India women produced a stunning second-half turnaround to beat Germany 3-1 and secure fifth place at the 2026 Women’s Hockey World Cup at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Thursday. The victory sealed India’s best finish at the World Cup since their fourth-place effort in the inaugural edition in 1974.
India had lost only one match in the tournament and entered the fifth-place play-off knowing a win would cap an impressive campaign. The contest, however, appeared destined for a tense finish after Germany dominated stretches of the first half and kept India’s attack quiet.
On India’s fifth-place finish, midfielder Neha said, “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.”
Neha also said that the Asian Games will present another major challenge for India, especially with the Olympics in sight.
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“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.”
GERMANY APPLY PRESSURE, BUT INDIA HOLD FIRM
The opening quarter was closely fought, with India adopting a cautious approach and looking to threaten on the counter. Captain Salima Tete showed intent in the attacking third, but Germany gradually began forcing turnovers and putting pressure on the Indian defence.
Germany earned a penalty corner towards the end of the quarter, but Bichu Devi produced an important save from the initial attempt. The re-awarded penalty corner also failed to trouble India, allowing the hosts to escape without conceding.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern. Germany enjoyed more possession and attacking opportunities, while India struggled to maintain sustained pressure in the final third. Germany earned another penalty corner in the 18th minute after the ball struck Sushila Chanu’s foot, but a poor injection allowed the chance to break down.
India finally found some rhythm midway through the quarter. Navneet Kaur forced Finja Starck into a save before Salima tested the German goalkeeper twice more in quick succession. Starck stood firm, producing three saves to preserve the deadlock.
ISHIKA NAVNEET TURN THE GAME AROUND
The match changed dramatically after half-time. India came out with greater attacking intent and began finding spaces behind the German defence. There was a worrying moment for India in the 38th minute when Jyoti slipped awkwardly and appeared to hurt her knee before being helped from the pitch.
But the setback did not derail India. Five minutes later, Ishika Chaudhary provided the breakthrough with a moment of individual brilliance. She drove into the circle before unleashing a superb reverse-lift that flew past Starck, sending India 1-0 ahead.
Germany barely had time to recover before India doubled their advantage. The team earned its first penalty corner of the match in the 44th minute, with the opportunity re-awarded after a foot was caught. Navneet took the touch before slapping the ball into the back of the net.
In the space of two minutes, India had transformed a goalless contest into a 2-0 advantage and suddenly looked firmly in control.
NAVNEET STRIKES AGAIN AS INDIA SURVIVE LATE SCARE
India carried their momentum into the final quarter and struck again just two minutes after the restart. Navneet showed tremendous composure inside the circle, taking the ball around the goalkeeper before calmly lifting a dink into the net to make it 3-0.
Germany refused to surrender and increased the pressure as the clock ticked down. India’s defence, which had kept Germany frustrated for most of the contest, once again stood tall. Savita Punia produced crucial saves, including a strong stop from a German penalty corner in the 53rd minute.
With just four minutes remaining, Germany were still searching for a way back. They finally found one in the 59th minute when Lynn Krings converted a rebound after Savita had made two saves in quick succession.
Germany earned another penalty corner with only seconds left, but India survived the late scare to complete a memorable 3-1 victory.
After a campaign defined by narrow margins, the emphatic second-half performance provided a fitting finale and gave Sjoerd Marijne’s side plenty of confidence heading into the Asian Games.
– Ends
