Bhubaneswar: The Indian women’s hockey team kicked off their campaign in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 with a close 1-2 defeat against the formidable China, the reigning Asian Games gold medalists, at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
Vandana Katariya, an experienced forward, opened the scoring for India in the 15th minute, giving them an early lead. However, China’s Wen Dan (40′) and Bingfeng Gu (52′) orchestrated a comeback, sealing the victory for the visitors.
Despite India’s attempts to dictate the tempo with quick passes in the opening moments, they struggled to create significant goal threats. China had a chance early in the game after a miscued clearance from India’s goalkeeper Savita, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Vandana Katariya’s deflection of Lalremsiami’s cross from the right wing secured India’s lead in the final minute of the first quarter. China responded by earning a penalty corner early in the second quarter, but India’s defense thwarted the threat.
While China dominated possession in the second quarter, India defended well and sought to exploit counterattack opportunities. The first half concluded with India leading 1-0.
In the second half, China intensified their efforts, and Jiaqi Zhong set up Wen Dan’s equalizer with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Although India earned a penalty corner in the last minute of the third quarter, they couldn’t convert it.
China took control in the final quarter, earning multiple penalty corners, and Bingfeng Gu’s goal from a rebound secured the 2-1 victory. Despite India’s efforts to level the score, the match concluded in China’s favor.
India will look to bounce back in the FIH Hockey Pro League and showcase their prowess in the upcoming fixtures.