NEW DELHI: Indian women’s hockey team finished runner-up in the Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship in Muscat, going down 2-4 against China in the summit clash.
India had booked their lace in the final with a massive 8-1 victory over Kazakhstan in semifinal.
China took lead in the final through Tongtong Lu in the opening minute and Kexin Tang doubled their advantage in the fifth minute before Jiaxin Guo made it 3-0 a minute later.
India responded after the break as Nousheen Naz found the back of the net in the 13th minute to reduce the deficit.
However, Chen Ge restored China’s three-goal lead in the 19th minute.
Pushpa Manjhi scored in the 20th to give India some hope, but China held on to register a dominant victory and lift the title.
Earlier in the semifinal, Sandeepa Kumari opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Pushpa Manjhi struck in the sixth, and added two more goals in the eighth to put India firmly in control.
Kazakhstan pulled one back via Ayanat Mazhim in the 10th minute, but India continued to dictate the game.
Skipper Diya scored twice in the 13th and 16th minutes, while Shruti Kumari also found the net in the 16th minute. Nousheen Naz completed the scoring in the 20th minute as India sealed an emphatic 8-1 victory to make the final.
Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each for the players and Rs 50,000 for the support staff members.
India have also secured qualification for the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup with their strong performance.