The Indian junior women’s hockey team achieved a remarkable victory in the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026, defeating Malaysia 11-1 in their second elite pool match.
This win marks India’s second consecutive triumph in the tournament, following a 4-1 victory over South Korea in their opening match.
From the outset, India displayed an aggressive offensive strategy. Within just one minute, Pooja Sahu converted a penalty stroke to put India ahead 1-0. The momentum continued with Purnima Yadav scoring in the fourth minute, followed by Binima Dhan, who netted a penalty corner in the eighth minute, extending the lead to 3-0.
India’s relentless attack did not stop there. Krishna Sharma added another goal in the 14th minute, solidifying their advantage. The second quarter saw India maintain their dominance, with Purnima Yadav scoring her second goal from a penalty corner in the 17th minute. Sukveer Kaur and Geeta Yadav also found the net in the 21st and 28th minutes, respectively, bringing the score to a staggering 7-0 by halftime.
Despite Malaysia’s attempts to counter, they struggled to keep pace with the Indian team’s relentless pressure. Malaysia managed to score once in the 38th minute through Noor Mohammad, but it had little impact on the match’s outcome. India quickly regained control, with Pooja converting another penalty stroke in the 42nd minute for her second goal.
A minute later, Sanika Chandrakant Mane scored, pushing India’s score to 9-1. Even with victory nearly assured, India continued to attack. Geeta scored her second goal from a penalty corner in the 53rd minute, and just before the match concluded, Sanika added her second, finalizing the score at 11-1.
India’s impressive performance included four field goals, five penalty corners, and two penalty strokes. With this victory, India leads the elite pool with six points from two matches, while China and Japan have three points each. South Korea and Malaysia are yet to secure a win.