Star goalkeeper Savita Punia returns to the Indian women's hockey team after a 10-month break, while Salima Tete misses the Argentina series due to illness. The tour serves as crucial preparation for upcoming major tournaments.
Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia has withdrawn from the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers due to personal reasons, with Salima Tete named as the captain of the 20-member Indian squad.
For women's hockey goalkeeping stalwart Savita Punia, the Padma Shri is more than a national honour -- it is a quiet acknowledgement of years marked by sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering belief, both her own and that of a family that stood by her when the odds were firmly stacked against her.
'My next target for the whole year is very important. I have always set my goals in life. So now I have only one goal in my mind, that is we must win a gold medal in the Asian Games and directly qualify for the Olympics.'
The Indian senior women's national hockey team is set to begin a training camp in Bengaluru to prepare for the upcoming World Cup and other major tournaments.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh and senior goalkeeper Savita Punia won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Player of the Year award.
India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former men's skipper Rohit Sharma headline the list of sportspersons to be honoured with Padma awards this Republic Day.
Vijay Amritraj gets Padma Bhushan; Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur receive Padma Shri
Bangladesh's local media reported on Wednesday, quoting sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that Ridhima was axed from the BPL.
Savita Punia and P R Sreejesh were named FIH Goalkeepers of the Year for the second consecutive year.
For the year 2026, the President has approved the conferment of 131 Padma awards. The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri.
India have come into the tournament without the injured duo of veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia and ace drag-flicker Deepika.
'Many of the players I played alongside like Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Krishan Pathak are doing very well today. Somewhere, there is regret that I could not do that.'
Love for Gold and Longing for Husband: Indian hockey captain Savita gears up for Asiad
India beat Korea 4-2 in women's Asia Cup hockey Super 4 stage
India conceded more than 100 penalty corners, including 17 in a game against Belgium across 16 Pro League matches.
JSW Soorma Hockey Club earned a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Delhi SG Pipers in the Women's Hockey India League.
Mid-fielder Salima Tete on Thursday replaced veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia as captain of the 24-strong Indian women's hockey squad for the Belgium and England legs of the FIH Pro League starting later this month.
Navneet Kaur struck from a penalty corner seconds before the final hooter as India came from behind twice to hold defending champions Japan to a 2-2 draw
It was stalwart India goalkeeper and former skipper Savita Punia's 300th international match but she was beaten in the seventh minute by a reverse hit from a Reijnen.
Besides two goalkeepers, the Asian Games-bound team will have six defenders, five midfielders and as many forwards.
The Indian women's hockey team lost 0-1 to Spain in the return leg match of the FIH Pro League.
Germany clinched their first win of the season as they stormed to a 4-0 win against India in the women's FIH Hockey Pro League.
India began their Women's Pro League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over England at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium.
They had a golden chance to equalise with Deep Grace Ekka taking the strike from close range as the ball took a deflection from Vandana Katariya but only to ricochet off the crossbar in the second quarter.
Women's HIL will provide financial stability to junior players and attract youth to hockey: Savita Punia
Despite a tense final quarter that saw multiple penalty corners, Spain's defence stood firm to deny Germany an equaliser.
India held their nerves in the shootout to emerge winners.
The Indian women's hockey team continued its winless streak in the Belgium leg of the FIH Pro League, slumping to 0-3 defeat against Argentina in Antwerp on Sunday.
Charlotte Englebert scored a hat-trick to power JSW Soorma Hockey Club to the final of the inaugural Women's Hockey India League with a 4-2 win over Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.
Indian women produced a flawless effort to outwit United States 3-1 and end this leg of the Hockey Pro League on a winning note in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The 1-4 defeat put India out of the reckoning for a place in the knock-out stage at the Tokyo Olympics.
Seeking the services of American psychologist and mental conditioning coach Peter Harberl, following a disappointing Asian Games, has played a significant role in the Indian women's hockey team's turnaround in the ongoing FIH Olympic Qualifiers.
A day after upsetting world No.3 Australia, India women once again played an entertaining and fast-paced brand of hockey to defeat the United States 2-1 via shootout in an FIH Pro League match in Rourkela on Sunday.
India, South Korea play out 1-1 draw in women's hockey
Indian women's hockey team's new captain Salima Tete hopes to utilise the "valuable lessons" learnt from the recent home series against South Africa to make a fresh start in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, beginning in Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday.
Vandana Katariya scored from a penalty corner to help the Indian women's hockey team stun world number 3 Australia 1-0 in the FIH Pro League.
India lose 3-4 against Germany in shoot-out, to face Japan for Paris berth
India's women's hockey team fought valiantly in the first two quarters before losing steam and went down 1-5 to world No. 1 the Netherlands in their opening pool match at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.
India's women's hockey team put up a spirited display against Great Britain but it wasn't enough to prevent them from going down 3-4 in the Olympics bronze medal play-off, at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo, on Friday.
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