India signed off from the 2026 Women’s Hockey World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Germany at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen. With that, they secured fifth place and their strongest World Cup finish since the inaugural tournament in 1974.
The result capped a campaign in which India lost just once. Germany had controlled much of the opening half, but India produced a decisive response after the interval to turn a tight contest into a convincing win.
Notably, the first two quarters offered little between the sides on the scoreboard. Germany created greater pressure and earned penalty corners, but India’s defensive unit held firm. Bichu Devi made a key stop from an early German attempt, while another opportunity broke down following a poor injection.
India gradually found openings before half-time. Navneet Kaur tested Finja Starck, while captain Salima Tete also forced the German goalkeeper into saves as India began to threaten more consistently. The breakthrough arrived in the 43rd minute. Ishika Chaudhary created the opening herself, driving into the circle before producing a reverse-lift that beat Starck and put India ahead.
The advantage quickly grew. India won their first penalty corner in the 44th minute, and after the chance was re-awarded, Navneet received the initial touch before finding the net with a slap. She then struck again early in the final quarter. After taking the ball around the goalkeeper, she calmly lifted it into the goal to complete a three-goal burst that put India in command.
Germany continued to press and eventually reduced the deficit through Lynn Krings in the 59th minute. Krings converted a rebound after Savita Punia had denied Germany twice in quick succession. However, she remained important during the closing stages, including a crucial save from another German penalty corner. India then survived one final set-piece threat to preserve the 3-1 scoreline.
Neha reflects on achievement and upcoming Asian Games
After the game, midfielder Neha reflected on the fifth-place finish, stating how proud she was of the achievement. “It’s really something to be proud of. Fifth place in the World Cup is a great achievement. I know we wanted to win the semi-final and final, but it is what it is. We are happy to finish fifth.”
Meanwhile, the focus now shifts towards the Asian Games, which Neha identified as an important step with the Olympics in mind.
“The Asian Games are an important tournament for us, especially with the Olympics in mind. It will be a tough challenge as Asia has several strong teams, including China, Japan and Korea. We will give our best, keep working on our game and continue to fight hard,” Neha said.
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