The women’s hockey team leaves for the Asian Games, aiming for gold and direct entry to the Olympics
Fresh off their best-ever World Cup finish in more than five decades, the Indian women’s hockey team left for Japan on Tuesday with a bigger prize now firmly in their sights: Asian Games gold and a direct ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India’s fifth place finish at the World Cup was the country’s best finish since the inaugural edition in 1974 and capped a remarkable turnaround for a side that had shown growing faith and consistency under head coach Sjoerd Marijn.
But there is little time for this success.
The Asian Games gives India an opportunity to parlay that momentum into an Olympic qualification berth. Under the FIH qualification system for LA28, the highest-placed eligible team in the women’s ice hockey competition at the Asian Games will receive a quota place, provided they have not already qualified through another route.
So for captain Salim Tete, the goal is clear.
“We go into the Asian Games with great confidence, but we also know that every tournament brings a new challenge,” Tete said in a statement.
“The Nations Cup and the World Cup gave us faith in what we can achieve together and now we are focused on taking it one step further.
“Our goal is very clear – we want to fight for the gold medal and get a direct qualification for the Olympics in Los Angeles. We know that it will require consistency, discipline and give our best in every match, and as a team we are ready for this challenge,” she added.
India were drawn in Group B along with Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. They begin their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 20 before facing Indonesia on September 21, Thailand on September 23, Japan on September 25 and Singapore on September 27.
The knockout stage begins on September 30, with the gold medal match scheduled for October 2.
India head into the tournament with a squad that combines experience with a younger core that has already impressed on the international stage. Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam are among the senior players in the 20-man squad, while several younger players have emerged as important contributors during the team’s recent tenure.
This run has been one of the biggest stories of India’s 2026 campaign.
India started the year with a silver medal at the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Hyderabad. They went unbeaten until the final and secured their place at the World Cup after beating Italy 1-0 in the semi-finals.
The team then did even better at the Nations Cup in Auckland.
India went undefeated throughout the tournament, defeating the USA, Japan and Uruguay in the pool stage and beating Chile 6–0 in the semi-finals. In the final, they defeated the hosts New Zealand 2-0 and won the title.
The Nations Cup triumph also secured India promotion to the Women’s Professional League for the following season.
However, the biggest statement came at the World Cup.
India have lost just once in the tournament and have shown they can compete with some of the world’s top teams, holding higher-placed China, England and Australia to draws. They also secured a 6-1 win over South Africa before ending their campaign with a 3-1 victory over world No.5 Germany.
Marijne, who returned to the Indian set-up earlier this year before being formally appointed head coach in January, has overseen much of that transformation.
Now comes perhaps the most important test of all.
A fifth place finish in the World Cup has raised expectations for Indian women’s hockey. An Asian Games gold medal would take the team’s resurgence a step further while also ensuring that the road to Los Angeles is considerably clearer.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
08 Sep 2026 14:14 IST