Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 hockey: Rampant India qualify for semi-finals with 13-0 win vs Thailand

The Indian hockey team booked its spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 with a commanding 13-0 win over Thailand at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Thursday.

Deepika (3’, 19’, 43’, 45’, 45’), Preeti Dubey (9’,40’), Lalremsiami (12’, 56’), Beauty Dungdung (30’, 53’), Navneet Kaur (53’), Manisha Chauhan (55’, 58’) scored the goals for India. Thailand came close to scoring on a couple of occasions but could not get on the scoring board.

With the win, India, ninth in the hockey rankings, held onto second place in the Asian Champions Trophy standings with nine points, just behind the People's Republic of China, who lead with nine points and a superior goal difference of +21 to India’s +18.

The three straight wins also meant that India have secured their place in the top four with two games still to go. The top four out of six teams - China, India, Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand - will progress to the semi-finals.

World No. 29 Thailand struggled to match India’s speed and precision from the start. India, the defending champions, earned the lead in the third minute through Deepika’s precise reverse hit from the edge of the D that beat the Thai goalkeeper.

Thailand enjoyed a brief spell of possession after conceding the opening goal but it did not take long for India to strike again.

Just six minutes later, Rio 2016 Olympian Preeti Dubey was perfectly positioned to slot the ball into the net, capping off a brilliant passing sequence from India down the right flank.

Lalremsiami, playing her 150th match for the Indian women’s hockey team, struck two minutes later to make it 3-0.

India kept piling pressure on the Thai defence from the right and Deepika’s direct hit at the goal in the 19th minute beat four defenders and the goalkeeper on its way to make it 4-0.

India, who have struggled to convert penalty corners in this tournament, capitalised in the final minute of the second quarter. Lalremsiami’s drag-flick was initially saved by the Thai goalkeeper but Beuty Dungdung chipped it over the fallen keeper to secure India’s fifth goal.

With their tails up, India came out all guns blazing in the second half and scored eight goals.

Vaishnavi Vitthal’s precise long pass inside the D was converted neatly by Preeti Dubey in the 40th minute.

Deepika completed her hat-trick with a powerful drag-flick on the upper left of the goal in the 43rd minute. She then scored one from the open play before scoring from the penalty corner by targeting the lower right as India went into the final 15 minutes with a healthy nine-goal lead.

Despite a healthy margin, India remained relentless in the fourth quarter with China’s goal difference in sight. After a quite seven minutes, Indian vice-captain Navneet Kaur got her name on the scoresheet with a powerful backhand.

Manisha Chauhan then scored the first senior goal of her career two minutes later through a drag-flick at the centre of the goal. India played without the goalkeeper in the final few minutes of the game to score the maximum goals and the move paid off with Manisha Chauhan completing her brace.

India’s next match will be against Paris 2024 finalists China on Saturday. The world No. 6 China are the best-ranked team in the tournament and had beaten India 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Asian Games last year.