Kakamigahara, Japan, September 30: The Indian women’s hockey team moved one step closer to ending a 44-year wait for Asian Games gold, defeating South Korea 2-0 in a hard-fought semifinal to book a place in the gold-medal match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
After a tense, goalless first half, India finally broke through in the third quarter. Ishika Chaudhary converted a penalty corner in the 44th minute to put India ahead. Captain Salima Tete then doubled the advantage in the 48th minute as India took control of the contest.
South Korea defended stubbornly and kept India waiting for the breakthrough, but the Indian side continued to apply pressure and eventually found the opening it needed. Once ahead, India’s defence held firm to deny Korea any route back into the match.
The victory keeps India unbeaten in the tournament. The team had topped Pool B with five successive victories, including wins over Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, before overcoming South Korea in the semifinal.
Now comes the biggest challenge.
India will face defending champions China in the gold-medal match on October 2. China booked its place in the final after defeating Japan in a penalty shootout following a goalless semifinal.
For Indian women’s hockey, the final carries enormous historical significance. India’s only previous Asian Games women’s hockey gold came at the 1982 New Delhi Games. Hockey India records that triumph as the team’s sole gold medal at the continental showpiece.
Forty-four years later, the Indian team has another opportunity to bring the Asian Games title back.
The stakes extend beyond the medal. The Asian Games gold also carries the added significance of direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, making the final against China a potentially defining match for Indian women’s hockey.
India also enter the final with confidence against China. The two sides played out a 2-2 draw at the 2026 FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup, a result that had been viewed as an important confidence boost ahead of the Asian Games.
India 2-0 South Korea
⚽ 44′ — Ishika Chaudhary
⚽ 48′ — Salima Tete
Gold-medal final: India vs China
Date: October 2
One more win stands between India and a second Asian Games women’s hockey gold — 44 years after the historic triumph in Delhi.
