WAVRE / AMSTELVEEN (TIP): Wrapping up their World Cup campaign on a victorious note, Indian girls must have warmed the cockles of hearts with an impressive 3-1 win over Germany to finish fifth in the FIH World Cup 2026.
It has been the best performing Indian women hockey team in the World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1974 where it had taken the fourth position.
Two goals by Navneet and one by Ishika besides some excellent defense by the two goalkeepers – Bichu Devi and Savita – helped India to end its campaign on a bright, cheerful and victorious note. Now, India heads for Japan to play in the Asian Games from which finishing at top India can hope for a direct qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
India’s run in this World Cup has been impressive. India won two games – 6-1 against South Africa and 3-1 against Germany – and lost only one – 0-2 against the hosts, the Netherlands – and drew the remaining, including 2-2 against Olympic silver medalist China. India also held England and Australia to draws.
A good chance for India in the fourth minute when Navneet built a good move and centered, but Salima Tete could not intercept a free ball across the open goalmouth. Sluggish clearance attempt cost India the first penalty corner of the game, seconds before the end of first quarter.
India’s plea for VR was not productive. Another penalty corner followed for Germany. Wasted. It was a goalless first quarter.
In the 18th minute, another good chance for India to forge ahead but a shot from the top of the circle was miles off the target. A minute later, India conceded its third penalty corner with an attempted clumsy clearance. German player fumbled with the push in.
Golden chance came for India in the 22nd minute when four attempts were made in quick succession, but none could beat Finja Starck in the goal.
The first half remained goalless with either of the teams trying its best. India had slight territorial advantage.
Germany came close to scoring in the 34th minute when Lena Micheel had a chance in the striking circle. Bichu Devi, however, executed a good clearance.
India scored in the 43rd minute when Ishika made no mistake in getting past the German goalkeeper.
A penalty corner followed for India in the 43rd minute. India gets another one as a strike by Navneet catches a defender, Ines Wanner, on the foot. This time Navneet makes no mistake with her low grounded shot to make it 2-0.
Elated at her success with a penalty corner, Navneet had yet another goal under her name. This time from a goalmouth scramble, she lifts the ball over the goalkeeper and a defender to make it 3-0.
Germany gets a penalty corner in the 48th minute. Indian girls defend it well.
Another penalty corner for Germany in the 53rd minute. India defends again.
Germany ultimately succeeded in reducing the margin in the 59th minute when Savita’s attempts to thwart German forwards failed and Lyn Krings found the target to make it 1-3. Germany had a penalty corner in the last minute. Indian defense, however, stood its ground well. India completed a splendid close of the tournament win to finish fifth.
Indian women have every reason to feel satisfied, if not pleased, with their performance in the FIH World Cup 2026. Though it could not repeat the performance of the first ever Indian women’s team that participated in the inaugural World Cup held in France in 1974, yet it has outshone performances of all other teams that left the shores of the country to play in the elite FIH tournament for women.
In 1974, India was the only team that had beaten the ultimate champions, the Netherlands, in the group matches. Though India was beaten 0-2 by Belgium, it won the rest of its pool games. India defeated Mexico 3-0, Spain 4-1 and the Netherlands 1-0 to finish at the top of the table. In the semifinals, it lost to Argentina 0-1 and then went down fighting to Germany 0-2 in the bronze medal game.
No Indian team has since then repeated or improved upon the 1974 performance. Even trying foreign coaches did not help.
India did win the Asian Games gold in 1982 and a couple of other continental tournaments. In the truncated Moscow Olympic Games, Indian team led by Rupa Saini, just missed winning a bronze medal as it finished fourth. The next best performance for women’s team came in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where they also missed winning the country’s first ever Olympic medal.
Indian teams, both men and women, came to the Netherlands with high hopes. Men have been a much bigger disappointment than the women. Indian women Irrespective of the result, Sjoerd Marijne’s side assured itself of its best-ever finish at the World Cup since 1974.
A win would go a long way in instilling belief in the side as it closes its World Cup chapter and turns its attention to the Asian Games in September, where a gold medal would bring direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India had finished third at the last edition of the Asiad but a 2-2 draw against Asian champion China could inspire it to target the first place.
Despite losing just one game in Amstelveen, and holding higher-ranked China, England and Australia to draws, India’s inability to make use of opportunities coming its way has been the bane of this team. Failure to score goals needs careful introspection.
After Gurjeet Kaur left, Indian women have been struggling to find a trusty substitute for her. The team has been earning penalty corners and depending upon strikers Deepika and Navneet Kaur to score from penalty corners. They had some success as each one of them scored two goals each from penalty corners.
The poor conversion rates from short corners cost the team eventually.
India’s defensehas given a better and reliable account of itself in this tournament. Mainly managed single handedly by S. Chanu, it stood its ground well. Even the vaunted Netherlands attack had to really dig in to score two goals. Today, in the classification game for the fifth and six place, Indian defense was expected to emulate the same defiant effort against the World No. 5 Germany. India’s win in the last game may have come as a pleasant surprise for many ardent hockey fans, including those from India and overseas. But Indian girls did it.
The German team in this World Cup was coached by Janneke Schopman, who had been India’s head coach in the past and was also the assistant to Marijne when India finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics.
The team will have little time for introspection as the Asian Games start in the middle of next month. Instead of wasting time and energies on the post-mortem of the World Cup, the team management, including players, would do well to put their heads together to find solutions to the problems that were apparently on forefront during the World Cup matches.
Finding solutions in time before the start of the Asian Games campaign would be helpful.
(Prabhjot Singh is a Toronto-based senior journalist who writes on Sports, politics and community. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)
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