India women's hockey team suffer 2-3 defeat against hosts Spain in 5-Nation Tournament opener

Valencia: Indian women’s hockey team suffered a 2-3 defeat to Spain in its opening match of the 5-Nation Tournament in Valencia on Friday. Gurjit Kaur (13th minute) and Sangita Kumari (14th) scored a goal each for India, while Sara Barrios Navarro (2nd), Patricia Alvarez Nardiz (30th) and Julia Strappato Garreta (53rd) were on target for Spain. The Spanish side began the match aggressively and was rewarded for their effort with Navarro breaking the deadlock in only the second minute of the game. Thereafter, India launched a counter-attack, pushing Spain back into their half and earning a penalty corner. Gurjit capitalised on this opportunity and unleashed a powerful flick to bring India back on level terms. Soon after, Sangita breached the Spanish defence to give India the lead. The first quarter ended 2-1 in India’s favour. The second quarter saw a resilient Spain fight back and equalise through Nardiz’s goal. India and Spain continued to look for the goal that would give them the lead in the third quarter but the high-quality defence of both teams meant that the score remained at 2-2. Spain finally broke the deadlock in the fourth and final quarter as Garreta scored from a penalty corner, sealing the victory for her team. The Indian team will face Belgium next on Saturday.