Sunelita Toppo scored a brace as the Indian women’s hockey team trounced Singapore 7-0 in their final Pool B match to set up the Asian Games semifinal against Korea here Sunday.

India topped Pool B with five wins from as many games. The semifinal is scheduled for September 30.

Skipper Salima Tete (17th minute), Sunelita (22nd, 24th), Lalremsiami (26th), Rutuja Dadoso Pisal (29th), Nikki Pradhan (35th) and Deepika (55th) scored for India.

Defending champions and reinging Olympic silver medallist China will take on hosts Japan in the other semifinal.

Unfancied Singapore gave India a run for their money in the first quarter even though the Salima Tete-led side dominated thner e proceedings.

Singapore were particularly brilliant in their penalty corner defence as they denied India as many as eight penalty corners.

The play was mostly in the Singapore half with India mounting attacks after attacks and in the process earning innumerable penalty corners but the Singaporeans defended with heart to deny their opponents.

But two minutes into the second quarter, skipper Salima finally gave India the lead with a fine field goal.

In the 22nd minute, Sunelita doubled India’s lead scoring from from a botched up penalty corner effort.

Sunelita again registered her name in the score sheet, again directing in a Deepika’s flick from a penalty corner from a variation.

Lalremsiami then extended the lead deflecting in another Deepika flick from a penalty corner three inutes later.

Rutuja made the scorelin 5-0 with a fine field goal in the 30th minute.

But the Indians were quote sloppy from penalty corners as they converted just three from 15 they earned in the first two quarters.

The Indians continued to earn penalty corners a galore but failed to convert them from direct tries.

Four minutes into the third quarter, India extended their lead through Nikki Pradhan, who pushed home a loose ball from another messed up set piece.

The Indians secured five more penalty corners in the third quarter but failed to convert them as the Singaporeans defended in numbers.

Fo records, India had 24 penalty corners in the first three quarters out of which they converted just three, that too from variations and a rebound.

Five minutes from the hooter, India secured two back-to-back penalty corners and Deepika finally scored with a powerful flick to the left of the Singapore goalkeeper.

India had another set piece a minute later but wasted the chance.

Indian women’s hockey captain Salima Tete believes the team’s recent Nations Cup triumph has given the side the confidence to compete for the top prize in the FIH Women’s World Cup 2026, despite being handed a challenging pool.

India head into the World Cup on the back of winning the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand, and Tete believes the momentum from that success can propel the team to another medal-winning campaign on the biggest stage, the World Cup, to be held at jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.

“This time, the FIH Hockey World Cup will be ours. We will play smart, attacking hockey and bring back a medal. I have full belief in my team. We have the ability to do it,” Tete told JioStar.

“Our last tournament in New Zealand, the FIH Nations Cup, was a great success. We won it and brought home the medal.

“So this time, in the World Cup, our goal is the same. Every match counts, and we will treat each one with equal importance. We are determined to play our best hockey and bring back the gold medal.” Tete, who is set to play in her second World Cup, said the team’s focus will be on approaching every match with a winning mindset despite being handed a challenging pool.

“Playing in the World Cup is every player’s dream. It’s a huge opportunity for us. Just like the FIH Nations Cup and the FIH Pro League, top teams will be competing.

“With the Asian Games also approaching, we know we will face strong teams. Our pool in the World Cup is challenging, and we are preparing for tough matches,” she said.

“Our goal is to go into every match with a clear plan and a winning mindset.” The 24-year-old captain also acknowledged that nerves are natural ahead of a major tournament but said her responsibility is to ensure the team remains positive and united.

“I feel nervous too, and that’s normal. Every player goes through it. But whenever I step onto the pitch, I tell myself that I must play for my team, support every player, and take responsibility,” she said.

“Whether we are winning or losing, I stand with the team. I want to be a role model who lifts the team up. If someone makes a mistake, it’s fine. We learn and improve. I want to bring positivity and energy to the group.” Tete also highlighted the role of India’s younger players, saying the energy and hunger they bring to the squad can have a positive impact on the entire team.

“When the junior players come into the team, they bring a lot of energy. They always tell us, ‘Didi, we have to push hard, we have to play good hockey, and we need that medal.’ Hearing that from them gives us all a lot of positivity,” she said.

Tete named Sakshi Rana, Ishika and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal among the youngsters eager to make an impact at the World Cup and said the senior players would ensure they do not feel burdened by expectations.

“From my side, I always tell them to play freely and enjoy the game. It’s not their job to carry the pressure. The seniors are there to handle that. I want them to focus on their game and express themselves on the pitch,” she said.

“When they play with freedom, they perform better. That helps the team as a whole.” The captain also credited India’s goalkeepers for giving the outfield players the confidence to attack without fear.

“When they say, ‘You push forward, we will defend the back,’ it really fires us up. They give us the confidence to attack freely, knowing they will take care of the defence,” Tete said.

The Indian women’s hockey team custodians Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Bansari Solanki and Madhuri Kindo attended a special goalkeeping camp conducted by Ireland’s David Williamson under the supervision of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, that concluded on May 2 at the SAI centre here.

Supported by Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, the 11-day camp ran from April 22, enabling focused and high-performance training for the goalkeepers.

Williamson is a highly experienced field hockey coach and former player from Northern Ireland. He is a renowned goalkeeping specialist who has worked extensively with the US women’s national team.

Senior goalkeepers Savita, Bichu Devi, Bansari, and Madhuri attended the sessions, allowing them to focus extensively on technical basics, decision-making, defensive organisation, and tactical awareness in match situations as the team prepares for major tournaments in the upcoming international calendar.

Speaking on the benefits of such focused camps for goalkeepers, Savita said, “Being a goalkeeper, I’ve always experienced that these kinds of camps help you learn a lot, while polishing and improving your skills. We recreate match-like situations in training and have plenty of discussions. So, these specialised camps are always important.” Sharing her experience at the camp, Savita also shed light on how she embraced the role of mentoring younger goalkeepers.

“Being a senior player, I have to ensure that I don’t only focus on my own performance but also pay attention to and motivate the younger keepers. I’m always looking at how they’re doing and how I can guide them in little details, based on my experience,” she said.