Amstelveen, Aug 26 (IANS) The Indian women’s hockey team will look to sign off from the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on a high when it takes on Germany in the fifth-sixth place classification match on Thursday, with a historic finish within sight.

In its ninth appearance at an FIH World Cup, India have produced a commendable show, losing just once in five matches. A win against Germany would give the team its best-ever finish at the World Cup since the historic fourth-place finish at the inaugural edition in 1974.

India have displayed tremendous resilience throughout the tournament, holding higher-ranked teams such as Paris Olympics silver medallists China, England and Australia to draws. They also recorded 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 were forced to work hard for their 2-0 victory. 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 have also enjoyed a competitive campaign. They defeated Scotland and the USA in the opening pool stage before overcoming Spain in the second stage. However, a defeat against Belgium left them third in their pool and sent them into the fifth-sixth place classification match.

India head coach Sjoerd Marijne acknowledged the progress made by his team but said the players are still hungry for more. “We defeated South Africa with big numbers and 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 Marijne.

For India, the challenge will be to convert their strong performances into results. Against some of the leading teams in the tournament, India have created opportunities in the attacking third but have struggled to find the finishing touch.

The forwards will therefore have a crucial role against Germany, either by converting chances or earning penalty corners, which could provide Deepika and Navneet Kaur with opportunities to score from set-pieces.

India’s defence, meanwhile, has provided a strong foundation. Goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam have been outstanding, while captain Salima Tete has added another layer of protection with her impressive rushing blocks during penalty-corner defence.

“The girls have already made history by securing the best ranking in a World Cup (since 1974), but we want more. 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,” Marijne added.

A victory against Germany would cap a memorable World Cup campaign and provide Indian women’s hockey with a new benchmark to build on after more than five decades.

–IANS

sds/bsk/