India, Sept. 13 -- India completed a historic hat-trick of Women's Junior Asia Cup titles on Sunday, beating hosts China 1-0 in a tense final at the Moqi Training Base in Hulunbuir, with Sanika Chandrakant Mane scoring the goal that separated the two sides. Mane struck in the 17th minute to give India the advantage, and the defending champions made it count, protecting the slender lead through the remainder of the contest to finish their campaign unbeaten and retain their continental crown. The victory gave India a third successive Junior Asia Cup title after their triumphs in 2023 and 2024.

The title also secured India a place at the FIH Junior World Cup, adding another significant reward to a campaign in which the junior women underlin...