India end 44-year wait for women's hockey gold
India ended a 44-year wait for Asian Games women's hockey gold with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions China in Friday's final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. It was India's first women's hockey gold since the 1982 edition. The triumph also sealed direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The decisive moment came in the 10th minute when Lalremsiami, marking her 200th international appearance, turned onto Sakshi Rana's pass and unleashed a fierce tomahawk that flew into the corner of the Chinese goal. India protected the narrow lead through three quarters of sustained Chinese pressure.
Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia was at the heart of the defensive resistance, producing a crucial penalty-stroke save as China pushed for an equaliser. China, the reigning Asian Games champions and Paris Olympics silver medallists, could not convert their opportunities.
The win avenges past final heartbreaks — silver against South Korea in 1998 and Japan in 2018 — and completes a remarkable turnaround for a side that missed the Paris Olympics. Under head coach Sjoerd Marijne, who returned to the women's programme earlier this year, India went unbeaten at the Games after finishing fifth at the 2026 World Cup.
