Indian women hockey team made a memorable debut in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22, trouncing China 7-1 at the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Muscat, Oman today. The Indian team will take on China again in the return leg tomorrow. Matches are being telecast live on Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD and Hotstar.

The Savita-led Indian side clinched the resounding win over Chine with goals from Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam (47-PS, 52-PS), Navneet Kaur (5-FG), Neha (12-FG), Vandana Katariya (40-FG), Sharmila Devi (48-FG) and Gurjit Kaur (50-PS). Deng Xue scored the solitary goal for China in the 43rd minute.

It was a day of firsts in Muscat as the city hosted its first FIH Hockey Pro League match. The hockey-mad city had just played host to the 2022 Womens Asia Cup and now two of the teams that had competed in that competition – India (FIH World Ranking: 9) and China (WR: 13) – came head-to-head in the opening FIH Hockey Pro League match of 2022.

For China, this match was a chance to turn around the result of their previous encounter against India in the third place match at the 2022 Womens Asia Cup where they had lost 2-0.

For India women, this was their first match in the FIH Hockey Pro League, following the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand from the competition because of Covid-related travel restrictions. In another first, three goals scored by India from penalty strokes are the most penalty strokes to be awarded and converted in one FIH Hockey Pro league match.

The Player of the Match was awarded to Sharmila Devi. The 20-member Indian women team has two players from Odisha. They are defender Deep Grace Ekka and forward Mariana Kujur. Deep Grace has been named as vice-captain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Indian players celebrate after scoring a goal in their opening FIH Hockey Pro League match against China in Muscat on 31st January 2022.