Kakamigahara: India ended a 44-year wait for the Asian Games women’s hockey gold medal with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions China in the final of the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Friday, securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute with a powerful reverse-hit finish as India held their nerve under sustained Chinese pressure to reclaim the continental crown for the first time since 1982.
The goal came at the end of a well-crafted attacking move, with Salima Tete providing a precise pass into the circle before Sakshi delivered the ball to Lalremsiami, who unleashed a fierce reverse-hit that flew into the roof of the net, leaving the Chinese goalkeeper with no chance.
India’s early advantage was put to the test as China gradually took control of possession and repeatedly threatened the Indian circle. However, the Indian defence stood firm, with Navneet Kaur producing a crucial goalline clearance to deny a Chinese penalty-corner attempt.
Savita Punia then delivered one of the defining moments of the final, making a brilliant one-handed save to deny China a penalty stroke. The Indian goalkeeper read the attempt perfectly and kept out the effort, preserving her side’s slender lead at a crucial stage of the contest.
India carried their 1-0 advantage into half-time despite China’s efforts to find an equaliser. The pressure continued after the break, with China winning multiple penalty corners in the third quarter, but Salima and her teammates repeatedly put their bodies on the line to block the attempts.
China threw everything into attack in the closing stages, even withdrawing their goalkeeper to bring on an additional outfield player in search of an equaliser. India remained composed, managing possession and denying their opponents a clear opportunity to take the match into a shootout.
The victory marked a memorable turnaround for Indian women’s hockey, whose only previous Asian Games gold came in 1982 in New Delhi, when the sport made its debut at the continental event. India had since reached the finals in 1998 and 2018 but finished with silver medals on both occasions.
The Indian team enjoyed an impressive campaign in the ongoing edition, topping Pool A with four wins from four matches before defeating Japan 7-2 in the semi-finals. They then carried that attacking momentum into the final, having also beaten Pakistan 7-1 in the pool stage.
The gold medal also secured India’s place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, giving the team an additional reward for a campaign defined by attacking quality and defensive resilience.
(IANS)
