India boasts a storied legacy in Olympic hockey, with a total of 12 medals to its name—eight gold, one silver, and three bronze. However, the Indian women’s hockey team will not be participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The men’s hockey team, which has been the sole contributor to India’s Olympic hockey medals, will represent the nation. Unfortunately, the women’s team did not secure a spot for the upcoming Games.
Following a remarkable fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, the Indian women’s hockey team encountered several hurdles. Their journey included disappointing outcomes at the Asian Games and the FIH Olympic Qualifiers—key tournaments that offered Olympic berths for Paris 2024.
At the Asian Games, the women’s team suffered a 4-0 defeat to China in the semi-finals, missing out on a direct qualification spot for the Paris Olympics, which was reserved for the winners of both the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments.
Subsequently, during the FIH Olympic Qualifiers held in Ranchi in January 2024, the team needed to secure a top-three finish to qualify. However, they fell short, losing 1-0 to Japan in the bronze medal match.
In the aftermath of the failed qualification, Janneke Schopman, the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, resigned in February. Schopman, who was the first female chief coach for the team, was due to finish her contract in August, following the Olympics.
Harendra Singh, a former Indian hockey player, took over as the new coach in April.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s team, who won gold at the Asian Games last year, secured their spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They are placed in Pool B, alongside reigning Olympic champions Belgium, Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Australia, as well as Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland.
At the Paris 2024 Games, the teams will play a round-robin format in the group stage, with the top four from each pool advancing to the quarter-finals. All matches will take place at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in Paris.
