Anima Soren (left) and Patricia Bhengra display their gold medals won at the Kaka Migahar International Challenger Cup in Japan. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, July 20: Three more girls from the winning women?s hockey team arrived in the state capital today by the Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi.

The trio were part of the under-18 women?s team that won the gold cup in the Kaka Migahar International Challenger Cup in Jiju, Japan.

The tournament for under-18 women was held from July 12 to 16 at Green Stadium, in Jifu.

Anima Soren and Tarni Kumari are from Bariatu Hockey Centre while Patricia Bhengra is from SAG hockey centre at Birsa Stadium.

They arrived at 5 am this morning to a rushed welcome from Sports Authority of India centre director Sushil Kumar Verma, former international Savitry Purty, former Olympian Sylvanus Dungdung and others who had assembled at the station, despite only being told of the girls? arrival last night.

The Indian team won their first match against Korea by a solitary goal. They beat Malaysia by five goals to nil. And, as the players recounted, they lost to Japan by two goals so that they had to face Japan in the final instead of Korea.

They avenged their round by beating Japan through the golden goal, in the extra time on July 16.

The three girls were felicitated at the Birsa Munda Stadium and were congratulated by the sports secretary N.N. Sinha, director of sports Rahul Sharma, sportspersons and officials at the hastily organised ceremony.