The Indian women’s hockey team overcame a stubborn South Korean defence led by their goalkeeper to win the second semi-final of Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday in Kakamigahara with a 2-0 margin and book a title-clash against China on October 2.
India came close on multiple occasions in the first two quarters and were largely denied by brilliant saves from the South Korean goalkeeper Seoyeon Lee. However, Ishika broke the deadlock late in the third quarter and then captain Salima Tete added a cushion in the last quarter to take India through to the final.
In the first semi-final of the day, China survived a scare from hosts Japan before winning 4-2 in a shootout after 60 goalless minutes.
Solid Defence From Goalkeeper Seoyeon Lee
India dominated possession and territory for long periods, particularly in the first two quarters, but found goalkeeper Lee in inspired form. The South Korean custodian repeatedly denied India as the defending champions created a string of opportunities through their high press and fluent midfield combinations.
South Korea threatened first, entering the Indian circle in the opening minute through a long ball, but the pass narrowly evaded the Korean attacker looking for a deflection.
India responded immediately and earned their first penalty corner in the second minute after the ball struck a defender’s foot. Deepika’s attempt was brilliantly kept out by Lee with a diving save to her left.
Baljeet was influential down the left flank and created another opening in the fourth minute after dispossessing a Korean defender and combining with Navneet Kaur. Navneet entered the circle and got a shot away, but Lee blocked it. India earned another penalty corner, with Navneet going for the direct hit, only for goalkeeper Lee to palm the effort away.
India continued to press, with Baljeet making another dangerous circle entry in the 10th minute before Lee rushed out to close the angle. South Korea relied largely on long slap-pushes from midfield to find their forwards, but India’s pressure kept them from establishing sustained attacking momentum.
A fine exchange between Navneet and Lalremsiami in the 12th minute almost opened another route to goal, while India continued to threaten through their movement around the circle. A penalty-corner decision was overturned following a successful Korean video referral, leaving India a little frustrated.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern. India earned an early penalty corner, and another followed after the initial attempt was not stopped cleanly. Lee again intervened, using her glove to keep the ball out. India kept probing, with Lalremsiami making overlapping runs and Ishika attempting to weave through several defenders. But the goal didn’t arrive.
India had another opportunity late in the second quarter after a successful video referral in the 28th minute resulted in a penalty corner. Navneet’s direct effort was blocked by the rusher. Another PC followed shortly after, but Lee once again denied Navneet.
Despite India’s pressing game and fluidity in midfield, the score remained 0-0 at half-time, with Lee’s saves keeping South Korea firmly in the contest.
India continued to search for the breakthrough after the restart. Lalremsiami came close with a cheeky back-flick, while Rutuja Dadaso Pisal tested the Korean defence with a reverse hit in the 36th minute. The Koreans increasingly sat deep, concentrating on denying India space inside the circle.
Breakthrough Moment For India
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 44th minute. India earned another penalty corner and Deepika opted for deception, playing a dummy instead of taking the drag-flick herself. Her variation sent the ball towards Ishika, who had positioned herself perfectly and finished with a first-touch push to give India a 1-0 lead.
India entered the final quarter with the advantage and soon doubled it. In the 48th minute, skipper Salima Tete made a superb overlapping run on the right side of the Korean circle and converted it into a goal to give her team a 2-0 lead.
South Korea tried to fight back, but India remained composed. A Korean video referral overturned a penalty-corner decision in the 54th minute, while India earned another PC following a successful referral three minutes later. Deepika’s flick was blocked by Lee but a re-award followed and this time a Korean defender made a goal-line save. The rebound went to Deepika, but her shot was wide of the post.
South Korea earned a late penalty corner in the 59th minute, but India’s defence stood firm. Salima was particularly effective in the rush, helping India survive the late pressure and preserve their clean sheet.
With the final whistle, India completed a hard-earned 2-0 victory. After dominating the first half without reward, the Indian side showed patience to eventually break South Korea’s resistance and then controlled the contest to secure their place in the Asian Games 2026 final.
