WATCH | Grand welcome for Indian hockey teams as fans, family gather at airport after Asian Games success

India’s successful hockey contingent from the Asian Games 2023 got a grand welcome from the fans as they returned from Hangzhou late Monday night (Oct 9). The Indian men’s and women’s teams got a warm cheer-up from the fans and families when they arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

The men’s hockey team won a gold medal for India while the women’s team won a bronze medal to make the nation proud.

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Warm welcome for hockey team

"This journey has been amazing," Indian Men's Hockey Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh said.

"We went to Hangzhou with the mindset of being Asia's best team and we wanted to play accordingly. We kept improving match-by-match which built our confidence, and we came back with the result we desired."

Led by the ever-impressing Harmanpreet Singh, India clinched their fourth gold medal at the Asian Games to become the continental champions. India thrashed Japan 5-1 in the final which also ensured their Olympics qualification. The winner of the Asian Games gold medal gets a direct spot in the Olympics and India now look forward to the Paris Games.

The Indian men’s team won gold medals at the Asian Games in 1966, 1998, and 2014 previously.

The gold medal also means India has won all three top medals in various competitions: at the Olympics (Bronze), Commonwealth Games (Gold), and the Asian Games (Gold). The rare occasion comes after 41 years when India won Gold at the 1980 Olympics while also winning medals at the 1982 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

India had a fruitful campaign at the Asian Games in the men’s division where they beat Uzbekistan 16-0 followed 16-1 win over Singapore. The Men in Blue would then win 4-2 against Japan in the final pool match.

In the knockout stage, India got the better of arch rivals Pakistan 10-2 while also beating South Korea 5-3 in the semis. India scored 68 goals in the Asian Games men’s discipline, averaging 9.71 goals per match.

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Women’s team also gets warm welcome

India’s women's team lost to China 0-4 in the semifinal but beat Japan 2-1 to win the bronze medal at the Asian Games. India had earlier beaten Singapore (13-0), and Malaysia (6-0) while drawing against South Korea (1-1). India also beat Hong Kong 13-0 to clinch their place in the semis.

"It is always a moment of pride for parents when they see us return home with medals in major competitions. It is great to see all the support here and I thank the fans as they motivate us to continue to do even better. I also feel happy for young players as they are witnessing this moment for the first time in their careers and it will be a memorable experience for them," Savita Punia said.

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