हिंदी खबर
Ranchi (Jharkhand)[India], October 27 (ANI): The Indian Women's Hockey Team kicked off their Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 campaign in style with a 7-1 thumping win over Thailand in their first game of the tournament in Ranchi on Friday but their head coach Janneke Schopman believes that the team could have done much better.
"I'm happy. You always want more and better but I think after the first half, I wasn't satisfied because I know we can play a lot better. And I saw the India team that I know so well from training. I saw that in the third and in the fourth quarter, that aggression, the ability to handle the ball well, to move the ball well, to find each other. I'm really pleased with that," said India women's hockey team head coach Janneke Schopman while speaking to ANI after the match.
Local girl Sangita Kumari scored a hat trick for India and was happy to perform in front of her home fans.
"I am happy because Ranchi is my home ground. There was a little pressure but it does not matter. I will perform better in the next match," said India hockey player Sangita Kumari while speaking to ANI after the match.
Monika (7'), Salima Tete (15'), Sangita Kumari (29', 45', 45'), Deepika (40'), and Lalremsiami (52') were the goalscorers for India, while Supansa Samanso (22') netted a solitary goal for Thailand.
As anticipated, India initiated the match with an offensive approach, coming close to an early goal when Lalremsiami found herself in a scoring opportunity and executed a no-look reverse shot, narrowly missing the target. Just a minute later, Monika (7') secured a goal with a powerful and precisely placed shot, granting Team India a well-deserved lead.
Even after being in front, India didn't let up the pressure on Thailand, resulting in two penalty corners within a short time frame. The home side capitalized on the second one, as Salima Tete (15') calmly directed the ball into the goal after it was deflected by Thailand's goalkeeper. The first quarter concluded with India having a 2-0 lead.
With the focus on staging a comeback, Thailand commenced the second quarter with an aggressive approach, making numerous entries into the circle. Their efforts bore fruit when Supansa Samanso (22') netted a goal from a penalty corner, narrowing the deficit.
However, India maintained their offensive momentum and was quick to respond as they extended their lead when Sangita Kumari found herself in a perfect position (29') to slot the ball into the net following a deflection by Thailand's goalkeeper. The remainder of the second quarter witnessed no more goals, as India entered the halftime break with a 3-1 advantage.
In the third quarter, the Indian team displayed their relentless desire to increase their goal tally by consistently penetrating the circle, thereby exerting pressure on Thailand and inducing mistakes. This strategy proved effective when Deepika (40') skillfully found the back of the net after receiving a splendid scoop pass from Vandana Katariya that split Thailand's defence.
India's dynamic hockey continued to yield results as Sangita Kumari (45', 45') swiftly scored two more field goals within a minute, securing her hat-trick and extending India's lead to 6-1 by the conclusion of the penultimate quarter.
However, the excitement didn't end there, as Lalremsiami (52') also managed to score in the fourth and final quarter, sealing India's impressive 7-1 triumph over Thailand.
India will next take on Malaysia in their second encounter of the tournament on October 28 at 20:30hrs IST. (ANI)
