Asian Games: 'It Was A Perfect Game', Says HI Prez Dilip Tirkey After India Women's Historic Gold Win

Asian Games: It was a perfect game, says HI prez Dilip Tirkey after India womens historic gold win (New Delhi: Hockey Officials Address Press Conference)

Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey: Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey described India's women's hockey gold at the Asian Games as a 'perfect game' and praised the team's defensive resilience in their 1-0 victory over China, which ended a 44-year wait for the continental title and secured qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

India last won the women's hockey gold at the Asian Games in 1982 in New Delhi. Lalremsiami's 10th-minute goal proved decisive in Friday's final, while Savita Punia produced a crucial penalty-stroke save to preserve India's lead against a relentless Chinese attack.

"As you said, after 44 years, the women's hockey team has won a gold medal. For the first time in 1982, the women's team won a gold medal in New Delhi. Since then, the women's hockey team has created a great history," Tirkey told IANS.

Tirkey said the women's team has continued to raise its level despite traditionally attracting less attention than the men's side. "Normally, we expect a lot from men's hockey. All our hockey lovers and sports lovers. But we don't expect a lot from women. The women's team is playing very well. They have played in the Asian Games. Before that, they have played in the World Cup. Excellent game," he said.

India's final against China was particularly demanding, with the defending champions controlling large periods of possession and creating repeated opportunities. Tirkey said India showed composure against one of the strongest teams in the world.

"I have also seen the final match. It was a perfect game. China is one of the best teams in the world. They have also been the champion team of the Asian Games. In 2024, they were the silver medalists in the Paris Olympics, and we scored against them in just 10 minutes and then defended for 50 minutes," he said. "They have strengthened the defence until the end and were in a very strong position in defence. India was playing as a team," he added.

Savita's penalty-stroke save came at a critical stage of the match and allowed India to retain their one-goal cushion. Tirkey felt the goalkeeper's intervention gave the team further belief to see out the contest. "I have also seen that China got a stroke. Savita Punia has stopped it by diving to the left side. She has put confidence in the team. It was a very interesting match," he said.

India's gold also came after a challenging period for the squad, with Tirkey revealing that injuries had affected a large number of players earlier this year.

"I am happy that the women's team's performance is improving day by day. Especially the young girls have shown excellent hockey," he said. "In the last 6-7 months, the team's performance has improved a lot. We were very worried. 13-14 players were injured 6-7 months ago. They were suffering from injuries. We recovered very fast," Tirkey added.

Tirkey also credited the Hockey India League with helping players develop through high-level competition. The women's competition returned alongside the men's tournament, giving Indian players another platform to compete and gain experience.

"HIL has been organising the Hockey India League for two years. We have seen the impact of it. HIL is one of the best leagues in the world. Men's or women's. They have also benefited from the Hockey India League," he said.

India's Olympic qualification was another major takeaway from the victory, and Tirkey said Hockey India would use the extended preparation period to support the team. "Most importantly, they have qualified for the Olympics. They will get a lot of time for practice. We will try to provide what is needed from Hockey India," he said.

Tirkey also praised the coaching and support staff behind the campaign. "I would like to congratulate the coaching team. They have been performing very well since they took charge. I would like to congratulate all the supporting staff. I would like to thank them personally. All of them are working very hard for the team. I would like to congratulate the players as well," he said.

Hockey India has also decided to reward the women's team for their gold-medal-winning performance. "We decided to award 11 lakh rupees to each player of the women's team. We decided to award 5.5 lakh rupees to the supporting staff," Tirkey said.

Tirkey said he had spoken to Savita after the match and praised the goalkeeper for her decisive intervention. "I talked to Savita. She was very happy. Her stroke was a big save. I think she deserved the win. She deserved it. It was an excellent game," he said.

The men's team will now look to complete a hockey double when they face Malaysia in the Asian Games final on Saturday. The men's gold-medal match also carries Olympic significance, with the Asian Games champions earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Tirkey said the women's triumph could provide an additional boost to the men's side ahead of their title clash.

The men's team will now look to complete a hockey double when they face Malaysia in the Asian Games final on Saturday. The men's gold-medal match also carries Olympic significance, with the Asian Games champions earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Article Source: IANS