Goals, arithmetic and a semifinal: the lesson Indian women's hockey taught in Kakamigahara

The score sheet remembers what the stands forget. On Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium in Kakamigahara, the Indian women's hockey team beat Japan 3-1 in Pool B of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. It was India's fourth consecutive win, confirming their place in the semi-finals with one pool match still to play against Singapore. India opened the campaign with 19-0 against Uzbekistan, then defeated Indonesia 17-1 and Thailand 20-1. The Japan match was a different test. Lalremsiami scored in the fifth minute after Navneet Kaur's shot was blocked. Ishika doubled the lead in the 30th minute from a rebound after a penalty-corner save.On the 36th minute, Navneet Kaur produced a brilliant scoop over goalkeeper Yu Kudo to make it 3-0. Shiho Kobayakawa pulled one back for Japan at the start of the fourth quarter, but India's defence, including goalkeeper Savita Punia, held firm. Bichu Devi also made a crucial save in the first quarter. India created several penalty corners but showed that their set-piece conversion still depends on rebounds rather than first-phase strikes. Sushila's trapping error led to Japan's goal, a warning for the knockout stage. The real tournament begins after the Singapore match on September 27. The team's structure, goalkeeper rotation, and pressing game look strong, but the semi-finals will demand sharper penalty-corner execution and better ball management in defence.