India and China Draw 2-2 in Women's FIH Hockey World Cup Opener
India commenced their Women's FIH Hockey World Cup journey with a challenging 2-2 draw against China, the silver medallists from the Paris Olympics, at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The match saw India take the lead twice, first through Navneet Kaur in the eighth minute, followed by an equalizer from Zhang Ying via a penalty stroke just before the first quarter ended. Deepika restored India's lead in the second quarter with a penalty corner goal, but Ma Ning leveled the score for China in the third quarter.
China dominated much of the second half, applying significant pressure on the Indian defense. Despite several close calls, including a missed penalty corner opportunity for China in the final moments, India managed to hold on for the draw, earning a valuable point in Pool D.
