India women hockey team leaves for Asian Games with Olympic qualification in sight
Fresh from their historic fifth-place finish at the 2026 FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup, the Indian women’s hockey team has left for Japan for the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, with gold and direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as their primary targets.
Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, India achieved its best-ever World Cup finish since the inaugural 1974 edition. The team will now look to carry that momentum into the Asian Games, where the highest-placed eligible women’s hockey team will secure an Olympic quota for LA 2028.
India have been placed in Pool B alongside Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The campaign begins 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 stage begins on September 30, with the final scheduled for October 2.
The 20-member squad combines experienced players including Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Sushila Chanu with younger players who have impressed during India's recent international campaign. Hockey India announced the squad in July, retaining a balanced mix of experience and emerging talent.
India's 2026 campaign has marked a major turnaround under Marijne, who returned to the women's programme earlier this year and was formally appointed chief coach in January. The team won silver at the World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad before going unbeaten at the Nations Cup in New Zealand, where it defeated the hosts 2-0 in the final. The triumph also earned India promotion to the Women's Pro League.
The World Cup further strengthened India's confidence, with the side suffering only one defeat and recording a 6-1 win over South Africa before ending the tournament with a 3-1 victory over world No. 5 Germany. India will now aim to convert that momentum into Asian Games gold and a place at the LA 2028 Olympics.
with inputs from PTI
