India outclass South Korea, clinch maiden Women's Junior Asia Cup

The Indian hockey team emerged champions of the Women's Junior Asia Cup in Japan's Kakamigahara on Sunday by defeating South Korea 2-1 in a captivating final. Annu (22nd) and Neelam (41st) scored for India and Park Seo-yeon (25th) for Korea.

This is India's first title while South Korea (4) and China (3) share the honours from the previous editions.

Acknowledging the team's unbeaten streak in six matches -- it also helped them qualify for the 2023 Women's Junior World Cup in Chile -- Hockey India (HI) declared a cash prize of Rs.2 lakh per player and Rs.1 lakh each for the support staff.

“We are filled with immense pride as the Indian team clinched their maiden Women’s 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," HI president Dilip Tirkey said.

India started the game on an attacking note by winning a penalty corner (PC) in the opening minute but failed to capitalise on it. South Korea then gained momentum by counter-attacking and controlling possession. They also won an early PC but Neelam made a goal-line clearance.

South Korea stuck to their attacking approach in the second quarter, pushing India on the backfoot. They were rewarded with quite a few penalty corners, but India not only stood strong in defence but put Korea under pressure by taking the lead through Annu, who converted a stroke.

India’s lead didn’t last long as Park Seo-yeon Park equalised through a well-placed shot from inside the D.

The second half began with South Korea keeping the possession. But India switched to counter-attacking and it paid off when Neelam converted a short corner to put India again in front.

To protect their lead, India shifted focus to defending and controlled the tempo by keeping possession in the fourth quarter. Korea made some errors and misdirected passes as they desperately sought an equaliser. India stuck to their strategy to win.

“Following a 1-1 draw in the round robin stage, we were aware of the specific areas we needed to excel to overcome South Korea. There was lot of nerves being the final. 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," said India captain Preeti.

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