Vandana hat-trick wins women’s hockey team, beat South Africa 4-3
Vandana Katariya’s scintillating hat-trick helped the Indian women’s hockey team beat South Africa 4-3 in their final group match to keep their hopes of reaching the knockouts alive. Vandana scored for India in the 4th, 17th and 49th minutes. Neha scored the fourth goal for India in the 32nd minute. This is South Africa’s fifth consecutive defeat in Group A. India got its second win in five matches. After losing the first three matches, India has won two matches. Now India is waiting for the match between Britain and Ireland. Ireland’s defeat at the hands of Britain will take India forward. And if Ireland wins then India will be out because then Ireland will be tied with India in terms of points and will overtake in terms of goal difference.
Four teams from each group go to the knockouts. India currently have six points from five matches. His goal difference is -7. Australia, Germany and Britain have already reached the knockouts from this group. There is one place left, for which India is in a tussle between Ireland.
However, India’s Vandana scored the first goal of the match in the fourth minute. Vandana, a resident of Uttarakhand, led India 1-0 through a fine field goal.
The South African team pushed for a comeback and got a breakthrough in the 15th minute. Taryn Christie Glasby made the score 1-1 with a fine field goal.
Two minutes later, Vandana scored another goal to take India 2-1. Vandana scored this goal from the penalty corner. In the 30th minute, captain Erin Hunter scored from a penalty corner to make the score 2-2 once again. Two minutes later, Neha scored from a penalty corner to give India a 3-2 lead, but Marijan Maris made the score 3-3 in the 39th minute with a brilliant field goal.
India needed to win this match at any cost to go ahead and at the same time they also have to pray that Ireland’s team loses to Britain. In such a situation, the Indian team was putting a lot of emphasis. Vandana once again showed her class and scored a penalty corner in the 49th minute to once again take India 4-3. India was able to save this score and at the same time it has kept the chances of going ahead alive.
