Asian Champions Trophy: Indian women's hockey team wins 3rd honor
India's women's hockey team has successfully defended their Asian Champions Trophy title after a thrilling 1-0 victory over China in the final. The match was held in Rajgir (Bihar) on Wednesday. Young striker Deepika was the star of the game, scoring the decisive goal from a penalty corner in the 31st minute. This is India's third ACT title after winning it in 2016 and 2023. Notably, Hockey India and the Bihar government have announced cash prizes for players and staff.
Deepika emerges as top scorer of the tournament
Deepika's winning goal not only won India the match but also made her the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals. This speaks volumes about her contribution to the team's success. Notably, the Indian team had earlier thrashed China 3-0 in the league stages of this tournament, proving their mettle throughout.
India equal South Korea's record in ACT history
With this latest win, India has equaled South Korea's record as the most successful team in the history of the Asian Champions Trophy, with both countries having three titles each. China, despite their strong performance throughout the tournament, had to settle for their third runner-up finish. Japan finished third on the podium after defeating Malaysia 4-1 in an earlier classification match for third and fourth places.
Tense match sees strong defense from both teams
The final was a closely contested affair with both India and China showing strong defense. India's 17-year-old Sunelita Toppo stole the show with her brilliant dribbling skills and strategic runs. China, which secured the first penalty corner of the match three minutes into the second quarter, was denied by a fantastic save from India's second goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam.
India's penalty corner struggles and eventual breakthrough
India has been struggling with penalty corner conversions throughout the tournament, and the trend continued in the final. Despite getting four penalty corners in two minutes, they failed to convert. However, the tide turned when Deepika scored from their fifth penalty corner early in the third quarter, breaking the deadlock and setting India on course for victory.
