Hockey Women's Junior World Cup: India ride on Olympic experience, attacking strikers and dependable 'keeper

It wouldn't have been possible without the presence of three Olympians, an attacking forward line, and a fine goalkeeper in Bichu Devi Karibam. Having already issued a warning going into the knockout stage of the FIH event, India will take on Korea in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Read AlsoFIH Women's Junior World Cup: Mumtaz scores hat-trick as India beat Malaysia 4-0 to top pool, face Korea in quarterfinals

Mumtaz Khan scored a hat-trick as the Indian women's hockey team thrashed a lowly Malaysia 4-0 to end its pool engagements with an unbeaten record in the FIH Junior World Cup on Tuesday. Already assured of a quarterfinal berth before Tuesday's tie, India scored four field goals -- three by Mumtaz

India, who have appeared in four editions of the junior global event, claimed their best finish in 2013, with a bronze medal. Despite failing to qualify for the previous edition, the Indians are considered among the top five contenders to lift the title in South Africa. They are a confident lot following the senior team's historic fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics, besides the constant improvement in all aspects of the game in the last few years. India is one team which boasts of three Olympians in skipper Salima Tete, strikers Lalremsiami and Sharmila Devi, and the trio's experience of playing at the highest level has benefited the side in the pool stages. Salima has been a livewire in the midfield and has dazzled with her brilliant stick work, while Sharmila's defence splitting runs and Lalremsiami's poaching presence inside the opposition circle have worked wonders for the team. Lalremsiami has scored two goals in the three matches, with her agile presence inside the circle. "It's quite a good opportunity for us