New Delhi: Fresh from a strong fifth-place finish at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands, the Indian women’s hockey team has set its sights on winning gold at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the additional objective of securing direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Led by captain and attacking midfielder Salima Tete, the Indian team departed Bengaluru for Japan on Tuesday after a week-long camp aimed at addressing shortcomings identified during the World Cup. The players will now work on adapting to the local weather and conditions before beginning their Asian Games campaign.
India are placed in Pool B and will open their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 20, followed by matches against Indonesia on September 21, Thailand on September 23, hosts Japan on September 25 and Singapore on September 27.
Tete said the team is travelling with confidence after winning the Women’s Nations Cup and finishing fifth at the World Cup. “We know every tournament brings a new challenge, but our recent performances have shown what we can achieve together. Our focus is now to take the next step. The goal is to win gold at the Asian Games and qualify directly for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” she said.
Under the Olympic qualification system, the Asian Games gold medallist can earn direct qualification for Los Angeles, provided it has not already qualified through another route.
India have a balanced squad combining experienced players such as goalkeeper Savita, forwards Navneet Kaur and Lalremsiami, midfielders Neha and Nikki Pradhan, and defender Sushila Chanu with promising younger players.
Chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, who guided India to fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics after previously serving as coach from 2017 to 2021, has returned to the position this year following Harendra Singh’s resignation. His immediate priorities include improving fitness, strengthening team coordination and ensuring India performs as a cohesive unit in Japan.
Under Marijne, India qualified for the 2026 World Cup after winning silver at the FIH World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad. The team defeated Italy 1-0 to secure qualification and went on to produce a series of notable results.
India also won the Women’s Nations Cup in Auckland, defeating Uruguay 6-0 in the semi-final and New Zealand 2-0 in the final. The triumph earned India qualification for the FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League.
At the 2026 World Cup, India held China, England and Australia to draws. After losing 0-2 to hosts the Netherlands, the team bounced back with wins over South Africa and Germany, beating Germany 3-1 to secure fifth place.
The 20-member squad features goalkeepers Savita and Bichchu Devi Kharibam; defenders Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalathantluangi, Jyoti and Shilpi Dabas; midfielders Nikki Pradhan, Neha, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete, and Deepika Soreng; and forwards Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Deepika Sehrawat, Rituja Dadaso Pisal, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur and Beauty Dungdung.
With recent performances boosting confidence, India will look to convert that momentum into Asian Games gold and secure an early ticket to Los Angeles.
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