Beating Korea 3-1 in second Pool A match on May 31,2026 is not small thing ah,especially when it also became their second straight win in tournament .
And India did not start slowly also . In opening quarter itself,team earned penalty stroke and Nousheen Naz converted it in 4th minute,putting India 1-0 ahead very early . That kind of start always puts pressure on opponent.
After that,India kept control and in second quarter,Shruti Kumari scored field goal in 21st minute . So by halftime,India were leading 2-0 and honestly,it felt like match was going fully in their direction only.
But Korea also did not just disappear from match . In second half,Gyeongmin Ryu scored in 41st minute and made it 2-1 . That moment could have become tricky because one goal gap in hockey can change mood very fast .
And this is where India's response was nice to see . Kiran Ekka converted penalty corner in 43rd minute,restoring two-goal cushion and making score 3-1 . She later also got Player of the Match for her performance.
Few things standing out from this match:
- India defeated Korea 3-1 in their second Pool match of U18 Asia Cup on May 31, 2026 .
- Goals came from Nousheen Naz in 4th minute,Shruti Kumari in 21st minute and Kiran Ekka in 43rd minute.
- India now has six points in Pool A after earlier win against Malaysia.
What I liked most was not just scoring,but how India handled final quarter . Korea tried to push for comeback,but Indian defense stayed disciplined and did not allow further damage . Tbh,that calmness matters a lot in tournament games .
With this win,India are now sitting at top of Pool A standings and next they face Singapore in final Pool A match on June 2,2026 . Unbeaten run is still alive,and confidence will clearly be high after two wins.
And now real question is whether this team can keep same sharpness when pressure gets bigger in U18 Asia Cup… because early wins are good,but tournament mood can shift anytime…
