Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026: No podium finish, but India can be proud of historic campaign
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
The Indian women’s hockey team achieved their best-ever finish in 52 years
As a fan, there are some losses which make you angry and frustrated and some others which leave you heartbroken. Heartbroken, because everything which could have been done was indeed done.
A proper underdog story, fit to be written into movie scripts, but one that couldn’t have a happy ending. Margins so narrow that you just stare up at the skies and curse destiny.
These were probably some of the emotions experienced by Indian hockey fans as the final hooter sounded after the final Pool E fixture between India and Australia at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026.
When you looked at the table, both teams had the same points as well as the same goal difference. The eventual tie-breaker: the Hockeyroos had scored more goals across the fixtures involving these two teams and two others in their pool Netherlands and China.
From doldrums to redemption
You don’t have to go too far back to remember that the Indian women’s hockey team was in complete doldrums, from the highs of finishing fourth at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, to not even qualifying for the Paris 2024 edition, to relegation from the FIH Pro League 2024–25.
At the dawn of the new year, Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne returned. He had gone back home to spend time with his family after the Tokyo heroics. It is interesting how he has managed to work his magic repeatedly, without much change in personnel.
India entered the World Cup with some momentum, having clinched the FIH Nations Cup and regained their spot in the Pro League, a chance to once again play the top teams in the world and gain exposure.
However, they had been drawn into Pool D with reigning Olympic silver medallists China, higher-ranked England, and a banana-peel opponent in the form of South Africa. Surely, barely anyone expected anything significant from the World No. 9 side.
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The group stage grind
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First up were the Asian Games champions. A draw would have been considered a victory. It eventually was a stalemate, but not in the way one would have expected; India were the better side for large parts.
If not for some contentious calls and a number of missed opportunities, they would have emerged with all three points.
Next up were South Africa, who were hammered 6-1, India’s biggest-ever victory at a Women’s Hockey World Cup.
Going into the final match, the equation was clear: a draw against England was enough to take them through. What followed was a display of absolute grit and determination, as they defended for their lives and secured a goalless stalemate.
Into the second round
Having qualified along with China, India entered Pool E with one point and a goal difference of 0 (the result against their neighbours was carried forward into the second round, as per the new format).
Now standing in their way were hosts Netherlands, gunning for their 10th title, which would also be their fourth in a row.
The European giants came into the fixture having hammered Japan 9-0 in their previous game, and they managed to score an early goal against the Indians too. However, they too found the going incredibly tough after that.
Once again, a masterclass in defence was on show, as the Salima Tete-led side simply refused to let go. Eventually, all the Dutch could muster was a 2-0 win. To give further context to this performance, Holland went on to hammer China 4-1 in their next game.
The decider against Australia
The last time the Indian women’s hockey team played in a World Cup semi-final was way back in 1974, with their male counterparts having qualified thrice between 1971 and 1975.
That is how high the stakes were as India geared up for their final Pool E encounter against Australia, a win by any margin would take them through, while the Aussies needed just a solitary point.
The nervousness was visible, and much to coach Marijne’s frustration, the Indians committed far too many errors, including misplaced passes, mistraps, and loss of possession in midfield.
However, the deep defending was once again immaculate, as they forged yet another clean sheet in a crunch game.
This time, though, it wasn’t enough to seal a spot in the next round. Again, you wouldn’t have imagined before the tournament that a draw against Australia would cause so much unhappiness.
India are now set to play Germany in the 5th–6th place match, a result that in no way should diminish how proud Indians should be of this campaign. They showed the world the cohesiveness a team must display when its back is against the wall.
Related: What is India’s best-ever finish at FIH Hockey World Cup?
The defensive wall
Veteran Savita, between the bars, showed her undisputed class, but it was Bichu Devi Kharibam who caught the attention of pundits and fans alike. She was backed by the coach to play alternate quarters in every match, and she justified it to the fullest.
A video of her pulling off a diving save against England in the dying minutes of the match went viral on social media. It was, thus, heartbreaking to see both of them in tears after the encounter on Sunday.
The defence, as mentioned before, were the star performers. From veterans like Sushila to new faces such as Sakshi Rana and Shilpi Dabas, who have potentially cemented their spots in the squad for a long time to come, the outfit looked like one on a mission.
Such was the tenacity that in a tricky penalty-corner situation against the Hockeyroos, where they were defending with eleven outfield players in search of an elusive goal skipper Salima showed her class as a first rusher, making sure the absence of the goalkeeper was not felt.
What needs fixing
Undoubtedly, what let the Indians down was their forward line and poor conversion rate. After the game against South Africa, they simply failed to turn up in front of goal.
A wasted tap-in opportunity right at the end of the second quarter, as well as another gilt-edged chance where as many as three attackers decided to leave the ball for each other, contributed to their downfall against Australia.
Looking ahead
Nevertheless, this is something that can easily be rectified, considering the names Sjoerd Marijne has at his disposal.
With a lot of positives to carry from Amstelveen, India should now set their sights on an Asian Games gold medal next month, one that would also secure them a quota place at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
How did India perform at the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
Although they failed to reach the semi-finals, India will return from the World Cup with its best-ever finish since 1974—which is a landmark achievement in itself. Sjoerd Marijne’s side lost just once in five matches, which included clashes against reigning Olympic silver medallist China, two-time World Cup winners Australia, as well as, 2010 bronze medallist England. India’s only defeat in the tournament came against defending champions Netherlands.
Which was India’s best performance in the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
India’s 6-1 win over South Africa was their standout result, and it stands as the team’s biggest-ever victory at a Women’s Hockey World Cup.
What records did India set at the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
Sjoerd Marijne’s side rewrote the record for the nation’s biggest win at the Hockey World Cup by drubbing South Africa 6-1 in the pool phase. India are guaranteed to finish as high as 5th or 6th, which will be the country’s best finish in the tournament since 1974.
Kartik Warrier, a B.Tech Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Madras, is an ardent sports enthusiast. Through Khel Now, he gets to pursue his passion by closely following Indian athletes in sports like cricket, football, badminton, hockey, and table tennis.