The Assam Women's Hockey Team was thrashed by 15 goals to nil by Hockey Haryana in the 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024 on Friday.
Deepika slammed a hat-trick and went on to score two more while Sharmila Devi, Mahima Choudhary, and Udita scored a brace each for Haryana to condemn Assam to a humiliating defeat at the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium Nehrunagar in Maharashtra's Pimpri.
Deepika scored in the 2nd, 40th, 42nd, 49th, and 56th minutes to run riot and steal the show in the opening match of the day in the Pool D game.
Renowned for her skill in set pieces, Deepika, who is regarded as the upcoming star in Indian women's hockey, successfully converted two penalty corners and also scored three goals from open play.
Sharmila, Mahima, and Udita all had impressive performances and joined in on the act scoring two goals each. Additionally, Neha Goyal scored in the 8th minute, Navneet Kaur in the 26th minute, Ekta Kaushik in the 44th minute, and Jyoti in the 50th minute, contributing to Hockey Haryana's dominant victory.
Udita was also in her prime when it came to penalty corners, as she managed to score both of her goals from these set pieces. Hockey Haryana has taken the lead in Pool D with three points after their first victory. The other team in the pool is Le Puducherry Hockey.
In a Pool E match, Dipti Lakra scored goals in the 5th and 12th minutes, Dipi Monika Toppo scored in the 10th and 51st minutes, and Aten Topno scored in the 12th and 34th minutes. They each scored twice, leading Hockey Association of Odisha to a dominant 9-1 victory over Goans Hockey.
Furthermore, Jiwan Kishori Toppo (29th), Nitu Lakra (57th), and Anupa Barla (60th) also made it onto the scoresheet for the Hockey Association of Odisha. In the 47th minute, Geeta Rathod scored the only goal for Goans Hockey with a shot from the field. The Odisha Hockey Association secured their first victory in the competition and currently holds the leading position in their group.
Later in the day, Hockey Punjab dominated Hockey Rajasthan with a resounding 11-2 victory in a Pool F match.
Sarabdeep Kaur scored a hat-trick with goals in the 15th, 39th, and 56th minutes, while Taranpreet Kaur and Kirandeep Kaur both scored two goals each in the 1st, 42nd, 18th, and 45th minutes respectively, leading Punjab to a dominant victory over Hockey Rajasthan.
The Punit Balan Group is the main sponsor of the championship, which is being co-hosted by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The IndianOil Corporation is an associate sponsor, and the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Maharashtra, is providing support. The Union Bank of India is the main power behind the event. Other sponsors include Emcure CSR, DY Patil as the medical partner, and The Orchid as the hospitality partner.
