Did the Indian junior women’s hockey team lose to Canberra Chill?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Close match between India and Canberra Chill with a score of 4-5.
- Sukhveer Kaur opened the scoring for India early in the game.
- Canberra Chill dominated the second quarter, extending their lead.
- India showed resilience, scoring late goals but fell short.
- Preparations for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025 continue.
Canberra, Oct 2 (NationPress): The Indian junior women’s hockey team faced a close defeat, losing 4-5 to Canberra Chill in their concluding match of the Australia Tour at the National Hockey Centre, Canberra. The Indian side saw goals from Sukhveer Kaur (6'), Kanika Siwach (42'), Sunelita Toppo (54'), and Ishika (57'). The Canberra Chill players who scored were Canhess Lauren Yee (12', 19'), Canhess Josie Lawton (24'), Hunter Baldwin (28'), and Amukawton (34').
India opened the scoring with a penalty corner goal from Sukhveer Kaur in the sixth minute. Shortly thereafter, Canhess Lauren Yee netted two consecutive field goals in the 12th and 19th minutes, giving her team an early lead.
The Canberra Chill team extended their advantage with field goals from Canhess Josie Lawton and Hunter Baldwin in the 24th and 28th minutes of the second quarter. They added their fifth and final goal at the 34th minute, courtesy of a penalty corner by Amukawton.
For India, Kanika Siwach found the net via a penalty corner in the 42nd minute as the visitors attempted to stage a comeback. In the final quarter, Sunelita Toppo and Ishika also scored through penalty corners in the 54th and 57th minutes, respectively, but were unable to find the equalizer, finishing their tour with a disappointing loss.
Under the leadership of captain Jyoti Singh, the team participated in significant matches during their stay in Australia to prepare for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025, set to take place in December in Santiago, Chile.
The Indian squad, having recorded two wins and two losses before this match, concluded their tour with a defeat against Canberra Chill on October 2.
This tour was guided by captain Jyoti Singh and coach Tushar Khandker. The matches were pivotal for India's preparations for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025. The exposure gained during this tour is expected to benefit the young Indian players, allowing them to refine their skills in international competitions against formidable teams. Earlier in June, the team also toured Europe, where they faced Belgium, Australia, and The Netherlands, achieving notable victories against Belgium and a hard-fought win against Australia, but faced a challenging shootout loss to The Netherlands.
vi/bsk/