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The Indian women's hockey team will look to sign off from the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 on a high when they face Germany in the fifth-sixth position classification match on Thursday. It will be India's best-ever finish at an FIH World Cup since the historic fourth-place finish at the inaugural edition in 1974 - underlining Indian women hockey's progress on the global stage.
India have played with tremendous resilience throughout the tournament, losing just once in five matches. They held higher-ranked sides such as Paris Olympics silver medallists China, England and Australia to draws, while also recording their most prolific World Cup victory with a commanding 6-1 win over South Africa. Their only defeat came against defending champions the Netherlands, who had to fight it out for their 2-0 win. India finished third in the second stage, narrowly missing out on a place in the semi-finals after a series of hard-fought draws. Germany, meanwhile, have also enjoyed a competitive campaign. They defeated Scotland and the USA in the opening pool stage. In the second stage, they overcame Spain but suffered a defeat against Belgium, a result that left them third in their pool and sent them into the 5th-6th classification match. "We defeated South Africa with big numbers, did really well against the Netherlands...The girls also realise that they have taken good steps. But they are naturally disappointed, and I think that's a good thing. That means they feel we can do more," said India's Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne, according to Hockey India website. For India, the challenge will be to turn their strong performances into a result. Against some of the tournament's leading teams, opportunities in the attacking third have been created but goals have proved difficult to come by. The forwards will therefore have a crucial role to play against Germany, either by converting their chances or earning penalty corners that can bring the likes of Deepika and Navneet Kaur an opportunity to score off set-pieces. If India's attack can provide the finishing touch, their defence offers a strong foundation. Goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam have been outstanding in the post, while captain Salima Tete has added another layer of protection with her impressive rushing blocks on penalty corner defence. The defensive unit has stood firm like a wall throughout the campaign. "The girls have already made history by securing the best ranking in a World Cup (since 1974), but we want more," added Marijne. "It's going to be a good match against Germany to show that we can do better than we did against Australia. We are looking forward to it." Ending a memorable FIH World Cup 2026 campaign with its best finish in more than five decades will give Indian women's hockey a new benchmark to build on. (ANI)
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