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India women's hockey team rewarded with ₹50 lakh after stunning World Cup campaign, best finish in 52 years
Hockey India announced a ₹50 lakh reward for the women's team after their fifth-place finish at the World Cup, the best performance in 52 years.
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India’s women’s hockey team have been rewarded for their impressive run at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026, with Hockey India announcing a cash award of ₹50 lakh after the side finished fifth in the tournament — their best result at the competition in 52 years.
Led by Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, India ended their campaign with a 3-1 win over world No. 5 Germany in the fifth-place playoff in Amstelveen. The result capped a tournament in which India suffered only one defeat in six matches and repeatedly held their own against higher-ranked opposition.
India had draws against China, England and Australia during the competition, while also registering a thumping 6-1 victory over South Africa. Their only defeat came during a campaign that nevertheless underlined the progress made by the side after a difficult period in which they had missed qualification for the Paris Olympics and were subsequently relegated from the FIH Pro League. The fifth-place finish was India’s best at the Women’s World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1974, when they finished fourth.
Hockey India announces ₹50 lakh reward
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey hailed the team’s performance while announcing the cash award.
“This is a historic result for Indian women’s hockey. To finish fifth at a World Cup after 52 years is a testament to the hard work, resilience and fighting spirit this team has shown throughout the tournament,” Tirkey said. “On behalf of Hockey India, I am pleased to announce a cash award of INR 50 lakh for the team as a token of our appreciation, and I hope this inspires the players to keep raising the bar,” he added.
The reward will see each player receive ₹2 lakh, while members of the support staff will get ₹1 lakh each. Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh also praised the team for competing strongly against some of the best sides in the world and said the performance showed the progress made by the group.
India’s World Cup campaign was particularly encouraging given the level of opposition they faced. Holding Australia, England and China while beating Germany in the classification match meant India finished ahead of several higher-ranked sides despite arriving at the tournament without the kind of regular top-level exposure they had enjoyed previously through the Pro League.
The attention will now turn towards the Asian Games, where India will look to build on the momentum generated by their World Cup campaign. India had won bronze at the previous edition and will be aiming to improve on that result as they continue their push back towards the top tier of international women’s hockey.
