Deepika Leads India’s 19-0 Asian Games Rout Of Uzbekistan
Deepika scored eight goals as the Indian women’s hockey team launched its Asian Games 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Uzbekistan 19-0 in their opening Pool B match here on Sunday.
India, the second highest-ranked side in the competition, completely dominated the contest from the opening whistle as Uzbekistan struggled to cope with the relentless attacks and could barely keep possession.
Deepika led the goal rush with strikes in the eighth, 22nd, 25th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 41st and 54th minutes.
Lalremsiami (7th), Ishika (11th, 42nd, 54th), Baljeet Kaur (12th), Neha (18th), Navneet Kaur (23rd, 45th), Lalthantluangi (43rd, 51st) and Sakshi Rana (43rd) were India’s other scorers.
India Dominate From The Start
The gulf between the two sides was evident from the opening minutes, with India repeatedly breaking into the Uzbek circle.
Lalremsiami opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a close-range field goal before adding another a minute later.
Ishika then produced a brilliant first-time finish from the left side of the circle after being set up by Sunelita Toppo.
Baljeet Kaur made it 4-0 in the 12th minute before Neha added another field goal six minutes later.
Deepika then began her personal goal spree, converting a penalty corner with a powerful drag-flick into the bottom-right corner.
Navneet Kaur joined the scoring with a field goal before Deepika converted another penalty corner to give India an 8-0 lead at half-time.
Deepika Completes Eight-Goal Haul
India showed no signs of slowing down after the break, adding 11 more goals across the final two quarters.
Deepika continued to find the net with remarkable regularity, completing her eight-goal haul with her final strike in the 54th minute.
Ishika, Navneet, Lalthantluangi and Sakshi Rana also contributed to the second-half goal rush as India’s attacking pressure proved too much for the Uzbekistan defence.
The 19-0 scoreline underlined India’s superiority, with Uzbekistan unable to create sustained possession or put the Indian defence under meaningful pressure.
Savita Punia Joins Elite 320-Cap Club
The match was also a landmark occasion for veteran India goalkeeper Savita Punia, who earned her 320th international cap.
Savita joined Vandana Katariya as the joint-most capped Indian woman hockey player.
The milestone, however, came with little work for the goalkeeper as Uzbekistan rarely managed to threaten India’s goal and struggled to retain possession.
India will next face Indonesia on Monday as they continue their Asian Games 2026 campaign.
The emphatic opening win gives India an early boost in their bid for a strong run in the women’s hockey competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
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Meta Description: Deepika scored eight goals as India women’s hockey team thrashed Uzbekistan 19-0 in their Asian Games 2026 opener, with Savita Punia earning her 320th international cap.
