Revenge and redemption came India's way at the Asian Games in Incheon on Thursday when the hockey team finally won the Asian Games gold, beating Pakistan 4-2 -- the first time in 16 years -- in a penalty shoot -out after they drew 1-1.
In the 4x400-metre women's relay India set an Asian Games record, winning the event in 3:28.26. One of the runners, Mandeep Kaur, was among those who had served out a drug ban after the last Asian Games and had returned to capture the medal that she so longed for.
The gold medal got India's hockey team a direct entry to the Rio Olympics, after missing out the Beijing Olympics.
Dharamvir Singh got around Pakistan custodian Imran Butt to score the winning goal to trigger wild celebrations by the entire Indian team as the players jumped with joy, hugged each other and coach Terry Walsh.
The star of the Indian victory was goalkeeper Sreejesh who saved two penalty 'dribble and shoot' efforts of Pakistan.
India, thus, not only avenged their earlier 1-2 defeat in the league phase to Pakistan, but also the 1-7 humiliating defeat in New Delhi in 1982 – the last time these two Asian giants met in an Asian Games final.
The gold was only the third won by India in Asian Games hockey since the game made its debut in 1958 at Tokyo. It was in 1998 that India had won their second men's hockey gold at the Bangkok Games and it was only the second time in seven finals that India had emerged triumphant, the only other time being in 1966, also at Bangkok.
In athletics, India continued their stranglehold in women's 4x400m relay as its quartet ran a brilliant race to win the gold for the fourth time on the trot in record time.
The Indian quartet Priyanka Panwar, Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur and M R Poovamma left the second-placed Japan far behind, improving upon the earlier Games record of 3:29.02, which was also in the name of the gold-winning Indian
team in 2010.
The first lapper, Panwar, was, however, lagging behind her Japanese counterpart but Luka, who won a silver in 800m race, ran a brilliant race to recover the lost ground for India.
India took a small lead after two laps before Mandeep widened the gap in the third lap after holding out a strong challenge from her Japanese counterpart. Poovamma, who won a bronze in 400m race, then anchored India to gold by blasting her way to the finishing line.
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