Indian women clinch hockey gold after 44 years

After a 44-year wait, India's women's hockey team reclaimed the Asian Games gold on Friday, defeating defending champions China 1-0 in the final. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute, putting India ahead. China then mounted relentless attacks in pursuit of an equalizer. India's defense held strong, with goalkeeper Savita Punia making a crucial penalty-stroke save to maintain the lead.

This victory marks the end of one of India's longest waits in women's hockey history. India had only previously won the gold in 1982, and had previously lost the final twice, in 1998 to South Korea and in 2018 to Japan. This 1-0 win also secured India's direct berth in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Japan took the bronze medal after defeating South Korea 4-2 in a shoot-out in the third-place play-off.