Imphal, Oct. 3 -- Indian women's hockey player Bichu Devi Kharibam said her team's hard work had finally paid off after India ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal with a historic 1-0 victory over China in the final at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

"We are overjoyed; we played as a team, and all the hard work we put in has paid off today. God was on our side too, which is why we won the gold medal," Bichu Devi told ANI after the triumph.

The Indian women's team, ranked eighth in the world, stunned fourth-ranked China in a closely contested final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute through a field goal.

The victory secured India's first women's hockey medal at the Asian Games since 1982 and also earned ...