New Delhi, December 6 (IANS). India lost in the third match of the Asian Women’s Handball Championship 2024 despite scoring 15 goals against former champions Japan, more than any other team in the competition. India’s 48-15 defeat against Japan means they will now compete in the 5th-8th place bracket.
India is hosting the tournament presented by the World Handball League and organized by the Asian Handball Federation for the first time from 3 to 10 December at the Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi.
Maninder Kaur scored India’s first goal after a struggling start, while goalkeeper Neena Sheel continued her form from the previous match to thwart Japan’s early attacks. As the game progressed, India moved the ball around and tried to penetrate Japan’s strong defence, but the Giants were too strong and soon gained a considerable lead over the hosts.
However, amidst the Japanese attacks, there were many positives for India. For example, Sushma’s long-range goal received a lot of applause from the Indian fans in the stadium. Moments later, Bhavana Sharma stopped the Japanese attack, ran towards the goal and scored brilliantly. Just before the break, Bhavana scored another brilliant solo goal while captain Diksha thrilled the crowd with a brilliant save with her right foot.
Former tournament winners Japan took the lead after play resumed. After this, India’s hopes of qualification diminished. Despite this, the hosts put in a brave performance and troubled the Japanese team at times. With India’s defeat and Iran’s 26–17 win over Hong Kong, the hosts finished third in the group.
Earlier in the day, Kazakhstan boosted their qualification hopes with an impressive 38-7 win over Singapore. Similarly, in the evening, South Korea defeated China and confirmed its entry into the next round. The defending champions continued their winning streak in the tournament by defeating China 25-14 thanks to a player of the match performance from Li Yongyong.
India will play Singapore in the semi-finals for the 5th-8th places, with the winner facing China or Hong Kong in the placement finals. Meanwhile, in the main bracket, South Korea will take on Iran while Kazakhstan will play Japan. All semi-final matches will be held on December 8.
–IANS
RR/
