The Indian women’s hockey team secured a place in the Asian Games 2026 final after defeating the Republic of Korea 2-0 in a tightly contested semi-final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Wednesday. India had to wait until the closing stages of the third quarter to break the deadlock. Ishika Chaudhary scored in the 44th minute before captain Salima Tete added a second goal in the 48th minute to seal the victory. India will now meet defending champions the People’s Republic of China in the final on Friday. China booked its place in the title clash after defeating hosts Japan in a shootout in the other semi-final earlier in the day.

India Dominate Early But Fail to Score

India entered the semi-final with strong confidence after finishing at the top of Pool B with five wins. The team had also scored an impressive 66 goals during the group stage. The Hangzhou 2023 bronze medallists started aggressively and immediately put pressure on the Korean defence. India repeatedly entered the penalty circle and earned several early penalty corners. Just two minutes into the match, Deepika Sehrawat took the first drag flick, but South Korean goalkeeper Lee Seoyeon made an important save. Lee remained a major obstacle for India throughout the opening quarter. The Korean goalkeeper produced several more saves, including one to deny Navneet Kaur in the ninth minute. Her performance ensured that the first quarter ended without a goal.

Korea Keep India Scoreless in First Half

South Korea continued to defend deep during the second quarter. Lee again made several important stops as India struggled to find a way through the Korean defence. India dominated possession and created far more attacking opportunities. The Indian team made 16 entries into the penalty circle during the first half, while South Korea managed only two. Despite the clear difference in attacking pressure, India could not convert its chances and the teams went into the interval with the score still 0-0. South Korea, five-time Asian Games champions in women’s hockey, maintained its defensive strategy after the restart. India continued to control possession but found it difficult to create the decisive opening.

Ishika Chaudhary Breaks the Deadlock

India finally found the breakthrough with just over 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The goal came from a clever indirect penalty corner variation. Instead of taking the shot herself, Deepika played the ball to Ishika Chaudhary. Ishika moved into position and fired a powerful sweep from the right side. This time, Lee was unable to prevent the ball from finding the back of the net, giving India a crucial 1-0 lead in the 44th minute.

Salima Tete Doubles India’s Advantage

With their campaign on the line, South Korea had to move away from its defensive approach in the final quarter and push forward in search of an equaliser. That change created more space for India to exploit. The Indian team doubled its advantage in the 48th minute when captain Salima Tete attempted a cutback. The ball took a deflection off a Korean defender and slowly rolled into the goal. India were now 2-0 ahead and firmly in control of the semi-final.

Indian Defence Holds Firm

South Korea refused to give up and earned four consecutive penalty corners with less than two minutes remaining. These were Korea’s only penalty corners of the entire match. However, India’s defensive unit responded strongly. The Indian rushers repeatedly charged down the attempts and prevented South Korea from creating a late comeback opportunity. Goalkeeper Savita Punia was therefore left largely untroubled as India protected its two-goal advantage until the final hooter. India completed a 2-0 victory and advanced to the Asian Games 2026 women’s hockey final. India previously defeated Korea in the final at the 1982 Asian Games to become the inaugural women’s hockey champions at the continental event.

India One Win Away From Olympic Qualification

The stakes are even higher at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 because the men’s and women’s hockey competitions also serve as qualification events for the LA 2028 Olympics. The Asian Games gold medallists will receive a direct qualification spot for the upcoming Summer Olympics. As a result, India now needs just one more victory in the final to secure an early qualification berth for the LA 2028 Olympics.