India delivered a breathtaking attacking masterclass at the 2026 Women’s Junior Asia Cup, thrashing Pakistan 19-0 in the quarter-final to storm into the semi-finals in emphatic fashion on Thursday.
From the opening whistle, the Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team dictated the tempo, relentlessly attacking the Pakistani circle and converting sustained pressure into a record-breaking scoreline. India scored five goals in the opening quarter, added five more in the second, three in the third and finished with a six-goal blitz in the final quarter.
Puja Sahoo opened India’s account in the seventh minute from a penalty corner before Roshni Aind doubled the lead two minutes later. Tanushree Dinesh Kadu, Sukhveer Kaur and Sanika Chandrakant Mane then struck in quick succession as India ended the opening quarter 5-0 ahead.
India showed no signs of easing off in the second quarter. Madhu Sidar and Geeta Yadav extended the advantage before Sanika Mane completed her brace. Tanuja Toppo and Pooja Malik added further goals as India went into half-time with a commanding 10-0 lead.
The onslaught continued after the break, with Purnima Yadav, Madhu Sidar and Supriya finding the net to take India’s lead to 13-0 heading into the final quarter.
India saved their most emphatic finish for the final 15 minutes. Krishna Sharma, Pooja Malik and Roshni Aind added to the tally, while Malik completed a hat-trick and Supriya scored her second of the match. Binima Dhan then got on the scoresheet before Roshni Aind rounded off the extraordinary victory with her second goal in the 60th minute.
The numbers reflected India’s complete command of the contest. The defending side scored 19 goals, earned 18 penalty corners and a penalty stroke, while Pakistan failed to register a goal, penalty corner or penalty stroke.
Pooja Malik’s hat-trick, alongside braces from Roshni Aind, Sanika Mane, Madhu Sidar and Supriya, underlined the depth and variety of India’s attacking threat.
The emphatic victory sends India into the semi-finals on September 12, where they will face the winner of the quarter-final between Korea and Malaysia.
India will now look to carry the momentum of this dominant performance into the last four as they continue their campaign for continental honours.
(Inputs from Hockey India)
