India aim to halt China’s run in Asian Games women's hockey final

India meet China in the women's hockey final at the Asian Games in Gifu, Japan on Friday, with the match scheduled to start at 3.30 p.m. IST. India enter the summit clash aiming to overturn a 4-0 defeat by China at the 2023 Asian Games, which was China’s largest margin of victory on this stage.

India’s most recent victory over China in a major tournament came at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy on home soil, when China fielded a largely inexperienced side that was in transition after its Paris Olympics silver. Since that meeting the two teams have met five times, with China winning four of those encounters and the most recent match finishing as a 2-2 draw in the World Cup.

On paper and by recent results China are favourites to retain the Asian Games title, but India’s form over the past six months, including at the World Cup, has narrowed the apparent gap. That recent period of results makes the final’s outcome less predictable than rankings alone would suggest.

The Indian side have been building momentum, collecting wins beginning with the Nations Cup and through World Cup qualifying. Their forwards have managed to score in a variety of ways even when penalty corners have not been yielding goals.

Key contributors for India have included Sunelita Toppo, Lalremsiami, and Sakshi Rana, supported by Navneet Kaur and captain Salima Tete. In goal, Bichu Devi has emerged from the shadows of Savita Punia, and the pair have formed the backbone of India’s defence.

A victory in Gifu would secure India only their second Asian Games gold in women's hockey since the sport was introduced at the Games in 1982. The 1982 tournament, when women's hockey made its debut, was contested in a round-robin format.