India vs South Korea, Asian Games hockey semis: Ishika, Salima score as India beat Korea 2-0 to set up China final

The final will be played on Friday. India have not won gold since 1982.

India vs South Korea, Asian Games 2026 semi-final Highlights: India finally prevailed. Captain Salima Tete scored a goal. (AFP)

India vs South Korea Highlights, Asian Games 2026 semi-final: India win 2-0 thanks to goals from Ishika and Salima Tete. India now play China in the final. At the last Asian Games in China, the Indians had won bronze. Now they have secured a silver at least. Improvement already. But they should not stop here. They need to win the final to break the 44-year jinx. India have not won the gold since 1982. Join us on October 2 for the final. At the World Cup recently in the Netherlands and Belgium, India and China had played out a 2-2 draw. It's going to be a cracker of a game, for sure....Read More

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• 30 Sept 2026, 05:04:51 PM IST

  It's over! India win 2-0

  They now play China in the final. Hard-earned win for the Indians. They really struggled for their goals. Ishika and Salima are the goal-scorers today. Koreans defended well for the large part of the game but in the last 20 minutes, they came unstuck. Congrats to Team India

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:57:30 PM IST

  Deepika fouled and a PC

  But she is denied. Excellent goalkeeping. If not for the Korean goalkeeper, India would have scored more for sure. Two minutes to go. It's sure India's game now.

  Back-to-back PCs for the Koreans! Nothing came of the first. Same for the second. Now there is a third. Fourth. But this last call has been referred. India lose. But the Koreans fail to pull one back. Good defence by the Indians under pressure.

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:44:11 PM IST

  Another set-up and another goal

  Blistering run by Indian captain Salima Tete and another set-up goal comes India's way. They will now feel good about their chances for sure. Previously the goal was awarded to Sunelita but now the correction has been made. Now the Koreans have to go all out to make a match of it. But there is a big risk. If they go all out, India will have the opportunity to score more. But it can't be helped, Koreans will have to take their chances.

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:35:22 PM IST

  Two minutes on the clock in 3rd quarter and goal

  And India score! Ishika it is. Good set-up. No drag flick during PC. On left, she receives a nice pass and guides it in. India 1-0 Korea. Third quarter comes to an end. India have really worked hard for his goal.

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:27:06 PM IST

  Six minutes have gone just like that

  And Indians continue to struggle in front of goal. They are not penetrating circle as frequently as before. Koreans, on the other had, are getting better and better on all fronts. Not a good sign for Salima Tete's bunch.

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:21:24 PM IST

  First half numbers

  8 PC for India, 0 for Korea. 16 circle penetrations for India, 2 for Korea. Ball possession 53% for India, the rest for Korea. Clearly, India have been the better team but they have not scored yet. Anyway third quarter gets underway.

• 30 Sept 2026, 04:08:22 PM IST

  One more PC for India!

  India please score now. Nothing comes of it. One more. Excellent stop by the Korean goalkeeper. She has been fantastic today. This was the second time today she came up with something out of the ordinary. Earlier, she had denied Deepika Sehrawat. Anyway it's 0-0 at half-time.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:57:12 PM IST

  South Koreans have gotten better

  There are fewer occasions now of Indians penetrating the penalty circle. Just as we write that, there is another PC for India. Horrible. The ball couldn't even be stopped. Amateurish stuff. The Koreans are now growing into the game. They are showing good control on the ball. They ain't defensive anymore.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:52:21 PM IST

  2nd quarter starts and there is a PC

  Let's see what happens! Again nothing comes of it. Koreans have been very good so far with their defence. India need to find a way to take the lead. There have been multiple attacks from them but then nothing happens in the D.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:48:06 PM IST

  First quarter comes to an end

  It remains 0-0. India had a couple of good opportunities but they failed to make the most of them. They have been very aggressive and have shown great control on the ball. Just that they couldn't score.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:43:41 PM IST

  0-0 so far

  Despite a good start to the game, India have failed to take the lead. Deepika was denied during penalty corner. A few minutes later Navneet struck the post. Credit to the Koreans too, they have been on point with their defence.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:39:36 PM IST

  India's goal-scoring stars

  Drag-flick specialist Deepika has been the standout star of the tournament, leading the scorers’ list with 21 goals in five matches. Complementing her up front is seasoned forward Navneet Kaur, who has chipped in with 10 goals — including seven from field play — while providing another reliable option in penalty corners (PC). India's goal-scoring depth extends further through Rutuja Dadaso Pisal (7 goals), Lalremsiami (6), and Ishika (5).

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:30:28 PM IST

  Match gets underway!

  Here we go! And India get a PC, two minutes into the game. Deepika denied by the Korean goalkeeper. She dives to her left. Excellent stuff. A lot has happened in early minutes. Navneet has hit the post. And nothing has come of the second PC either.

• 30 Sept 2026, 03:24:31 PM IST

  No gold since 1982

  For Indian women. Silver in 2002 and 2018. Bronze in 1986, 2014 and 2023. India recently finished 5th in the FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. They beat Germany for the fifth place. They need to play like that today and then in the final.

• 30 Sept 2026, 02:58:44 PM IST

  China in the final

  They beat hosts Japan 4-2 in penalty shootout to reach the final. They are now waiting for the winners from the India-South Korea game. The winners of the gold medal here will qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it may be noted.

• 30 Sept 2026, 02:53:08 PM IST

  Indian squad:

  Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam

  Defenders: Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas

  Midfielders: Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (C), Neha, Deepika Soreng

  Forwards: Lalremsiami, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Beauty Dungdung

• 30 Sept 2026, 10:39:52 AM IST

  Hello and welcome

  To our coverage of the women's semifinals at the Asian Games. It's India vs South Korea. The match is going to kick off at 03:30 pm. Stay tuned.