Bengaluru, Sept. 8 -- Fresh from a historic fifth-place finish at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands 2026, the Indian women's hockey team has embarked on its journey to Japan for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, with the team setting its sights firmly on the gold medal and a direct berth at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, the Indian team departed Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The Asian Games will be the latest chapter in what has been an impressive turnaround for the Indian women under Marijne, who returned to the Indian women's programme earlier this year and was formally appointed Chief Coach in January 2026. His immediate emphasis was on improvi...