The Indian women’s hockey team for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been announced. Salima Tete will continue to captain the side, which also features veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia and the ever-dependable Navneet Kaur, who will spearhead the forward line.
The Indian girls who went down 0-4 to China in the semifinals of the previous edition of the tournament in Hangzhou in 2023 will be looking to go all the way under the tutelage of coach Sjoerd Marijne. Marijne, who returned to the women’s camp in January after guiding the girls to a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, has opted for a tried-and-tested squad for the Asian Games.
Star drag-flicker and striker Deepika Sehrawat, who missed much of the last season due to injury, struck form during the Hockey Nations Cup in June and is expected to play a key role for India in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Bichu Devi will share goalkeeping duties with the redoubtable Savita Punia during the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games.
Sushila Devi Pukhrambam, who was part of the Indian team for the Rio Olympics (alongside double Olympians Navneet Kaur and Savita), will be guarding the backlines in tandem with Shilpi Dabas and Lalthantluangi, who made their debut during the 2026 Nations Cup. Ishika Chaudhary and Jyoti are the other defenders to have been picked for the Asian Games squad.
Another Rio stalwart, Nikki Pradhan, who continues to showcase her skills, will be assisted in midfield by the incredibly talented 19-year-old Sunelita Toppo, Sakshi Rana, Deepika Soreng and the vastly experienced Neha Goyal.
Mizo livewire Lalremsiami will look to combine seamlessly in the opposition circle with the speedy Beauty Dung-Dung, Baljeet Kaur, Ishika, and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal. Navneet Kaur and Deepika, who have the ability to score from penalty corners as well as from open play, will be the strikers to watch out for at the Asian Games.
“Confident that the team is ready for the Asian Games challenge” – Women’s hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne
Coach Sjoerd Marijne sought to focus on the “nice balance” in the Asian Games squad with stalwarts like Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu and Navneet Kaur blending in with the likes of Lalthantluangi. The Dutchman also pointed out that the players were keen to get the best out of each other.
“We have a group in which we have a nice balance between juniors, experienced players and seniors who are constantly working to get the best out of each other,” Marijne was quoted as saying by Hockey India.
Marijne declared that the Indian girls, who won the Nations Cup beating New Zealand in the final in Auckland last month, had the right form and fitness levels going into the Asian Games.
“This group of players has shown that they have the right form and fitness in recent months. We are confident that this team is ready for the challenge at the Asian Games,” he stated.
The Chinese girls, who are fourth on the FIH ranking ladder, are the highest-ranked Asian side, while India, who are ninth as per the FIH rankings, are the second-ranked team in Asia.
Edited by Subhashish Majumdar