Bengaluru: Fresh from a historic fifth-place finish at the World Cup, the Indian women’s hockey team on Tuesday departed for the Asian Games in Japan, with their sights firmly set on winning the gold medal and securing a direct berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, India produced one of its finest performances in decades as the team finished fifth, its best World Cup result since the inaugural edition in 1974.
The attention now shifts to the Asian Games, where the stakes are even higher.
Under the FIH’s LA 2028 qualification system, the highest-placed eligible team in the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games will earn an Olympic quota place, provided it has not already qualified through another pathway.
“We are going into the Asian Games with a lot of confidence, but we also know that every tournament brings a new challenge,” said Tete, who has led India to the Nations Cup title and the historic World Cup fifth-place finish this year, in a release.
“The Nations Cup and the World Cup have given us belief in what we can achieve together, and now our focus is on taking that one step further.
“Our goal is very clear — we want to fight for the gold medal and earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. We know it will require consistency, discipline and giving our best in every match, and as a team we are ready for that challenge,” Tete said.
India has been placed in Pool B alongside Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan. The team will open its campaign against Uzbekistan on September 20, followed by matches against Indonesia on September 21, Thailand on September 23, Japan on September 25, and Singapore on September 27.
The knockout phase will begin on September 30, with the semifinals scheduled for the same day, before the gold-medal match on October 2.
The Indian squad combines experienced campaigners such as Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami, and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam with a promising group of younger players who have made an impact in recent international assignments.
The 20-member Asian Games squad includes two goalkeepers (Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam), five defenders (Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas), six midfielders (Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (C), Neha, Deepika Soreng), and seven forwards (Lalremsiami, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Beauty Dungdung).
The Indian team showed an impressive turnaround under Marijne, who returned to the set-up earlier this year and was formally appointed Chief Coach in January.
India began their 2026 campaign by securing a silver medal at the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, remaining unbeaten until the final and sealing their World Cup qualification with a 1-0 semifinal victory over Italy.
The team then produced a dominant campaign at the Nations Cup in Auckland, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. India defeated the USA, Japan, and Uruguay in the pool stage, beat Chile 6-0 in the semi-final, and then got the better of the hosts New Zealand 2-0 in the final to lift the title.
The triumph also earned India promotion to the Women’s Pro League for the following season.
The momentum carried into the World Cup, where India suffered just one defeat, held a higher-ranked China, England, and Australia to draws, defeated South Africa 6-1, and signed off with a 3-1 victory over the world No. 5 Germany.
