Asian Games: Deepika’s nine-goal blitz powers India women’s hockey team to 20-1 win over Thailand

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 23 (ANI): India’s women’s hockey team continued its goal-scoring spree at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, thrashing Thailand 20-1 in their Pool B match at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Wednesday.
Deepika led the charge with nine goals, while Navneet Kaur scored four and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal added three. Lalremsiami, Neha, Sakshi and Salima Tete also found the net as India registered their third consecutive emphatic victory in the competition, according to ESPN.
India dominated possession, holding the ball for 61 per cent of the match, and scored in every quarter. The team netted six goals in the first quarter, five in the second, five in the third and four in the final quarter.
Thailand’s only goal came through Samanso Supansa in the 57th minute.
India had earlier opened their campaign with a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan, with Deepika scoring eight goals and Ishika completing a hat-trick. They followed it up with a 17-goal performance against Indonesia before adding 20 against Thailand.
The Indian team will next face hosts Japan on Friday before taking on Singapore on Sunday in their remaining Pool B matches.
In other results on Wednesday, India’s men’s kabaddi team defeated Bangladesh 48-25 to register their third consecutive group-stage win, while the women’s team beat Iran 37-23 for their second straight victory.
India also enjoyed a productive day in individual events. Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category with a combined lift of 198kg, while Jay Meena secured the country’s first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis, claiming bronze in the men’s singles.
India’s skeet teams also won bronze medals in both the men’s and women’s events. The women’s trio of Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Maheshwari Chauhan finished third with 331 points, while the men’s team of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmed Khan and Bhavtegh Singh Gill secured bronze after winning a shoot-off against Kazakhstan.
In squash, Abhay Singh advanced to the men’s singles Round of 16 with a 11-1, 11-0, 11-2 win over Thailand’s Arkaradet Arkarahirunya. Tanvi Khanna also progressed in the women’s singles after defeating Kim Dami.
India’s rowers and canoe sprinters continued to progress through the heats, with several athletes and teams qualifying for finals and semi-finals. (ANI)