Amstelveen [Netherlands], August 27 (ANI): The Indian women’s hockey team produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Germany 3-1 and secure fifth place at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 at the Wagener Stadium on Thursday.
The victory marked India’s best finish at the Women’s Hockey World Cup since their fourth-place finish in the inaugural 1974 edition.
India entered the 5th/6th place classification match after losing only one game in the tournament. However, Germany dominated large parts of the first half, keeping India’s attacking unit under pressure.
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Both teams failed to break the deadlock in the opening two quarters, with Germany creating more chances and earning penalty corners, but India’s goalkeeper Bichu Devi and the defence stood firm.
India showed greater attacking intent after the half-time break and turned the match around with a brilliant display in the third quarter.
Ishika Chaudhary opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a superb reverse-lift finish after making a strong run into the circle.
India soon doubled their lead when they earned their first penalty corner of the match. Navneet Kaur converted the opportunity in the 44th minute to make it 2-0.
Navneet continued her impressive performance and scored her second goal in the 47th minute, calmly lifting the ball past the goalkeeper to give India a three-goal cushion.
Germany reduced the deficit through Lynn Krings in the 59th minute after converting a rebound, but India held their nerve in the final moments to secure a 3-1 victory.
Goalkeeper Savita Punia also played a crucial role, making important saves, including a penalty corner stop in the final quarter, to help India close out the match.
The win capped a memorable World Cup campaign for India, with the team finishing fifth after a strong showing on the global stage. (ANI)
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