Kakamigahara, Oct 2 (IANS) India’s star forward Deepika described securing qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as a “proud moment” after the women’s hockey team ended a 44-year wait for a gold medal in the Asian Games with a 1-0 victory over China in the final at Kakamigahara in Japan on Friday.
Lalremsiami scored the only goal of the final in the 10th minute with a powerful reverse hit, while captain Savita Punia produced a crucial penalty-stroke save as India held off sustained Chinese pressure to reclaim the continental title for the first time since 1982.
“Of course, we got the LA ticket. It’s a proud moment. I got the medal after so many years. I have to go to LA and think about the medal. We have got so much time to finish the podium. We can definitely work hard on that,” Deepika told IANS after the triumph.
The Olympic qualification added to an already memorable campaign for Deepika, who finished as the tournament’s highest goal scorer with 21 goals.
Asked whether she had identified any particular match as the toughest challenge, Deepika said the team concentrated on its own performance rather than worrying about the opposition. “Of course, there was a lot. But we had to focus on ourselves. That was our biggest thing. We had to focus on ourselves. I know we have a world ranking team ahead of us. China is a good team. But we have to be more ready than them. I think the whole team stepped up,” she said.
India’s preparations were also helped by favourable conditions on the day, but Deepika felt the biggest difference came from the team’s mentality. “Of course, the weather was good. But the team’s mindset was different today,” she said.
China came close to equalising when India conceded a penalty stroke, but Savita stood tall to make a superb one-handed save. Deepika said the moment changed the team’s energy and strengthened its resolve to keep pushing forward. “Yes, when we got a stroke, we thought that we would score a goal. Everyone had that in mind. But when Savita saved that, the team got a different kind of aggression. Now we have to go for the next goal,” she said.
The gold medal was particularly significant for India, which had last won the women’s hockey title at the Asian Games in 1982 in New Delhi, where the sport made its continental debut. India had subsequently reached the final in 1998 and 2018 but had to settle for silver on both occasions.
Deepika’s own journey to the top has been shaped by a sporting background that initially pointed her towards wrestling. Born in Hisar, Haryana, she grew up in a family associated with the sport and regularly accompanied her father and elder brother to a wrestling facility.
In 2025, Deepika became the first Indian to win the Poligras Magic Skill Award for a solo goal against the Netherlands. She then faced a major setback after suffering a Grade III hamstring tear but returned strongly after rehabilitation to finish as the joint-highest scorer at the FIH Nations Cup in June 2026.
After India’s historic gold, Deepika dedicated the medal to those who had supported her throughout her journey. “To my family, to my coach Ajay Singh. And to Rohde, Kiara, and Wayne. The whole team,” she said.
–IANS
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