Japanese women trounce Fiji 14-0 in HWL opener

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Japanese women’s team smashed Fiji 14-0 in the opening match of the Hockey World League (HWL) Round 2 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here Monday.

Japan played an attacking game right from the beginning of the one-sided match and scored eight goals in the first half.

Japan earned their first penalty corner in the ninth minute, and Shiho Sakai converted it into a goal. Soon after, captain Rika Komazawa scored the second goal through a penalty corner.

Komazawa scored her second goal in the 14th minute. Japan’s fourth goal was scored by Akiko Kato in the 17th minute, Miyuki Nakagawa scored fifth in the 20th, while Aya Ueda got the sixth in the 28th minute.

The seventh and eighth goal of the first half came from two successive penalty corners by Kumi Banda in the 32nd minute, and Shiho Sakai in the 34th minute, which helped Japan take a 8-0 lead.

In the second half, Japan continued their attacking game and scored a total of six more goals.

Shiho Sakai was adjudged Player-of-the-Match.