MOQI
Defending champions India charged into the semi-finals of the AHF Junior Asia Cup with a massive 15-nil victory over Chinese Taipei in their final group match. Captain Anmol Ekka led the charge by scoring six goals, helping his team finish at the top of Pool A with ten points. South Korea took the second spot in the group after a narrow win against Japan, while Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Indonesia missed out on the next round.
The match started slowly for the defending champions. Although India controlled the ball during the opening fifteen minutes, they struggled to break through a tough opponent defense, ending the first quarter without any goals.
Everything changed in the second quarter. Aryan Xess scored the opening goal in the seventeenth minute, and Prabhdeep Singh added another right after. Gursewak Singh scored shortly after that, before captain Anmol found the net from a penalty corner. Arjun Santosh Hargude and Anmol scored again before the break, giving India a comfortable six-goal lead at halftime.
The third quarter turned into a complete one-sided affair. Anmol scored three quick goals from penalty corners to secure his hat-trick and push his personal tally higher. Ajeet Yadav also added his name to the scoresheet, and Anmol scored another just before the quarter ended, pushing the total score into double digits.
India kept up the heavy pressure in the final quarter. Harpal found the net, and Anmol capped off his incredible performance by scoring his sixth goal of the evening. Harpal scored once more, and Aryan closed out the match with his second goal to seal the win.
This crushing victory highlights the strong attacking skills and penalty corner talents of the squad. After overcoming a quiet start, the team heads into the knockout stage with high confidence.
