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.
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. 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. 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 team then produced a dominant campaign at the Nations Cup in Auckland, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. The triumph also earned India promotion to the Women’s Pro League for the following season.
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.
