The Indian women’s hockey team on Tuesday departed for Japan to compete in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the gold medal and a direct qualification berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics firmly in its sights.
Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, India heads into the Asian Games on the back of an impressive 2026 campaign that saw it win the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup and finish a historic fifth at the World Cup.
Under the FIH’s LA 2028 qualification system, the highest-placed eligible team in the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games will secure an Olympic quota place, provided it has not already qualified through another pathway.
India is in Pool B alongside Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. It 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 stage begins on September 30, with the gold-medal match scheduled for October 2.
India secured the Nations Cup title earlier this year after beating New Zealand 2-0 in the final, earning promotion to the FIH Pro League. At the World Cup, the team suffered just one defeat, held higher-ranked China, England and Australia to draws and defeated South Africa 6-1 before ending its campaign with a 3-1 win over world No. 5 Germany.
“We are going into the Asian Games with a lot of confidence, but we also know that every tournament brings a new challenge. 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,” Tete said.
“Our goal is very clear — we want to fight for the gold medal and earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics,” she added.
The 20-member squad includes experienced players such as Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, along with several promising younger players.
Squad: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas, Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (C), Neha, Deepika Soreng, Lalremsiami, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur and Beauty Dungdung.
(IANS Inputs)
