Asian Games 2026: India end 44-year wait for women's hockey gold; secure spot in 2028 LA Olympics
The last time that India won gold in women's hockey at the Asian Games had been at the 1982 edition in Delhi
The last time that India won gold in women's hockey at the Asian Games had been at the 1982 edition in Delhi.
The last time that India won gold in women's hockey at the Asian Games had been at the 1982 edition in Delhi.
The last time that India won gold in women's hockey at the Asian Games had been at the 1982 edition in Delhi.
India clinched the gold in women's hockey against China, ending a 44-year-long wait and adding to the country's major gold medal haul at the Asian Games in Japan's Aichi-Nagoya on Friday.
The close match saw India's Lalremsiami Hmarzote score the first and only goal of the match in the first quarter (10th minute) with a stunning reverse-hit strike, after which China tried their best to bring up an equaliser.
China then ramped up the pressure, and though they came close in the second quarter with sharp attacks followed by with a penalty stroke, they were denied by veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia, as the match ended 1-0.
This takes India's total Asian Games medal haul well past 75—16 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze.
Friday's win marks a major milestone for the team, led by captain Salima Tete, who had notched a 4-3 victory in Thursday's thriller against Pakistan. China, on the other hand, had reached the final after overcoming the hosts Japan in a 4-2 shootout after a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
The Friday win is doubly special for Lalremsiami, as it marks her 200th senior international appearance for India.
The gold medal has now secured India a direct ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Notably, the last time that India won gold in women's hockey at the Asian Games had been at the 1982 edition in Delhi, when they beat Singapore 3-0.
The Indian women's hockey team's 1982 outing, which remains their first and finest showing at any Asian Games so far, saw them begin their campaign with a powerful 22-0 win over Hong Kong, after which they went on to score 37 goals in five matches, conceding just one goal.