Youth Olympics: Indian women's hockey team thrash Vanuatu 16-0

India's under-18 women's hockey team hammered Vanuatu 16-0 in its third match of the five-a-side competition in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Forward Mumtaz Khan (8th, 11th, 12th, 15th) scored four times and Chetna scored thrice (6th, 14th, 17th) to help India achieve the dominating win on Monday night.

Image used for representational purposes.Photograph: File

In-form striker Lalremsiami opened India's account scoring in the second minute. Thirty seconds later, Reet scored India's second and a minute later skipper Salima Tete joined the party to make it 3-0 in just four minutes of the first period.

Baljeet Kaur then put her name on the score-sheet twice in the fifth minute making it 5-0. Chetna scored first of her three goals in the sixth minute as Reet doubled her tally in the same minute to take India to 7-0.

Mumtaz (8th) and Lalremsiami (10th) also scored before the first period ended at 9-0 in India's favour.

The second period was no different as India continued to add to Vanuatu's misery by scoring goals at will.

The island nation, which conceded 32 goals in its last two outings, hardly had any shots on India's goal.

The Indians took as many as 40 shots in total during the match compared to just five from their opponents.

India scored a goal a minute in the first five minutes of the second half through Mumtaz (11th, 12th, 15th), Salima (13th) and Chetna (14th).

India's 15th and Chetna's third came in the 17th minute. Ishika Chaudhary scored India's last goal in the final minute ensuring all players except the goalkeeper entered the scoresheet.

Archana Kamath reaches semi-finals

Indian paddler Archana Girish Kamath had to use all her skills, energy and nerves to overcome Azerbaijan's Nign Jing 4-3 and enter the semi-finals of the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

She pulled off a 13-11, 8-11, 6-11, 11-3, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

She will take on China's Yingsha Sun for a spot in the final.

A win against the Chinese will put her into the medal round straightaway, failing which the Indian will have a shot at the playoff for the bronze.

But the spectacular fight she put in the Argentina capital must have given her enough confidence ahead of the last four fixture.

After taking the extended first game, Archana was hit back by Ning Jing, a Chinese origin player from Azerbaijan, who went 2-1 up to mount pressure on the Indian. But Archana was up to the task and levelled 3-3 before dropping the next.

At this junction, the 18-year-old had to muster courage to keep her nerves calm and approach the match with composure. And she did it marvellously to first erase the deficit and in the decider, playing like a champion, she simply demolished her opponent.

"It was a tough match and she fought till the very end. So I am very happy that I could win. But credit should also go her because she played really well,” said Archana.