, Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey lauded the girls for their glorious achievement. He said, “We are filled with immense pride as the Indian junior women’s team clinched its 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 honour the players with a well-deserved cash award. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the team and the dedicated support staff for their unwavering efforts in bringing glory to our nation,” Tirkey was quoted as saying in the release.
Source:IANS
