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India had last won the gold medal in women’s hockey at the Asian Games during the 1982 edition of the Games.
India win gold in women’s hockey at Asian Games 2026. (Picture Credit: AP)
India ended their four-decade-long wait for a gold medal in women’s hockey at the Asian Games on Friday (October 2). In the final of the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games 2026, India defeated China 1-0 to win the yellow metal.
Asian Game 2026: Full Coverage | Schedule | News | Medals Table
India had last won the gold medal in women’s hockey at the Asian Games during the 1982 edition of the Games.
For India, Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored the only goal of the match in the first quarter. In the second quarter, goalkeeper Savita Punia saved a penalty stroke to deny China an equaliser.
The Indians were at their best in defence as they thwarted relentless Chinese attack thereafter, including a penalty stroke save by veteran goalkeeper Punia.
The gold medal in the Asian Games 2026 has also helped India book their place in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
India have won the women’s hockey gold only once, in 1982, when women’s hockey made its debut at the Asian Games, and have since come close to reclaiming the title on two occasions. They finished runners-up in 1998 and 2018, losing to South Korea and Japan respectively.
Medallists in women’s hockey at Asian Games
| EDITION | HOST CITY | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 1982 | New Delhi (India) | India | South Korea | Malaysia |
| 1986 | Seoul (South Korea) | South Korea | Japan | India |
| 1990 | Beijing (China) | South Korea | China | Japan |
| 1994 | Hiroshima (Japan) | South Korea | Japan | China |
| 1998 | Bangkok (Thailand) | South Korea | India | China |
| 2002 | Busan (South Korea) | China | South Korea | Japan |
| 2006 | Doha (Qatar) | China | Japan | India |
| 2010 | Guangzhou (China) | China | South Korea | Japan |
| 2014 | Incheon (South Korea) | South Korea | China | India |
| 2018 | Jakarta-Palembang (Indonesia) | Japan | India | China |
| 2022 | Hangzhou (China) | China | South Korea | India |
| 2026 | Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) | India | China | Japan |
Paris Olympics’ silver medallist China settled for the second place, while Japan bagged the bronze after defeating South Korea 4-2 in shoot-out in the third-place play-off game.
The final began an hour behind schedule after the team buses of both finalists were caught in a traffic snarl caused by an accident unrelated to either side. But once the contest got underway, India made their mark early and then showed the resilience to withstand everything China threw at them.
The breakthrough came when Sakshi Rana threaded a pass into the circle to find Lalremsiami near the goal.
The forward made no mistake, unleashing a fierce reverse-stick hit on the run that sent the ball crashing into the upper netting, leaving the Chinese goalkeeper with no chance.
It was a goal of outstanding quality and an early statement of intent from India, who had begun the contest with purpose against an opponent that had claimed silver at the Paris Olympics.
China enjoyed marginally greater possession in the opening exchanges, but India’s compact defensive structure made it difficult for them to create clear openings.
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Ask News18India defeated China 1-0 in the final of the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games 2026 to secure the gold medal.
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Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli…Read More
October 02, 2026, 17:57 IST
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