The last time India and China played each other in the Asian Games in 2023, the latter won 4-0, its biggest win on this stage. On Friday, when the two teams face off again in the final here, India will have a chance to not only avenge the defeat but also prove that the gap in recent years between the two sides was well and truly closing in.
The last time India beat China in a major competition was at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy back home. That was a largely inexperienced Chinese side, in transition after the high of Paris Olympics silver. Since then, however, the two sides have faced off five times, China winning four of those and the last being a 2-2 draw in the World Cup.
While ranking and recent history make China favourites to retain the title, India’s performances in the past six months, including the World Cup, make the result less than obvious. The Indian girls have slowly been accumulating wins under their belt, starting with the World Cup qualifiers and the Nations Cup.
The Indian attack has been finding ways to score even when the penalty corners haven’t worked. Sunelita Toppo, Lalremsiami and Sakshi Rana have worked hard with constant support from Navneet Kaur and captain Salima Tete.
With Bicchu Devi growing out of Savit Punia’s shadows, the two together have been bulwarks of Indian defence. A win will help the team create history – winning the Asian Games for only the second time since 1982, when it was first included and played as a round-robin competition.
Published on Oct 01, 2026
