India, Sept. 20 -- The Indian women's hockey team launched their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign in ruthless fashion, hammering Uzbekistan 19-0 in their Pool B opener at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara on Sunday. Ranked eighth in the world and second in Asia behind China (No.4), India proved far too strong for the 65th-ranked Uzbeks. The Salima Tete-led outfit dismantled their opponents' defence at will, logging four goals by the end of the first quarter.

The massive victory goes down as India's third-biggest win in Asian Games history and practically guarantees the team will not have to worry about goal difference when the qualification for the semi-finals is decided.

The biggest margin of victory for India at...