Amstelveen, Aug 27:
The Indian women’s hockey team will look to end their World Cup campaign on a high when they face Germany in the fifth-sixth place playoff on Thursday, with victory offering them a chance to secure their best finish at the tournament in more than five decades.
A fifth-place finish would mark India’s best result at the Women’s Hockey World Cup since the team finished fourth in the inaugural edition in 1974. The campaign has already demonstrated India’s ability to compete against some of the world’s strongest sides.
India have lost only once in five matches. They held higher-ranked teams including Paris Olympics silver medallists China, England and Australia to draws and registered an emphatic 6-1 victory over South Africa. Their only defeat came against defending and Olympic champions the Netherlands, who secured a 2-0 victory after being made to work hard.
India finished third in their second-stage pool, narrowly missing a semi-final berth after a series of closely fought matches.
Germany have also had a competitive tournament. They defeated Scotland and the United States in the opening pool stage before beating Spain in the second stage. A defeat against Belgium, however, left them third in their pool and sent them into the fifth-sixth place playoff.
India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said the players were disappointed at missing the semi-finals but believed that disappointment reflected their desire to achieve more.
“We defeated South Africa with big numbers, did really well against the Netherlands,” Marijne said, adding that the players realised they had taken important steps but wanted to do better.
The major challenge for India will be converting their opportunities into goals. The team has created chances against leading opponents but has sometimes lacked the finishing touch in the attacking third. The forwards will therefore have a crucial role, either by converting chances or winning penalty corners.
Deepika and Navneet Kaur could play an important role in penalty-corner situations, while India’s defensive strength provides confidence at the other end.
Goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam have impressed throughout the campaign, while captain Salima Tete has strengthened the defence with crucial rushing blocks during penalty-corner situations.
Marijne said the team had already achieved its best World Cup ranking in decades but wanted to go further.
With a fifth-place finish within reach, India have a chance to end the campaign by setting a new benchmark for the current generation and providing another significant milestone for women’s hockey.