New Delhi: The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team continued its dominant run at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2026 with a commanding 7-0 win over Japan. The victory gave India nine points from three matches and secured its place in the quarter-finals.
India controlled the game from the opening whistle with aggressive attacks, disciplined defending and clinical finishing. Krishna Sharma opened the scoring in the fifth minute, while Supriya converted a penalty stroke in the ninth minute to make it 2-0. Poornima Yadav then scored in the 14th minute to give India a 3-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
While Japan tried to fight back in the second quarter, but India’s defenders repeatedly stopped their attacks. India kept Japan scoreless and took a comfortable 3-0 lead into half-time.
India raised the attacking intensity after the break. Geeta Yadav scored in the 41st and 45th minutes to make it 5-0, while Poornima Yadav scored her second goal in the 46th minute to extend the lead to 6-0. Sanika Chandrakant Mane added India’s seventh goal in the 50th minute to complete the 7-0 win.
The victory followed India’s emphatic 11-1 win over Malaysia, where Poornima Yadav, Pooja Sahu, Geeta Yadav and Sanika Chandrakant Mane found the net. India had earlier opened its campaign with a 4-1 victory over South Korea.
Indian team has now scored 22 goals in three matches and conceded only two, highlighting its attacking strength and defensive discipline.
India Secure Hockey Quarter-Final Spot; China Clash Next
India secured its quarter-final spot with the win over Japan. The team will next face hosts China on September 9 in its final Elite Pool match. The result will determine India’s final pool position and could decide its quarter-final opponent.
The quarter-finals will take place on September 10, followed by the semi-finals on September 12. The final and bronze medal match will take place on September 13.
The defending champions are targeting their third consecutive title. After three dominant wins, India has emerged as one of the strongest contenders for the championship. The China clash will give the Indian hockey team its biggest test yet before the knockout stage.
