Asian Games 2023 Hockey Results: Indian women's team clinch bronze medal with 2-1 win over defending champions Japan

The Indian women's hockey team clinched a coveted bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games following a 2-1 win over Japan on Saturday, October 7.

Deepika scored off a penalty stroke early in the contest to give India the lead which they hung on to till the stroke of half-time. Yuri Nagai's equalizer spurred Janneke Schopman's chargers on in the second half with Sushila Chanu scoring the winner in the final quarter.

The Indians had earlier lost to hosts China 0-4 in the semifinals of the women's hockey competition in Hangzhou.

The Indians began with a flourish earning a PC (penalty corner) as early as the fifth minute which led to a penalty stroke. Deepika made no mistake from the spot while the Indians continued to build on the early momentum as they launched a series of attacks.

Just when it looked as if the Indians would carry the lead into the breather, a defensive lapse helped Japan earn a short corner. Salima Tete was pulled up for not adhering to the five-metre rule giving Jude Menezes' team the oppurtunity to strike with a short corner, which was saved by goalkeeper Savita.

The Indians failed to keep the follow-up PC from entering the back of the net after Yuri Nagai tapped a deflection goalwards from close range.

Shiho Kobayakawa then missed a sitter with only Savita to beat during the course of a barren third quarter following which the Indians worked a delectable short corner routine in the 50th minute. A slip pass to the second battery followed by a push to Sushila Chanu, who was aptly positioned to take a shot on goal, helped the Indians score the all-important second goal.

The Asian Games journey over the years for the Indian women's hockey team

India won gold back in 1982

Women's hockey was first introduced in the Asian Games at New Delhi in 1982 with the Indian women's team winning the first-ever gold medal of the competition. A bronze in Seoul followed for India in 1986, but a fourth-place finish was all they could manage in the Games that followed at Beijing and Hiroshima.

While the Indian men's team won gold in Bangkok in 1998, the women picked up a silver after going down 1-2 to South Korea in the finals. The Indians then won a bronze medal at the Doha Asian Games in 2006 followed by another bronze at Incheon in 2014.

A narrow defeat to Japan in the final of the 2018 Games in Jakarta meant that Rani Rampal's team had to be content with silver. The Women in Blue have thus managed to avenge the Jakarta loss with a splendid win at the Hangzhou Asian Games.