Bengaluru, Aug. 30 -- Indian women's hockey team player Deepika Kumari said she was proud of the team's effort at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup 2026 despite falling short of their expectations, as the squad arrived at Bengaluru airport on Saturday after finishing fifth in the tournament.

Reflecting on India's campaign, Deepika said the team was disappointed with the result but remained determined to finish the tournament with a victory.

"We were disappointed not to achieve what we had envisioned or what our team deserved. However, the mindset was that the final match is the final match--regardless of the circumstances or our standing, we had to finish with a win," Deepika told ANI.

She said ending the World Cup on a winning note was...