The Indian women’s hockey team secured a place in the semifinals of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after defeating hosts Japan 3-1 in their fourth Pool B match on Friday. The victory was India’s fourth consecutive win in the tournament and confirmed their semifinal berth with one pool match still remaining.India controlled much of the contest and built a 2-0 lead by half-time. Lalremsiami opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Ishika Chaudhary doubled India’s advantage in the 30th minute. Navneet Kaur then extended the lead in the third quarter.Key HighlightsIndia defeated Japan 3-1 in the Asian Games 2026 women’s hockey Pool B match.The victory secured India’s place in the semifinals.Lalremsiami, Ishika Chaudhary and Navneet Kaur scored for India.Japan’s only goal came from Shiho Kobayakawa.India registered their fourth consecutive win.India will play Singapore in their final Pool B match on September 27.India vs Japan Hockey: How the Match UnfoldedIndia started strongly and put Japan under pressure from the opening minutes. The pressure produced an early breakthrough in the fifth minute when Lalremsiami finished after Navneet Kaur’s initial attempt was slowed inside the circle.Japan tried to respond through counter-attacks, but India’s defence limited the hosts’ opportunities. Goalkeeper Bichu Devi also made an important save during the first quarter to preserve India’s lead.India continued to control possession in the second quarter. After a penalty-corner attempt was saved, Ishika Chaudhary collected the rebound and found the back of the net in the 30th minute, giving India a 2-0 lead at half-time.Navneet Kaur Extends India’s LeadIndia continued their attacking momentum after the break. Navneet Kaur produced a skilful finish in the 36th minute, moving inside the circle before lifting the ball over the Japanese goalkeeper.The goal gave India a 3-0 advantage and put the team in a strong position heading into the final quarter.Japan eventually pulled one goal back in the 46th minute. Shiho Kobayakawa found the gap with a tomahawk shot to make it 3-1.India remained composed during the final stages and defended Japan’s attempts to reduce the deficit further. The final hooter confirmed India’s 3-1 victory.India’s Asian Games 2026 Hockey CampaignThe Indian women’s hockey team has now won all four of its Pool B matches.India began its campaign with a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan before recording a 17-1 victory against Indonesia. The team then defeated Thailand 20-1 before beating Japan 3-1.India will complete its Pool B campaign against Singapore on September 27. Hockey India’s schedule lists the match for 3:30 PM IST. The women’s hockey semifinals are scheduled for September 30.India Women’s Hockey Team Reaches SemifinalsThe win over Japan confirms India’s place in the last four of the women’s hockey competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.Lalremsiami, Ishika Chaudhary and Navneet Kaur were the goalscorers against Japan, while goalkeeper Savita Punia and the Indian defence helped the team maintain its advantage during the closing stages.India will now look to finish the Pool B stage strongly against Singapore before turning its attention to the semifinal.
