After 44 long years, they ended the wait for the gold medal at the Asian Games by upsetting defending champions and Paris Olympics silver medallists China to book their ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Indian women’s hockey team has done it.
India looked imperious early on against arch-rivals Pakistan, racing to a 3-0 lead before allowing their opponents to claw back and level the match. It took a dramatic, last-minute strike from forward Abhishek to seal a 4-3 victory and avoid a shootout. World No.12 Malaysia — the highest-ranked Asian side behind India — present a formidable tactical challenge. India’s charge is spearheaded by Harmanpreet Singh, who has orchestrated the offense with 10 penalty corner (PC) goals, placing him second in the tournament’s overall scoring charts.
Both teams have survived gruelling, high-pressure semi-final tests. Known as a tenacious unit, they seamlessly shift between zonal and man-to-man marking to disrupt the passing lanes. India chief coach Craig Fulton anticipates a highly competitive clash against a team that topped Pool B with five consecutive wins. “We haven’t played Malaysia for quite some time… Two nice attacking teams, lots of skill, lots of flair, lots of speed. The final promises a thrilling shootout between two potent offensive units. He is flanked by the lethal striking duo Abhishek and Dilpreet Singh, who have contributed nine goals each.
We want to focus on our own game plan, put our proactive mindset into the game and leave it all out there on the pitch,” said Fulton. Now it is over to the men, favourites unlike their women counterparts, who prepare to face Malaysia in the gold medal match on Saturday in Kakamigahara.
Their most recent clash, a pulsating 4-3 Indian victory in the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy final in Chennai, should serve as a blueprint for the intensity expected this weekend. However, the ghosts of 2018 still linger. Recent history heavily favours India, who have won seven and drawn two of their last nine matches against Malaysia.
Malaysia’s last victory over India came in a heartbreaking shootout in the semi-finals of the Asian Games, proving they know how to deliver on this stage.
