Imphal (Manipur) [India], October 3 (ANI): Indian women's hockey player Bichu Devi Kharibam said her team's hard work had finally paid off after India ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal with a historic 1-0 victory over China in the final at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
"We are overjoyed; we played as a team, and all the hard work we put in has paid off today. God was on our side too, which is why we won the gold medal," Bichu Devi told ANI after the triumph.
The Indian women's team, ranked eighth in the world, stunned fourth-ranked China in a closely contested final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute through a field goal.
The victory secured India's first women's hockey medal at the Asian Games since 1982 and also earned the team direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The historic triumph sparked celebrations in Bichu Devi's hometown of Imphal, with her family members joining in the celebrations after watching India clinch the gold.
Bichu Devi's father Romen Kharibam said the tense final had kept the family anxious before the Indian team held on for victory.
"We are happy as it has brought fame and appreciation to Manipur. I felt very anxious about whether a goal would be scored against them, whether they would be able to defend or not. However, we won in the end. We feel happy," he said.
Her mother Ibemma Devi Kharibam said the performance left her emotional and credited her daughter's passion for the sport for taking her to the biggest stage.
"I was deeply moved by the match. It was beyond my belief that many skilled players were defeated by India, which filled me with immense joy and a desire to express my emotions. I was excited and tense, which made me feel both emotional and happy. My daughter’s passion for hockey has led her to this remarkable status," she said.
Bichu Devi's brother Shankar Kharibam also described the final as a difficult contest.
"I feel today's match between India and China was very difficult to play. India won, and we are very happy," he said.
India's gold came after a challenging Olympic cycle in which the team missed qualification for the Paris 2024 Games despite finishing fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Indian campaign in Aichi-Nagoya was also marked by a strong attacking display, with Deepika Sehrawat finishing as the tournament's leading scorer with 21 goals. Navneet Kaur scored 10 goals, while China's Jiaqi Zhong finished with nine. (ANI)
"All hard work we put in paid off": Bichu Devi after historic women's hockey gold in Asian Games
