India beat Japan 4-0 to win women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey title
Ranchi, Nov 5: Playing exhilarating hockey from the word go, an aggressive Indian women's team crushed title holders Japan 4-0 to lift its second Asian Champions Trophy title here on Sunday.
The match started 50 minutes late because of issues with the floodlights.
India overcame the two-time champions through goals from Sangita Kumari (17th minute), Neha (46th), Laremsiami (57th) and Vandana Katariya (60th).
India won their maiden Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 in Singapore, while Japan bagged the crown twice, in 2013 and 2021.
The Indians started on an attacking note while Japan preferred to sit back and rely on counter attacks.
India got a golden opportunity to take lead but Deepika failed to find the net from an one-on-one situation with Japanese goalkeeper Akio Tanaka.
The Indians continued to dominate the possession as Japan were busy in defending.
The Japanese too had their share of chances but they failed to breach the resolute Indian defence.
Two minutes into the second quarter, India took the lead through Sangita who scored with a high hit after being fed by Neha Goyal.
The Indians continued their relentless attacks on the Japanese goal but failed to get the finishing touch.
Japan found the net in the second quarter through Shiho Kobayakawa but the goal was disallowed after India asked for referral for a body contact when the ball was received.
The Japanese upped their ante in the second quarter with continuous attacks but the Indian defence stood tall.
In the 25th minute, Japan secured three back-to-back penalty corners but the Indians defended in numbers to deny their opponents.
It was a neck-and-neck fight between the two teams after the change of ends with both India and Japan pressing hard for goals.
But goals eluded them in the third quarter as the defence of both the sides were up to the task.
The Indians came out all guns blazing in the fourth quarter and pressed hard on the Japanese goal, and their efforts bore fruit.
A minute into the fourth quarter, India secured three consecutive penalty corners. Neha scored from Deep Grace's hit.
India continued to put pressure on the Japanese defence, which resulted in success when in the 57th minute Lalremsiami scored from a rebound after Udita's initial strike from a penalty corner was saved by the Japanese keeper.
Just before the final hooter, Vandana registered her name in the score sheet, scoring a fine field goal as the Indians recorded an emphatic victory.
Earlier in the day, Asian Games champions China beat South Korea 2-1 to secure the third place.
Yi Chen (3rd minute) and Tiantian Luo (47th) scored for the winners while Sujin An (38th) found the target for Korea.
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Here's how netizens, media outlets projected Ashwini Kumar's bomb threat as 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi'
Mumbai: Mumbai was thrown into panic late on Thursday night when police received a WhatsApp message warning of a large-scale terror attack during the Ganesh festival. The message, written in the name of a jihadi group called “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” claimed that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai with 400 kilograms of RDX loaded in 34 vehicles.
It warned of blasts that could kill as many as one crore people. Authorities immediately declared a high alert, and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch while the Anti-Terrorism Squad and other security agencies were put on standby.
Within hours, the threat made national headlines. Television channels and online portals reported the possibility of a terror strike, repeatedly linking the message to Pakistan-based groups.
The incident was projected as yet another attempt to destabilize Mumbai, and the supposed involvement of a jihadi outfit quickly gained traction across the media. However, a swift investigation by Mumbai Police traced the origin of the message to a very different source.
By Saturday, police had tracked down and arrested Ashwin Kumar Supra, a 50-year-old astrologer and Vastu consultant living in Sector 79 of Noida. Originally from Patna, Kumar admitted during interrogation that he had sent the message using the name of his former friend Firoz. In 2023, Firoz had lodged a fraud case against him at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna, leading to Kumar’s three-month imprisonment. Seeking revenge, Kumar attempted to frame Firoz by posing as a jihadi terrorist. Police recovered his mobile phone, SIM cards, and other digital devices used in the hoax.
When the threat first came to light, social media was flooded with heated reactions. Journalist @Manju_IBNews wrote, “Another election around the corner!” while user @kv_mcu posted an aggressive comment demanding to “ban Islam and burn the Quran,” calling for mass deportations and tying the incident to culture and religion. In response, @RIMMS51979 countered sharply, saying, “Caller Name is Ashvini kumar what will you burn now.” Another user, @Valkyrie00777, questioned the credibility of the threat, pointing to contradictions in the claim that 14 terrorists had entered India with 34 bombs and 400 kilograms of RDX. Meanwhile, @Liberal51601607 remarked, “Terrorists have no religion.. Anyone..?”
Fact-checkers also weighed in. @zoo_bear (Mohammed Zubair) accused NDTV of omitting crucial context, posting: “Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him.” The fact-check website Aazad Fact Check (@AazadFactCheck) published a detailed rebuttal, saying the story had quickly evolved into a propaganda tool. It noted that the supposed intelligence about “human bombs in vehicles” was technically flawed and described the entire sequence as “a pure example of Indian narrative building before a false flag operation.”
Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him. https://t.co/17nZxYOrql
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 6, 2025
After Ashwini Kumar’s arrest, the tone of the online conversation shifted sharply. Activist @ShabnamHashmi posted, “Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred. Stop the Hate factory! Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang.” Journalist @indscribe (Shams Ur Rehman Alavi) observed that newspapers splashed the initial threat on front pages but buried the arrest details inside. “When the guy gets caught, the same newspapers don't publish his photo, relegate it to page 14 or reduce it to a single column… Interest gone after ‘name’ found,” he wrote.
Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred
— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) September 6, 2025
Stop the Hate factory !
Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang pic.twitter.com/IzpLjWVJgu
Other users highlighted systemic and political angles. @shfique13 argued that there are now “two laws” in the country—one protecting those aligned with the government and another used to suppress truth-tellers. @SoodRajive claimed the episode was staged, alleging Kumar had been paid to frame a minority and calling it “a staged toolkit drama.” User @hussain2577 wrote sarcastically, “Such an innocent n bright person. Plzz grant him bail, Garland him, Give him BJP membership form.” Another account, @Sangliyana, remarked, “Risking his life just to frame a Muslim boy. This is what 11 years corrupting mind.” Finally, @rsbisht__ argued that Kumar’s only aim was to trap Firoz, linking it to what he described as rising hatred against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh under the Modi and Yogi administrations.
