India on Tuesday qualified for the semi-finals of the Women’s FIH Olympic Qualifier in Ranchi after thrashing Italy 5-1 in their final Pool B match. India will now take on Germany in the semi-final on Thursday night, with a win ensuring qualification for the Paris Olympics.
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After USA beat New Zealand earlier in the day, India needed to avoid a loss against Italy to qualify for the semi-finals. India started the match on front foot. They won a penalty corner in the first minute of the match. Udita Duhan, who has been among the goals, successfully converted the set-piece.
India added a second goal in the second half to give themselves some breathing space as Deepika converted a penalty stroke. They got their third goal from in-form Salima Tete who has been sensational throughout the tournament.
Late in the 4th quarter, Udita scored another goal to mark her 100th appearance for the team after Navneet scored her tournament opener with a deft dribble and reverse stroke.
Germany will be a tough opponent, as is to be expected from the team with the highest ranking in the tournament. However, India will be confident going into that game after scoring eight goals in the last two matches after losing to USA on opening day.
