Now Reading: Indian Women’s Hockey Team Targets Podium at World Cup
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Indian Women’s Hockey Team Targets Podium at World Cup
Goalkeeper Savita Punia says the Indian women's hockey team has "a real chance" of a podium finish at the FIH World Cup starting Friday in the Netherlands and Belgium, after winning the…
The Story in Brief
Goalkeeper Savita Punia says the Indian women's hockey team has "a real chance" of a podium finish at the FIH World Cup starting Friday in the Netherlands and Belgium, after winning the FIH Nations Cup. The team has an experienced core including Savita, defenders Nikki Pradhan and Sushila Chanu, midfielders Salima Tete and Neha Goyal, and forward Navneet Kaur.
However, The Hindu reports expectations are tempered. India's best-ever World Cup finish was fourth in 1974, and coach Sjoerd Marijne views this tournament as preparation for the Asian Games, which is the team's main route back to the Olympics after failing to qualify in 2024. India is ranked ninth and faces a tough group with China, England, and South Africa.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative of a confident Indian team chasing a podium is half the story. The other half is a brutally tough draw against three-time defending champion Netherlands lurking in the second round. The real test is not whether India can beat China or England in the group, but whether it can earn a quarterfinal berth against a top-five side. That result will show if the team is genuinely progressing or just punching above its weight in weaker tournaments.
Sources (2): sports.ndtv.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
