BIHAR, Nov 19: The Indian women’s hockey team secured their spot in the final of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Japan at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Tuesday.
Navneet Kaur opened the scoring for India in the 48th minute with a successful penalty stroke, before Lalremsiami sealed the win in the 56th minute by tapping in a pass from Sunelita Toppo.
With this result, India will defend their Asian Champions Trophy title on Wednesday against the People’s Republic of China, who reached the final after defeating Malaysia 3-1 in the other semi-final clash.
Ranked ninth in the world, India had displayed impressive form in the tournament, topping the league stage with a perfect record across five matches, including a decisive 3-0 victory over China.
Japan, currently ranked 11th, aimed to avoid conceding after suffering a loss to India in their final pool game. As a result, they focused on defensive strategies, attempting to limit the Indian team’s scoring opportunities.
Despite India dominating possession and creating multiple chances—winning nine penalty corners in the first half and five more in the third quarter—they struggled to convert these opportunities into goals.
The breakthrough finally came in the final quarter when Junon Kawai’s heavy tackle on Deepika led to a penalty stroke being awarded to India, which was upheld following a referral from the Japanese team. Navneet Kaur stepped up to take the stroke and managed to beat Japanese goalkeeper Yu Kudo, who had previously denied Deepika’s attempt moments earlier.
With momentum on their side, India extended their lead less than five minutes before the final whistle when Lalremsiami scored, ensuring their position in the final.
Japan managed to earn their only penalty corner of the match in the dying minutes, but Indian custodian Bichu Devi Kharibam, supported by her defenders, thwarted the opportunity, maintaining a clean sheet—India’s fourth in a row during the competition.
