New Delhi: Vandana Katariya officially became the first female Indian hockey player to score a hat-trick in the Olympic Games as India beat South Africa 4-3 in a Women’s pool A hockey match at the Tokyo Olympics.

India’s hope to make it to the first-ever quarterfinal is still alive. Women’s team can reach the first-ever quarterfinal if Ireland loses/draws to/with Great Britain later in the day.

In their five Group Stage matches, India won two and lost three. Rani and girls’ fate will now depend on Ireland’s game against Great Britain.

The Women in Blue win their second game of #Tokyo2020

What a game of Hockey! 👏#INDvRSA #IndiaKaGame #TeamIndia #Tokyo2020 #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/ADGwefv36v

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 31, 2021

The Rani Rampal-led Indian outfit gained a 1-0 lead in the first quarter as Vandana Katariya got her name on the scoring sheet. In the dying minutes of the first quarter, South Africa got the equaliser as Tarryn Glasby scored a goal, bringing the scoreline to 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, it was once again Katariya who scored the goal for India and Rampal’s side gained a 2-1 lead. However, just like the first quarter, South Africa registered the equaliser in the final moments of the second quarter as Erin Hunter scored the goal.

India restored its lead in the third quarter as Neha scored the goal. Frustrating the Indians, South Africa managed to get the equaliser once more as Glasby scored her second goal of the match. At the end of the third quarter, the scoreline read 3-3.

Katariya was once again the MVP as she registered her third goal of the match in the fourth quarter, giving India a 4-3 lead with 11 minutes still left to play. In the end, India managed to hang on and the side registered a 4-3 win with Katariya stealing the show with her hattrick.