India’s women beat Uzbekistan 19-0 at the Asian Games, with Deepika scoring eight goals including six from penalty corners, and then beat Indonesia 17-1, while the men beat Indonesia 13-1 in their opener.
Scorelines like these are a result of the pool structure. Early group matches often pair strong teams with much lower-ranked opponents, so the margin measures the gap between the sides more than it forecasts how the team will do against its real rivals.
The useful information is in the details. Six of Deepika’s eight goals were penalty corner conversions, which points to a well-drilled set-piece routine, and the men’s goals were spread across several scorers, with Dilpreet Singh scoring four and Shilanand Lakra and Sukhjeet Singh two each.
There is also a practical benefit. In a pool where goal difference can separate teams, large early wins provide a cushion.
The real tests come in the later rounds against the strongest Asian sides, and those will say more about the medal chances than any of the early scores.
Shilanand Lakra scored twice, at the 6th and 35th minutes, and Sukhjeet Singh scored twice, at the 38th and 48th minutes.
The women’s team are the defending bronze medallists at the Asian Games.
The women are in Pool B and the men in Pool A of the Asian Games hockey tournament.
India’s women’s hockey team played the Monday match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
The men’s and women’s teams both started with heavy wins, which can help in pool standings if goal difference is used to separate teams.
The Asian Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
Big scorelines at this stage reflect the gap between India and lower-ranked teams in the pool, and stronger opponents are expected later in the tournament.
Indian women’s hockey team (file photo), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0