India's Junior Women Rout South Korea 5-1 To Reach Asia Cup Hockey Final

India's Junior Women's hockey team put on a dominant display to beat South Korea 5-1 in the first semi-final of the AHF Junior Asia Cup on Saturday in Moqi, China, booking their place in the final as they look to defend the title they have won in each of the last two editions.

Slow Start, Fast Finish

The contest opened cautiously, with both sides feeling out the knockout occasion before India began to assert control. The breakthrough came in the 13th minute, when Madhu Sidar finished off a well-worked attacking move to put the defending champions ahead. From there, India's grip on possession and territory only tightened. Four minutes later, a penalty corner presented an opening for drag-flick specialist Supriya, who found the target with a precise strike to make it 2-0.

India continued to press and were rewarded again in the 21st minute, when a cross from an aerial ball into the Korean circle was turned home by Sukhveer Kaur to extend the lead to 3-0. South Korea searched for a way back before half-time but could not break down a composed Indian defence, and the sides went into the break with India firmly in command.

Supriya's Hat-Trick Seals It

The second half brought more of the same from India, who added a fourth goal in the 33rd minute when Supriya converted another penalty corner to make it 4-0. South Korea did find a response soon after, with Yuri Jeong scoring from a set piece in the 41st minute to briefly offer hope of a comeback at 4-1. But India's defence held firm through the final quarter, giving the Koreans little room to build momentum.

Any lingering hopes of a Korean revival were extinguished in the 56th minute, when India won another penalty corner and Supriya stepped up once more, completing her hat-trick and sealing a comprehensive 5-1 victory.

What It Means

The result keeps India on course for a hat-trick of their own at the tournament level, having won the previous two editions of the competition. They will now face the winner of the second semi-final between hosts China and Japan in Sunday's final, as they bid to add another continental title to their trophy cabinet.

The performance also underlined the growing depth of India's junior women's setup, with contributions coming from multiple players rather than a single standout, even as Supriya's penalty-corner conversions provided the headline moments. For a program that has increasingly fed talent into the senior national side in recent years, a dominant run at this level is likely to be read as a promising sign heading into the final and beyond.

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