India began their Women’s Hockey World Cup campaign on a positive note, holding Olympic silver medallists China to a 2-2 draw in their opening match here on Sunday. The Indian team displayed attacking intent and composure against a strong Chinese side. The result gives India a valuable point from a challenging opening fixture.
Navneet Kaur opened the scoring for India in the eighth minute, giving her side an early advantage. China responded through Zhang Ying in the 15th minute to level the contest. Deepika then restored India’s lead in the 25th minute, sending the team into the interval ahead.
China fought back strongly after the break and found the equaliser through Ma Ning in the 39th minute. India defended resolutely in the closing stages to secure a draw against the highly rated Chinese side. Both teams had opportunities to find a winning goal, but neither could break the deadlock.
India will now look to build on the encouraging performance as they continue their World Cup campaign. The draw against the Olympic silver medallists will provide confidence to the Indian squad ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
