India begin Junior Women's World Cup with 13-0 win over Namibia
Santiago (PTI): Hina Bano sand Kanika Siwach scored a hat-trick each as India began their Junior Women's Hockey World Cup campaign with a comprehensive 13-0 win against Namibi here on Monday.
Besides Hina (35', 35', 45') and Kanika's (12', 30', 45') strikes, Sakshi Rana (10', 23') scored a brace while Binima Dhan (14'), Sonam (14'), Sakshi Shukla (27'), Ishika (36'), and Manisha (60') also got on the scoresheet.
With this win, India climbed to the top of the table.
India bagged four goals in as many minutes to take control of the game in first quarter. Sakshi opened the scoring with a brilliant reverse flick and Kanika soon doubled their lead with a powerful finish. Binima added a third with a sharp run and finish, while Sonam scored a fourth after some neat interplay in the buildup, giving India a 4-0 lead after the opening fifteen minutes.
With a healthy lead, India continued to dominate as Sakshi scored her second with a superb run that was finished off with a thunderous strike.
Namibia showed some aggression to look for an opening but were constantly kept at bay by the Indian midfielders. India added a sixth as Sakshi converted her dragflick from a penalty corner. Kanika also scored her second goal at the stroke of half-time, extending India's lead to 7-0.
India were firmly in control and continued to stay on top to open the second half. Hina scored her first goal in the tournament with a ferocious strike into the top corner. She soon added another within a minute, capitalising on a loose restart from Namibia.
Ishika added a 10th after a rebound fell her way from a penalty corner. Another kind deflection from a penalty corner fell Hina's way as she completed her hat-trick.
Kanika also registered her third goal from a penalty corner, establishing a 12-0 lead for India after three quarters.
Having made a few changes to begin the final quarter, India continued to create chances with their bench getting an opportunity to make their mark. Manisha then got herself on the scoresheet from penalty corner, completing a 13-0 route for India in their opening game.
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'Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane...': Tharoor takes dig at failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan
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New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday took a swipe at the "failed" US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan with an Urdu couplet, saying only god knows now what will happen.
"Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane; Na woh mane, na ye mane (only god knows what will happen now as both sides did not agree)," Tharoor said on X, tagging a post-talks video clip of US Vice President J D Vance, who led the American delegation at the negotiations in Islamabad.
The United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
अब क्या होगा, ये रब जाने
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 13, 2026
ना वो माने, ना ये माने https://t.co/DYrXpa7C8h
Vance said the Iranian side did not accept Washington's terms for ending the war even as the US presented its "final and best offer".
Hours after the talks collapsed, US President Donald Trump said on social media that the negotiations with Tehran failed as "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions".
Trump said the US Navy will actively interdict any vessel in international waters found to have paid tolls to Iran for transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiation team, said it is for the US to decide whether it can "earn our trust or not".
The Iranian foreign ministry, without elaborating, said the US side resorted to "excessive" and "illegal demands".
The failure to reach an agreement has dimmed the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy marke
