Salalah (Oman): Skipper Navjot Kaur slammed a hat-trick as India continued their impressive run at the Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier and defeated Malaysia 9-5 to enter the final of the tournament here Monday and also qualify for next year’s World Cup.
Navjot (7th, 10th, 17th minutes) struck a hat-trick while Mariana Kujur (9th, 12th) and Jyoti (21th, 26th) scored twice each. Monika Dipi Toppo (22nd) and Mahima Choudhary (14th) were the other goal scorers for India.
For Malaysia, Zati Muhamad (4th, 5th), Dian Nazeri (10th, 20th), and Aziz Zafirah (16th) found the net.
The inaugural edition of the Hockey 5s World Cup will be held in Muscat from January 24 to 27 next year.
Even though India started the match on an aggressive note, it was Malaysia, who took the lead through Muhamad.
A minute later, Malaysia doubled their lead as Muhamad was on the score-sheet again, scoring a fine field goal.
India, however, pulled one back through Navjot’s strike two minutes later.
In-form Kujur then scored for India to level the scores.
With both the teams constantly creating threatening attacks, Malaysia took the lead through Nazeri.
India immediately counter-attacked and scored two goals in quick time to take the lead.
Navjot and Kujur scored the third and fourth goals for India.
With a minute remaining in the first half, India extended their lead through Choudhary.
At the end of the first half, India were leading Malaysia by 5-3.
Both the teams came out firing in the second half, making some threatening moves.
But it was Malaysia who first got on the score-sheet through Zafirah.
India added three more goals to their tally through Navjot, Jyoti, and Toppo to make it 8-5 in their favour.
With four minutes remaining, Jyoti scored the ninth goal for India.
India will play the winner of the second semifinal between Thailand and Indonesia in the final of the tournament later on Monday night.
PTI