Two hockey players from Mizoram are returning home as Asian Games champions after helping India end a 44-year wait for a women’s hockey gold at the continental Games.
The Mizoram government will award Lalremsiami and Lalthantluangi Rs 25 lakh each in recognition of what it has described as a historic achievement for the two athletes, who trained at the Thenzawl Hockey Academy.
The two were part of the Indian team that defeated China 1-0 in the final in Kakamigahara, Japan, on October 2. Lalremsiami scored the only goal of the match in the 10th minute of the first quarter, in her 200th international appearance. Goalkeeper Savita Punia also saved a penalty stroke before half-time.
The victory secured India’s direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lalremsiami and Lalthantluangi are the first athletes from Mizoram to win an Asian Games gold medal. Both began their sporting journeys in the state and trained at the Thenzawl Hockey Academy, which the state government cited as an example of what grassroots sporting institutions can produce.
Lalremsiami, 26, is from Kolasib and was India’s youngest player at the 2018 World Cup. She won an Asian Games silver medal that year and later became the first woman from Mizoram to represent India at the Olympics.
Lalthantluangi, 20, is a defender who scored twice during India’s Asian Games campaign but did not feature in the final.
The Rs 25 lakh awards will be given under the Mizoram State Sports Incentive Scheme.
Sports Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the government was delighted that two athletes from the state were part of the gold-medal winning team. He said the achievement was particularly significant because both players had emerged from the “very tiny hockey academy at Thenzawl”.
The state government will organise a grand reception for the players in coordination with Chief Minister Lalduhoma, Hmar said.
A meeting chaired by the minister on the evening of October 3 discussed arrangements for the players’ return. Lalremsiami and Lalthantluangi are scheduled to arrive at Lengpui Airport on Monday, October 5, where a reception will be held.
A felicitation programme led by Lalduhoma will be held at R. Dengthuama Hall in Mualpui Salem Veng from 3 pm.
The Mizoram government has identified hockey as one of the priority sports under its Empowering Mizoram Sports initiative. Its long-term vision includes preparing athletes from the state for the 2036 Olympics.