Asia Cup 2025: China overcomes early setback to secure 13-1 win against Kazakhstan 

The searing two-day heat wave that had been baking the 2025 Asia Cup finally ended. On the third day, a welcome shroud of clouds and a gentle breeze swept over the Rajgir Hockey Stadium. Players and fans alike let out a collective sigh of relief, celebrating the sun’s absence. 

However, their joy was short-lived. As Kazakhstan and China faced off in their Pool A encounter, the air grew thick and heavy. The relief from the sun was replaced by a new, oppressive foe: a suffocating humidity that soared to a staggering 90 per cent.

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Kazakhstan, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at a mere 88th in the world, delivered a shocker to China just 74 seconds into the match. Fresh off a demoralising 0-7 defeat to Japan, Kazakhstan wasted no time, launching a full-throttle attack from the opening whistle. The aggressive play paid off almost immediately, earning it a penalty corner in the very first minute. Agymtay Duisengazy stepped up to the spot and converted the opportunity with a low, powerful drag-flick that rocketed past the Chinese goalkeeper and the post man.

Kazakhstan‘s players celebrate after scoring a goal.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

The goal sent a jolt of euphoria through Olga Uramanova’s team, which had only learned of its participation in the tournament just 10 days prior.

For the first few minutes after conceding the goal, it looked as if the Chinese players were under pressure, as they failed to keep a penalty corner on target. Finally, in the 10th minute, China drew the equaliser through a short corner. That goal seemed to have lifted the spirits of Anthony Farry’s men, as they went on to score two more field goals within the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, China started with a renewed determination to play its A game. It scored two more goals to go into the halftime break with a commanding 4-1 lead. Despite its dominant position, China refused to take its foot off the pedal, and by the end of the third quarter, its lead had swelled to 10-1.

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The final score was 13-1 in favour of China. Yuanlin Lu scored a hat-trick with two field goals and one from a penalty corner. Changliang Lin and Benhai Chen bagged braces, and the remaining goals were shared among six other players. Five players scored from penalty corners.

With this win, China improved its chances of qualifying for the Super 4s with one win in two matches and a +11 goal difference.

After the match, China’s assistant coach, Michel van den Heuvel, said, “We were playing against an opposition who are well below us in the rankings. The biggest compliment we could give them is by playing our best game, and we certainly did that.”

When asked about China’s preparations ahead of the tournament, the Dutchman said, “We only had internal matches among the squad. We didn’t have one practice match. Okay, I worked with these guys for four weeks in China. That’s it. We are building a program for the future. And that’s the aim. So, we’re learning every game we play. So, that’s it.”

Published on Aug 31, 2025