India’s women’s hockey team defeats South Africa to remain in contention for a QF berth at the Tokyo Olympics

The India women’s hockey team defeated South Africa 4-3 in their final Pool A game on Saturday (July 31) at the Oi Hockey Stadium South Pitch, keeping their prospects of reaching the quarter-finals alive.

India won two and lost three of their five Group Stage matches. The destiny of Rani and the girls will now be determined by Ireland’s game versus Great Britain.

The Rani Rampal-led Indian team took a 1-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to Vandana Katariya’s goal. South Africa equalized in the last minutes of the first quarter when Tarryn Glasby scored, bringing the score at 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Katariya scored another goal for India, giving Rampal’s team a 2-1 lead. However, much like in the first quarter, South Africa equalized in the final stages of the second quarter when Erin Hunter scored.

India regained the lead in the third quarter when Neha scored. South Africa managed to grab an equaliser once more, frustrating the Indians, as Glasby scored her second goal of the game. The score was 3-3 at the completion of the third quarter.

Katariya was named MVP for the third time this season when she scored her third goal of the game in the fourth quarter, giving India a 4-3 lead with 11 minutes remaining. In the end, India managed to hold on for a 4-3 victory, with Katariya stealing the show with her hat trick.

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