Why India vs China Women's Hockey Gold Medal Match At Asian Games 2026 Was Delayed

Originally scheduled to start at 3 PM IST, the match is expected to begin at 4:15 PM IST.© Hockey India

The India vs China women's hockey gold medal match at the Asian Games 2026 was delayed due to traffic congestion near the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, according to sources. NDTV has learnt that the teams' arrival at the venue was delayed following an accident unrelated to the team buses, which caused heavy traffic in the area. The match, originally scheduled to begin at 3 PM IST, will now start at 4:15 PM IST, as confirmed by an announcement at the venue. India face defending champions China with a chance to end a 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal in women's hockey and secure direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

India have won the women's hockey gold only once, in 1982, and have since come close to reclaiming the title on two occasions. They finished runners-up in 1998 and 2018, losing to South Korea and Japan respectively. The team will be hoping to end that long wait with a victory over China in the final.

"For us it was really important to stay calm and have patience, and I think we did that really well," said India's Chief Coach, Sjoerd Marijne, on the tough semi-final win over South Korea.

About the final against China, Marijne said: "We have confidence, but we also realize that China is a very good team. They are still number four in the world. We did really well at the World Cup, better than them, but still they have a lot of experience...Some things we can improve (from the semi-final performance) and that's how we approach the final against China."

India's campaign has been built on a combination of defensive resilience and attacking variety. Goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi have provided a strong last line of defence. At the other end, India have demonstrated their ability to score through both penalty corners and open play. Deepika has been the standout scorer, leading the tournament charts with 21 goals in six matches, including 19 from penalty corners. Navneet follows with 10 goals, seven of which have come from field play.

China too possess considerable firepower, with Zhong Jiaqi leading her team's scoring charts with nine goals, while Chen Yi and Zhang Ying have contributed seven each.

Yet, the final presents a different challenge. With the Asian Games gold medal also securing qualification for the Olympics, the stakes could hardly be higher. The gold-medal match may ultimately depend on which team can channel the occasion, absorb the pressure and execute during the decisive moments.

After 44 years of waiting, India are one match away from creating history.

(With Agency Inputs)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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