The Indian women’s hockey team launched their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign in ruthless fashion, hammering Uzbekistan 19-0 in their Pool B opener at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara on Sunday. Ranked eighth in the world and second in Asia behind China (No.4), India proved far too strong for the 65th-ranked Uzbeks. The Salima Tete-led outfit dismantled their opponents’ defence at will, logging four goals by the end of the first quarter.
The massive victory goes down as India’s third-biggest win in Asian Games history and practically guarantees the team will not have to worry about goal difference when the qualification for the semi-finals is decided. The undisputed star of the goalfest was Deepika Sehrawat, who netted an unbelievable eight goals (8th, 22nd, 25th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 41st, 54th). As the match progressed, India began treating the fixture like a practice game, with Deepika successfully testing her drag-flicks from both penalty corner (PC) batteries. The relentless assault left Uzbekistan’s captain and goalkeeper, Irina Semyonova, completely helpless against the Indian frontline.
Uzbekistan spent almost the entirety of the match pinned in their own half, managing just one rare circle entry from a counterattack five minutes before the final hooter.
Marijne had previously warned the team about this, pointing out that while they can afford to play with 10 women against a 65th-ranked team, stronger opponents in the latter stages of the tournament will severely punish any indiscipline. Despite the flawless scoreline, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne will have one specific area to address: on-field discipline. Just a minute before half-time, experienced campaigner Neha received a green card. Uzbekistan struggled with cards as well, with Mutabar Amrieva (42nd) and Mariya Demina (44th) temporarily suspended in the second half.
