Kakamigahara, September 25: India women beat Japan 3-1 in their Pool B match at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday to book a place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.
Lalremsiami, Ishika and Navneet Kaur scored at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium as India made it four wins from four. They had already beaten Uzbekistan 19-0, Indonesia 17-1 and Thailand 20-1. Their last pool match is against Singapore on September 27.
Lalremsiami strikes early
India pressed high from the start in the afternoon heat. Neha sent a reverse hit wide in the first minute, and Navneet found the side netting from the right.
The goal came in the fifth minute. A Japanese stick slowed Navneet’s shot inside the circle, and Lalremsiami collected the ball and slotted it past goalkeeper Yu Kudo.
Navneet’s effort from a penalty corner in the seventh minute was blocked, and Japan broke quickly. Bichu Devi saved the shot with an outstretched leg, and Maho Ueno put the resulting penalty corner wide. A poor stop wasted another Indian penalty corner in the 13th minute, and India led 1-0 after the first quarter.
Ishika and Navneet add two more
India kept most of the ball in the second quarter while Japan relied on counter-attacks. In the 30th minute, Navneet’s penalty-corner shot was saved and Ishika scored from the rebound to make it 2-0 at half-time.
Navneet made it 3-0 in the 36th minute. She took the ball in the circle, moved to her right and scooped it over Kudo. Ishika and Rutuja both came close to a fourth, and Kudo saved from Navneet after a pass from captain Salima Tete.
Japan pull one back
Shiho Kobayakawa scored in the first minute of the fourth quarter with a tomahawk to Savita Punia’s left, giving the home crowd something to cheer.
Navneet went close from a penalty corner in the 50th minute, and two minutes later Lalremsiami’s deflection from Baljeet’s pass flew over the crossbar.
After a trapping error by Sushila, Savita palmed away a Japanese shot. India defended the penalty corner that followed, and Deepika’s reverse hit on the counter lacked power. India held on for a 3-1 win.
The Indian men’s team beat South Korea 8-2 in their Pool A match on Thursday.
