High-flying Indian hockey defeated China to win the Asian Champions Trophy.

The only goal in Rajgir came early in the third quarter as the home team defeated a tenacious opposition. Bihar

fresh Delhi: Head coach Harendra Singh had assured everyone that the Indian women's hockey squad in Rajgir will be a fresh team before the Asian Champions Trophy. Building a solid foundation, giving players an opportunity after missing out on the Paris Olympics, and aiding in the rebuilding process for Los Angeles 2028 were the goals of his first tournament back in the post.

The difference was once again demonstrated by Deepika Sehrawat, who won Player-of-the-Tournament and highest scorer honors. The hosts won the ACT title for the third time, following Singapore 2016 and Ranchi 2023, when the forward scored her 11th goal of the competition in the first minute after halftime.

India failed to score in the first two quarters for the fourth consecutive game, but they came out with newfound energy to score in the third.

As the game started, both teams fought hard for every square inch of ground, exchanging circle entries without controlling any shots on goal. India put together a string of deft passes in the closing minutes of the first quarter to get past the shooting circle. However, the Chinese defense held firm, closely seeing the forwards and blocking any obvious chances to score.

Two minutes into the second quarter, China took the lead and was awarded a penalty corner (PC), but Bichu Devi showed off her lightning-fast reflexes by jumping to her right and swatting away a close-range attempt from Tan Jinzhuang. India reacted by obtaining four PCs, however neither drag-flicker Deepika nor versions of Navneet Kaur or Udita Duhan were successful.

However, India grabbed their sixth PC just seconds into the third quarter. India made a strong comeback despite the mis-trap, and Navneet passed to Deepika on the left side of the circle. With composure, she managed to get a reverse shot past the defender and goalie and into the bottom right corner.

India pushed higher and anchored China in their own half as they looked for a second goal. China started moving the ball along the backline to take control with three minutes remaining in the quarter, but India regained the ball and put Deepika on a counter. She received a penalty stroke after being fouled just inside the circle. But Ting Li to her right made a spectacular save on her low shot to keep China in the match.

China shown more determination and pushed ahead as the last quarter got underway. India retaliated and was awarded a PC, but goalie Wu Surong blocked Sushila's attempt.

China stepped up their efforts to equalize, but India's defense remained strong.

The Bihar government declared that each player and Harendra would receive a monetary prize of ₹10 lakh, while the other support staff would receive ₹5 lakh. Each athlete will receive ₹3 lakh, while each support personnel will receive ₹1.5 lakh, according to Hockey India.