India storm into quarter-finals

India’s junior women’s hockey team produced another dominant performance at the 2026 Women’s Junior Asia Cup, defeating Japan 7-0 in their third Elite Pool match in Moqi, China, on Tuesday. The emphatic victory not only maintained India’s perfect record but also secured their place in the quarter-finals.

The defending champions started the contest with attacking intent and quickly put Japan under pressure. Krishna Sharma opened the scoring in the fifth minute, giving India an early advantage. Four minutes later, India were awarded a penalty stroke after a Japanese defender committed a foul inside the circle. Supriya made no mistake from the spot to double the lead.

India continued to dominate possession and territory, and their pressure was rewarded again in the 14th minute when Purnima Yadav scored a field goal. India ended the opening quarter with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Japan showed greater attacking intent in the second quarter and attempted to find a way back into the match. However, India’s defence remained organised and denied their opponents any clear breakthrough. Neither side added to the score before half-time, leaving India comfortably in control.

The third quarter saw India shift into another gear. Geeta Yadav scored in the 41st minute before completing her brace four minutes later. Purnima then struck again in the 46th minute, also completing her second goal of the match. The three-goal burst in just five minutes effectively ended Japan’s hopes of a comeback and took India’s advantage to 6-0.

India maintained their attacking approach in the final quarter. Sanika Chandrakant Mane added the seventh goal in the 50th minute, scoring her first of the match. India then controlled the remainder of the contest to complete a convincing 7-0 victory.

The result gives India nine points from three matches and puts them at the top of the Elite Pool. They began their campaign with a 4-1 win over South Korea before producing an 11-1 demolition of Malaysia. Their latest victory over Japan means they have scored 22 goals while conceding only two in their opening three matches.

India will play China in their final pool match on September 9. China currently have six points from two matches, meaning the game could decide who finishes top of the pool.

With their quarter-final berth already secured, India will now look to carry their impressive attacking form into the knockout stages as they continue their title defence.