India deserved this historic Asian Games gold: Women's hockey captain Salima Tete

Indian women's hockey captain Salima Tete said the team never stopped believing it could win gold at the Asian Games, even when a strong China stood between them and the title.

India held on to a 1-0 lead against the defending champions in the final in Japan on Sunday, ending a 44-year wait for the women's hockey gold at the Asian Games. The victory also booked India's place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"We deserve this victory. This time we had full confidence in our team and players that we would definitely win gold, although China was a very good team. Defending that one goal and winning gold for our country is a proud moment for us," Tete told PTI Videos.

The final was decided by a single goal, but India's task was far from simple. China kept the pressure on, forcing the Indian defence to stay alert until the final whistle.

For Tete and her teammates, holding on to that lead made the victory even more special.

Four members of the gold-winning team, Tete, Beauty Dungdung, Deepika Soreng and Nikki Pradhan, are from Jharkhand. Tete, Dungdung and Soreng hail from Simdega, while Pradhan is from Khunti.

The four players returned to a warm welcome at Ranchi airport, where supporters, coaches and young hockey players gathered to celebrate their achievement. The celebrations were accompanied by the beats of traditional Mandar drums.

Soreng said the team had been working towards this moment for a long time and was particularly happy to have secured an Olympic berth along with the gold medal.

"We worked very hard to win gold at the Asian Games. We were preparing to achieve this remarkable win for a long time. We feel very proud. It was not easy for us to defend the one goal against a team like China, but we did it," she said.

For Pradhan, the belief came partly from an experience India had already been through on the Olympic stage.

She recalled how India had defended against Australia at the Tokyo Olympics and said the team relied on a similar defensive effort to keep China at bay.

"We knew the team we played against was very good and, as we defended against the Australian team at the Tokyo Olympics, this time we defended the lead of one goal against China. Now we have qualified for the upcoming Olympics. We will prepare for that and remove our shortcomings," she said.

After the airport reception, the four players met Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his residence.

"Our wonderful daughters of Jharkhand... You have done wonders," Soren said in a social media post.

The celebrations also brought plenty of emotion for the families who had watched the players' journeys from close quarters.

Pradhan's mother, Jitan Devi, recalled that the family initially knew little about hockey and had even tried to stop her daughter from playing.

"When she started playing hockey, we didn't know about this game. We used to stop her, but Master Dashrath kept encouraging her in this sport, and as a result, today she has reached this level. Now we are very proud of her," she said.

Tete's father, Sulakshan Tete, said his daughter's success was the result of years of hard work and struggle.

"I am very happy because she is bringing glory to her state and country. She has won the gold medal after a lot of struggle. The Indian women's team's victory is a matter of pride for the entire country, Jharkhand, and obviously for the family," he said.- Ends