The Chinese women's national field hockey team kicked off its Netherlands leg of the 2025 FIH Pro League campaign with a 3-1 loss to powerhouse Netherlands at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, on Saturday.

China held strong in the opening quarter, fending off an early Dutch offensive just 90 seconds into the game. The home side earned a penalty corner but failed to convert.

The Dutch broke the deadlock late in the second quarter, scoring in the 13th minute through a well-executed combination inside the shooting circle.

In the third quarter, the Netherlands quickly extended their lead in the fourth minute, followed by another goal off a penalty corner which made it 3-0.

China responded in the final quarter. In the eighth minute, young defender Tan Jintong scored on a rebound following a penalty corner, narrowing the gap to 3-1. The team continued to press, launching several promising attacks inside the circle, but couldn't find the net again before the final whistle.

After the match, captain Ou Zixia praised her squad's performance despite the loss. "It was a high-quality game, and I'm proud of how resilient we were," she said. "Our defense was solid, but we need to convert more scoring opportunities."

Ou also singled out goalscorer Tan for her standout performance. "She's a young player with great technical skills and defensive strength. I believe she's a rising star worth watching."

Head coach Alyson Annan expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, noting that two of the goals conceded came from China's own defensive errors.

"I think all of our players played really well," she said. "You have to be making errors in these games to learn. And this is the place to do it. I prefer to make errors and learn from them in these games than in two or three years (later in those games) of Olympics."

Looking ahead to China's second game against the Netherlands on Sunday, Annan said the team must maintain the strong spirit they showed in the opener while better matching the tempo of top-tier competition.