India maul Uzbekistan 22-0 in opening women’s junior Asia Cup match

Kakamighara (Japan), Jun 3 (PTI) Annu slammed a double hat-trick as India started their campaign in the women’s Junior Asia Cup on an emphatic note with a 22-0 thrashing of a lowly Uzbekistan, here on Saturday.

Annu (13th, 29th, 30th, 38th, 43th, 51st) was the star performer for India, while Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke (3rd, 56th); Mumtaz Khan (6th, 44th, 47th, 60th); Sunelita Toppo (17th, 17th); Manju Chorsiya (26th), Deepika Soreng (18th, 25th), Deepika (32nd, 44th, 46th, 57th), and Neelam (47th) were the others on target.

India began attacking the Uzbekistan citadel from the onset and took an early lead when as Vaishnavi (3rd) converted a penalty corner.

Mumtaz doubled India’s lead three minutes later with a field strike.

Annu added to the team’s tally by netting a goal as the opening quarter ended with India enjoying a 3-0 lead.

The second quarter was no different as India continued to dominate the proceedings and scored goals at will through Sunelita, Manju, Deepika and Anu, thus enjoying a commanding 10-0 lead at the half-time.

The script was the same after the change of ends as Deepika netted one through penalty corner while Annu struck two more to help India take 13-0 lead.

Mumtaz and Deepika scored in dying moments of third quarter to make it 15-0.

It was one-way traffic as India pumped in seven more goals in the final quarter. India will next play Malaysia in their second pool game on June 5.