Captain Salima Tete, who was named Player of the Match, and Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored for India, while Hiramitsu Ai netted the lone goal for Japan. The match also marked a major milestone for midfielder Jyoti, who completed her 100th senior international appearance for India.
With consecutive victories over the United States and Japan, unbeaten India climbed to the top of the Pool A standings with six points, strengthening their campaign in the prestigious tournament.
The opening half witnessed an intense contest, with both teams creating scoring opportunities but failing to break the deadlock before the interval. India and Japan displayed disciplined defensive structures, ensuring the score remained level at half-time.
The breakthrough finally came in the third quarter when India capitalised on a well-executed penalty corner variation in the 33rd minute. Navneet Kaur’s strike was expertly redirected by Nikki Pradhan towards Salima Tete, who calmly slotted the ball into the net to hand India a deserved lead.
Japan responded swiftly and restored parity just two minutes later. Hiramitsu Ai successfully converted a penalty corner in the 35th minute, bringing the world No. 15 side back into the contest.
With the match finely balanced heading into the final quarter, India found the decisive goal in the 49th minute. Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam delivered a precise pass from the edge of the circle towards the goal, locating Lalremsiami Hmarzote, who produced a clinical deflection to score the winner and secure India’s second consecutive victory in the tournament.
Ranked ninth in the world, India will now face Uruguay in their final Pool A fixture on Thursday as they seek to maintain their unbeaten run ahead of the knockout stage.
The FIH Nations Cup carries significant importance, with the tournament champion earning promotion to the Hockey Pro League. India previously won the inaugural FIH Women’s Nations Cup in 2022 to secure promotion. This edition holds added significance as the 2026-27 Hockey Pro League season has also been designated as a qualifying pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, making India’s strong start a major boost to its international ambitions.
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