India U18 Women Lose Semi-Final In Shootout To China At Asia Cup 2026

India lose semi-final shootout to China

The Indian U18 women's hockey team lost to China in a shootout at the U18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan. The semi-final ended 2-2 in regular time on 5 June 2026, before China won the shootout 3-1 to reach the final.

Early Indian lead and first-half action

India struck in the third minute through Nousheen Naz. Captain Sweety Kujur played a pass from midfield into the circle, and Nousheen finished with a strong backhand. China replied in the 24th minute when Li ZeYan punished a defensive error with a field goal.

Defensive work dominates the third quarter

China earned a penalty corner in the 21st minute, but Indian goalkeeper Mahak Parihar denied Feng Jiaxin’s drag flick. The Indian backline again held firm on a 34th-minute penalty corner. China controlled more possession in this phase but could not take the lead.

Missed chances and tense fourth quarter

India forced consecutive penalty corners in the 43rd minute, yet the Chinese defence held strong. The deadlock stayed at 1-1 entering the final quarter. In the 48th minute, China went ahead when Zhang Yuzheng scored from a rebound off a penalty corner routine.

Late equaliser forces shootout

India responded in the 54th minute through a penalty corner. Kiran Ekka converted to bring the score to 2-2 and keep India in contention. Both sides pressed in the final minutes, yet neither could find a winner, sending the semi-final to a deciding shootout.

Scorers and key moments

China edge India in shootout

China sealed the result 3-1 in the shootout, helped by strong goalkeeping from Liu Xue. Lu Tong Tong, Ge Chen and Guo Jiaxin scored their attempts for China. For India, only Sandeepa Kumari managed to convert her chance in the one-on-one contest.

Next fixtures and streaming details

The second women’s semi-final will feature Japan against Korea. India will face the loser of that match in the bronze medal game on 6 June 2026 at 9:30 am IST. All matches stream live on the Asian Hockey Federation YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNCxsTOURPYrnpd0VxX_Bg