Indian Women's Hockey Team Wins Gold at Asian Games 2026

Celebrating a Historic Victory

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of India's T20I men's cricket team, extended his congratulations to the Indian women's hockey team after they secured the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday.

The women's hockey team achieved a remarkable feat by defeating the reigning Asian champions, China, with a score of 1-0, marking the end of a 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold. This victory also guarantees the team's direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Historic Gold Secures Olympic Berth

In a post on X, Iyer praised the team's accomplishment, calling it a proud moment for Indian sports and expressing excitement for their upcoming participation in the LA Olympics. He stated, "Congratulations to the Indian Women’s Hockey Team on winning gold at the Asian Games. A proud moment for Indian sport. Next stop, LA 2028."

Ranked eighth globally, India surprised the fourth-ranked China in a tightly contested final, with Lalremsiami netting the winning goal in the 10th minute.

A Historic Achievement

This victory marks the first time since 1982 that the Indian women's hockey team has won a medal at the Asian Games. With this win, India has now accumulated a total of 76 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, including 16 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes.

The achievement is particularly significant following a challenging Olympic cycle for the women's team, which narrowly missed qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics after finishing fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Top Scorers of the Tournament

India's campaign was highlighted by impressive goal-scoring, with Deepika emerging as the tournament's top scorer with 21 goals, followed by her teammate Navneet Kaur with 10 goals, while China's Jiaqi Zhong scored nine.

Iyer Aims for Cricket Gold

Iyer is also in pursuit of a gold medal, as the Indian cricket team is set to compete against their arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 cricket final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday.

Under Iyer's leadership, India advanced to the final after a decisive 124-run victory over Sri Lanka in the semi-finals on Thursday. Their quarter-final match against Afghanistan was canceled due to rain. India enters the final as the defending champions, having won the gold medal at the Hangzhou 2023 Games.