Four-Goal Nousheen, Hat-Trick Hero Ketan Power India to Another Winning Day

India's sub-junior men's and women's hockey teams continued their impressive unbeaten run at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship with commanding victories on Thursday, reinforcing their credentials as strong contenders for the title and qualification for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

The Indian women's team produced a clinical performance, thrashing Kazakhstan 10-0 in an Elite Pool encounter. The match was virtually decided in the opening minute when Nousheen Naz struck twice in quick succession, giving India complete control from the outset.

India intensified the attack after the break, adding six more goals with remarkable ease. Sandeepa Kumari emerged as another standout performer, completing a superb hat-trick with strikes in the 11th, 16th and 18th minutes. Nousheen added two more goals in the 15th and 20th minutes to finish with an outstanding four-goal haul. Kiran Ekka, Nilam Topno, and Pushpa Manjhi also found the net, underlining the team's attacking depth and dominance throughout the contest.

The Indian men's team also maintained its flawless record by defeating Bangladesh 8-3 after overcoming a competitive first half. Captain Ketan Kushwaha led from the front, scoring twice alongside an early goal from Shahrukh Ali to hand India a narrow 3-2 advantage at halftime.

Bangladesh stayed in contention through goals from Md Hosen and Sohorab Soton, but India shifted gears after the interval. Kushwaha completed a brilliant four-goal performance with two more strikes, while Romit Pal, Prahalad Rajbhar, and Rahul Yadav added their names to the scoresheet. Bangladesh managed only one second-half goal as Soton completed his brace.

With confidence soaring, the Indian women's side will next face China and Uzbekistan, while the men's team is set for crucial clashes against Oman and Pakistan on Friday. The tournament serves as Asia's qualifying event for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.