Gold and LA 2028 Berth: India’s Big Hockey Mission

New Delhi, September 08, 2026 India’s women’s hockey team heads to Japan for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a clear objective: win the gold medal and secure direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, the team enters the continental tournament with considerable confidence after an impressive 2026 season that included an FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup triumph and a historic fifth-place finish at the World Cup. The Asian Games carry added significance because of the Olympic qualification opportunity at stake. Under the FIH’s qualification system for Los Angeles 2028, 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 route. India has been drawn in Pool B with Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. Its campaign begins against Uzbekistan on September 20, followed by fixtures against Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore on September 21, 23, 25 and 27 respectively. India’s recent results provide plenty of encouragement ahead of the tournament. The team defeated New Zealand 2-0 in the Nations Cup final earlier this year, a result that also earned it promotion to the FIH Pro League. At the World Cup, India lost only once and held higher-ranked China, England and Australia to draws. It also registered a convincing 6-1 victory over South Africa before finishing its campaign with a 3-1 win against world No. 5 Germany. Tete believes the team can build on those performances while remaining prepared for the challenges of a new tournament. “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. India’s 20-member squad features a blend of experienced campaigners and promising youngsters, with players such as Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam adding experience to the group. The knockout stage is scheduled to begin on September 30, with the gold-medal match on October 2. After a year of encouraging performances, India now has the opportunity to turn its momentum into Asian Games gold — while simultaneously booking its place on the Olympic stage.