Women's Asian Champions Trophy: Full list of title winners

Published at :October 28, 2023 at 8:08 AM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 7:54 PM

(Courtesy : FIH)

South Korea are the most successful nation in the tournament history.

The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy is a biennial continental hockey tournament featuring the top six teams in the Asian region, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation. The tournament has seen several nations rise to prominence, with South Korea leading the pack with three titles. In this article, we provide a detailed account of the past champions and their journey to victory.

2010 – South Korea

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy took place in Busan, South Korea, in 2010. The competition featured the top four teams from Asia — India, South Korea, China, and Japan. The format included a round-robin league followed by playoffs to determine the final positions.

South Korea led the preliminary round, accumulating seven points from two wins and a draw. Japan closely followed with five points. In the final, South Korea secured a 2-1 victory over Japan to claim the championship. India secured the third spot by defeating China with a score of 2-1.

2011 – South Korea

The second edition, held in Ordos, China, in 2012, saw the participation of the top four Asian teams — India, China, South Korea, and Japan. South Korea, as the defending champion, entered the tournament as the title favourites. They went on to win their second consecutive title by defeating hosts China in the final, while India finished fourth after a 2-3 loss to Japan in the third-place match.

2013 – Japan

In the third edition held in Kakamigara, Japan, in 2013, Japan emerged as a formidable force, securing their maiden title with a 1-0 victory over India in the final. The Indian women’s hockey team narrowly missed their first title after losing to host Japan.

2016 – India

After a gap of nearly three years, the fourth edition was held in Singapore from October 29 to November 5. Five teams, including China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea, participated in the tournament. China led the round-robin fixtures, followed by India and Japan.

In a thrilling championship match, India secured the title by defeating China 2-1, marking their first tournament victory. Japan secured the third place by beating Korea 2-1.

2018 – South Korea

The tournament moved to Donghae, South Korea, in 2018, with India, China, Malaysia, and Japan participating alongside the host nation. India claimed the top spot in the round-robin fixtures with an impressive record. However, they lost to South Korea in the final, with Korea winning their third title by a solitary goal. India finished as the runners-up for the second time in the tournament’s history.

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2021 – Japan

The sixth edition of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, originally planned for June 2020, was held from December 5 to December 11, in Donghae, South Korea. The tournament featured hosts South Korea, India, Japan, Malaysia, China, and Thailand, although Malaysia had to withdraw due to COVID-related issues, and India also withdrew. The competition proceeded with four teams.

Japan and South Korea reached the final, with China and Thailand securing the third and fourth places respectively. Japan won their second title after defeating hosts South Korea 2-1 in an epic encounter. China secured the third place by defeating Thailand 6-0.

2023 – India

Hosts India clinched its second Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023 title after defeating then defending champions Japan 4-0 in the final. The Indian women’s hockey team went through the entire tournament unbeaten and had also topped the group stages ahead of Asian Games champions China and heavyweights South Korea and Japan.

That that top five goalscorers in the tournament had four Indians shows the extent of dominance India enjoyed on home turf. This was also the first time the Indian women’s hockey team were playing a multi-team tournament at home. Sangita Kumari topped the scoring charts with six goals, while Salima Tete was named the Player of the Tournament.

With a rich history of competitive spirit and thrilling matches, the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy continues to be a prestigious tournament for women’s field hockey in the Asian region.