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.
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 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.
The team then produced a dominant campaign at the Nations Cup in Auckland, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.
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. “Our goal is very clear – we want to fight for the gold medal and earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.
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. 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.
