The Indian women’s hockey team ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal with a historic 1-0 victory over reigning champions China in the final on Friday, October 2.
Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute, converting a field-goal opportunity to give India the lead in a closely contested final. The Indian defence then held firm to preserve the advantage and secure the gold medal.
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The victory marked India’s first women’s hockey medal at the Asian Games since the team finished on the podium in 1982. The triumph also earned India a direct qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
India, ranked eighth in the world, faced fourth-ranked China in the final and produced a disciplined performance against the defending Asian Games champions. Lalremsiami’s early strike proved enough as India successfully protected its lead through the remainder of the match.
The gold medal sparked celebrations inside the Indian dressing room, with players dancing and chanting “Champions” after their historic victory. Hockey India shared a video of the celebrations on social media, showing the players celebrating to Dwayne Bravo’s song ‘Champion’.
The title also adds another gold medal to India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The medal was India’s 76th overall at the Games, taking the country’s tally to 16 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze medals at the time.
India’s campaign was further highlighted by the performances of its leading scorers. Deepika Sehrawat finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 21 goals, while Navneet Kaur contributed 10 goals. China’s Jiaqi Zhong finished with nine goals.
The Asian Games triumph is particularly significant for the Indian women’s hockey team after a difficult Olympic cycle. India had finished fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but missed out on qualification for the Paris 2024 Games.
The gold in Aichi-Nagoya therefore provides both a major tournament title and a direct route to the next Olympic Games. With the team returning to the top of the Asian Games podium after more than four decades, the victory represents a landmark moment for Indian women’s hockey.
After years of waiting, India have once again finished at the top of Asian women’s hockey, with Lalremsiami’s early goal proving decisive in a memorable final against China.
