By Vipul Kashyap

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 2 (ANI): Following India's landmark Asian Games women's hockey gold, Indian forward Deepika Sehrawat, the tournament's top goal-scorer, expressed happiness with the team's plan execution and how they did not give up untill the final whistle. Goalie Bichu Devi also spoke on how the team was prepared to face China's initial first-quarter aggression. 

The Indian women's hockey team produced a historic performance on Friday, defeating reigning Asian champions China 1-0 to clinch the gold medal and end a 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal in Aichi-Nagoya. Ranked No. 8 in the world, India stunned World No. 4 China in a fiercely contested final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute through a field goal. The triumph marks India's first women's hockey medal at the Asian Games since 1982, when the team last stood on the podium.

Speaking to ANI after the medal win, Deepika said to ANI, 'Winning the gold medal-and winning it after so many years-is a matter of immense pride for the entire country and for women's hockey. Breaking a multi-year record like this... I don't know if we will even be able to sleep tonight; it's just such a special moment right now.'

Deepika was the top-scorer in the tournament with 21 goals, including a record-breaking nine goals against Thailand, most by a woman player in an Asian Games hockey match, breaking her own record of eight goals in the campaign opener against Uzbekistan. 

Deepika said that the team was focused on its task and their own game, and they all had put in an effort for one another. 

'Mistakes do happen from anyone, but everyone fulfilled their responsibilities. We fought for each other and pushed together. The mind was set on one thing: not giving up until the final whistle of the 60 minutes. Everyone executed that perfectly,' she said. 

Deepika dedicated the medal to her family, initial coaches and the support staff who worked with her through injuries. 

On the celebrations ahead, she said, 'A lot is going to happen once we get back! Who knows what all will happen tonight, but starting right now on the bus, everyone is going to be dancing all the way back.'

Bichu Devi, the goalkeeper, feels overwhelmed by the medal win and how the hard work has finally paid off. 

'I am feeling so excited. I do not even know what to say, what to do, or what to think-I am completely overwhelmed. We are just shouting with joy, looking at each other. But we are extremely happy. We played as a team, and all the hard work we put in has paid off today. God was also with us, which is why we won the gold medal,' she said. 

On strategy against China, she said, 'Right from the beginning, we knew they would come at us hard. we knew China would play aggressively in the first 5 or 10 minutes. We were prepared for that. We had already discussed among ourselves how to handle their aggression and how to hold our position.'

This is India's 76th medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with 16 golds, 25 silver medals and 35 bronze medals.

The gold medal also brings a significant reward for the Indian team, as the victory secures direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The achievement comes after a difficult Olympic cycle for the Indian women's hockey team, which narrowly missed out on qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics following its impressive fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

India's campaign was also highlighted by a prolific goalscoring effort. Deepika Sehrawat finished as the tournament's top goalscorer with 21 goals, followed by teammate Navneet Kaur with 10 goals, while China's Jiaqi Zhong scored nine.

After four decades of waiting, Indian women's hockey has once again reached the top of Asia. (ANI)