Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team Returns from UK Tour: Builds Confidence Ahead of Asia Cup

Young Indian Hockey Talents Gear Up for Asia Cup with Fresh Determination

IIE DIGITAL: The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team successfully concluded its United Kingdom exposure tour, featuring seven competitive matches against strong opponents including Scotland Senior Women, USA U21, England U21 and Belgium U21. The tour provided the young players with crucial international experience and valuable preparation ahead of upcoming junior tournaments.

India ended the campaign with three wins, three losses and one shootout defeat by displaying determination, attacking strength and continuous improvement throughout the series.

The tour began in Edinburgh with two challenging encounters against Scotland Senior Women. India narrowly lost the opening match 2-3, followed by a 1-3 defeat in the second game. Shashi Khasa scored India’s only goal in the second fixture, while Bronwyn Shields, Zara Kennedy and Charlotte Watson found the net for Scotland.

The Indian side responded strongly in the third match, recording an impressive 6 0 victory over USA U21. Sukhveer Kaur delivered a standout performance with two goals, while Kajal, Shashi Khasa, Purnima Yadav and Puja Sahoo also contributed to the convincing win.

Continuing their momentum, India secured another dominant performance against England U21, defeating the hosts 2 0. Binima Dhan and Roshni Aind scored to seal the victory.

The fifth match against USA U21 ended in a 1-1 draw after Puja Sahoo converted a penalty corner for India and Reese Anetsberger equalised through a penalty stroke. The United States eventually won the shootout 3-2, despite successful attempts from Shashi Khasa and Geeta Yadav for India.

India bounced back once again in the next match, defeating England U21 2-0. Krishna Sharma and Purnima Yadav scored field goals to help India register their second win over the English side during the tour.

In the final match, India put up a strong fight against Belgium U21 but suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat. Belgium’s Louise Van Herendael and Romanie Verhaeghe scored, while Sukhveer Kaur found the back of the net for India.

Throughout the seven matches, the Indian Junior Women’s team showed promising growth, with players making significant contributions in both attacking and defensive areas. The tour allowed the squad to compete against high quality international teams, adapt to different playing styles and gain confidence ahead of major competitions.

Reflecting on the experience, captain Shileima Chanu Khaidem said the tour was an important learning opportunity for the team. She highlighted how facing different international opponents helped the players improve, identify areas of strength and work on areas needing development. She added that the experience gained in the UK will play a key role in India’s preparations for the Women’s Junior Asia Cup in China.

The Indian team will now focus on building on these learning as they continue their preparations for the upcoming international challenge.