India have been crowned the winners of the women's Asian Champions Trophy after beating China 1-0 at the Rajgir Sports Complex Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Wednesday, November 20. (Match Blog | More Hockey News)
The only goal of the final came in the third-quarter after Deepika put India ahead with a back-handed strike into the far corner after a penalty corner.
However, the high of the goal came falling down as minutes later, Deepika missed the penalty stroke after a stunning save from the Chinese goalkeeper.
But, India held their nerve to win consecutive titles and also their first under new coach Harendra Singh.
China, however, tried their absolute best, but were not good enough to penetrate the Indian defence as the hosts held firm for almost all four quarters.
Without their head coach Alyson Annan, they showcased a lot of heart, but had to settle for the silver medal in Bihar.
However, it was a much needed win for the Indian women’s hockey team after a the Olympic qualifiers heartache earlier on in the year, and Harendra Singh has taught them to embrace failure and look ahead and trust the process.
