Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025: India plays out 1-1 draw against Japan in Super 4s clash

India played out a 1-1 draw with Japan in a crucial Super 4s match the Women’s Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China on Saturday.

India will reach Final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, if China beat Korea or avoid a defeat by less than three goal margins.

In the match against Japan, India drew first blood as they scored early through Beauty Dung Dung (7’), whilst it was Shiho Kobayakawa (58’) who equalised for the Japanese.

India had the better start in the early exchanges of the contest and threatened within the first few minutes itself, as Ishika Chaudhary hit the frame of the goal. After that Japan began to put together a few moves in attack, but were quickly pushed back as India struck in the form of Beauty Dung Dung (7’), who deflected Neha’s shot into the net to make it 1-0. India continued to attack, and earned the game’s first penalty corner in the final moments of the first quarter, which ended with the score at 1-0.

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After two evenly poised quarters, the final 15 minutes saw Japan stepping it up in attack as they looked for an equaliser. The defending champions were under pressure and the Indian Women’s Hockey Team’s defence continued to repel the Japanese attacks. Mid-way through the quarter, India started to move back up the pitch, and won a flurry of penalty corners, to put the pressure back on their opponents. In the final minutes, Japan scored through Shiho Kobayakawa (58’) to make it 1-1.

Veteran forward Navneet Kaur completed 200 international caps for India in the match. Navneet is currently the second-highest scorer for India at the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2025.

Published on Sep 13, 2025