Asian Games 2026: India women win hockey gold after 44 years
Why in the news
The Indian women’s hockey team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 2 October 2026, beating defending champions China 1-0 in the final. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi congratulated the team.
Key facts
- Result: India 1, China 0 in the final, played at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
- Goal: Lalremsiami scored with a reverse hit in the 10th minute, in her 200th senior international match.
- Save: Goalkeeper Savita Punia stopped a Chinese penalty stroke in the second quarter.
- Captain: Salima Tete led the team.
- 44-year wait: India’s only earlier gold came in 1982 at New Delhi, when women’s hockey first entered the Asian Games.
- LA 2028: The title earned India a direct berth at the Los Angeles Olympics.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Asian Games 2026, Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) |
| Final | India 1-0 China, 2 October 2026 |
| Previous gold | 1982, New Delhi |
| Women’s hockey medals | 8 in all: 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze |
About the reaction
President Murmu said the gold had come back to India through determination, skill and spirited play, and called the players role models for young girls. PM Modi credited the win to outstanding skill and teamwork and hoped it would make hockey more popular.
Exam angle
- Asian Games 2026 host: Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
- Final opponent and score: China, 1-0.
- India’s previous women’s hockey gold: 1982, New Delhi.
- Captain Salima Tete; goal-scorer Lalremsiami.