Deepika nets eight as India overwhelm Uzbekistan 19-0 in Asian Games opener
Deepika scored eight goals as the Indian women's hockey team beat Uzbekistan 19-0 in their opening Pool B match at the Asian Games in Kakamilgahara on September 20, 2026. The result came in a one-sided fixture in which India dominated possession and scoring from the start.
India, the second-highest-ranked side in the competition, faced a match widely expected to be lopsided and the Uzbek defence provided little resistance, with the hosts firing eight goals in the first half. The scoreboard reflected a clear gulf in quality as India repeatedly breached the Uzbek circle.
Goal scorers for India were Deepika (8th, 22nd, 25th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 41st, 54th), Lalremsiami (7th), Ishika (11th, 42nd, 54th), Baljeet Kaur (12th), Neha (18th), Navneet Kaur (23rd, 45th), Lalthantluangi (43rd, 51st) and Sakshi Rana (43rd). The team accumulated 19 goals across the match, with eight in the opening half and 11 across the final two quarters.
The scoring opened in the seventh minute when Lalremsiami found the net from close range, and Deepika followed a minute later to make it 2-0. Ishika struck in the 11th minute with a first-time finish from the left of the circle after being played in by Sunelita Toppo, Baljeet Kaur scored in the 12th, and Neha added a field goal in the 18th minute. Deepika converted a penalty corner dragflick to the bottom right to reach the 22nd-minute mark and help extend the lead.
By half-time India led 8-0, with contributions from multiple players including Deepika and Navneet Kaur; the second half saw India increase the margin further. The hosts scored 11 goals across the third and fourth quarters, continuing to press and convert chances throughout the match.
Second-half scorers included Deepika (25th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 41st, 54th), Ishika (42nd, 54th), Navneet Kaur (45th), Lalthantluangi (43rd, 51st) and Sakshi Rana (43rd), reflecting the depth of India's attacking output in the latter stages.
Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia earned her 320th international cap in the match, joining Vandana Katariya as the joint most capped Indian woman hockey player; she saw little action as Uzbekistan struggled to retain possession. India will face Indonesia in their next Pool B match on Monday, September 21.
