New Delhi: Defending champions India produced a ruthless, flawless display of attacking hockey to crush Pakistan 19-0 in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup in Moqi, China, on Thursday. With this commanding victory, the Indian junior team marched into the semi-finals, moving just two wins away from securing a historic hat-trick of continental titles.
From the opening whistle, the Indian squad dictated the tempo of the match, completely pinning Pakistan back into their defensive half. After an early attacking move was overturned following a video referral, Puja Sahoo successfully broke the deadlock in the seventh minute with a precise strike. That breakthrough opened the floodgates, as relentless pressure led to a flurry of goals.
Roshni Aind quickly doubled the advantage, followed by clinical finishes from Tanushree Dinesh Kadu and a penalty stroke converted smoothly by Sukhveer Kaur. Sanika Chandrakant Mane added a brace alongside goals from Madhu Sidar, Geeta Yadav, Tanuja Toppo, and Pooja Malik, allowing India to build an imposing 10-0 lead by halftime. The second half brought no relief for the opposition as the defending champions maintained their relentless offensive momentum.
Pooja Malik starred in the circle, completing a stellar hat-trick with sharp execution in the 49th and 51st minutes. Further contributions came from Supriya, who netted twice, alongside goals from Purnima Yadav, Krishna Sharma, and Binima Dhan.
Roshni Aind sealed the final scoreline at 19-0 with her second goal in the dying seconds of the match. Having comfortably topped their group earlier in the tournament following victories over Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea, the Indian team will now face the winner of the quarter-final fixture between South Korea and Malaysia for a place in the championship match.