Hockey: Indian women's team to miss Paris Olympics after narrow defeat to Japan in FIH qualifiers
Hockey: India women to miss Paris Olympics after narrow defeat to Japan in FIH qualifiers
India’s women’s hockey teamfailed to qualify for2024 Paris Olympics after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Japan on Friday (Jan 19). The FIH Olympic Qualifiers, currently underway in Ranchi saw the hosts miss out on direct qualification during the Asian Games 2022. They also lost on Thursday where a win for them could have sealed a place in the prestigious tournament. It's worth reminding that India’s women's team played in the bronze medal match of the Olympics in Japan where they missed narrowly.
Indian women to miss Paris Olympics
Entering a must-win contest at the FIH Qualifiers, India needed to win the bronze medal to reach the Olympics.A sixth-minute goal from a penalty corner from experienced Urata Kana was the difference-maker between the sides as the visitors consolidated on the lead until the final whistle to claim a place in the Paris showdown.They had earlier lost in a penalty shootout in the semifinal for the gold medal against Germany on Thursday.
The Indian team consisting of experienced players like Udita Duhan and Deepika failed to make the most of their chances in the remaining quarters. Japan on the flip side played on the counterattacks and almost produced another goal in the third quarter before failing to convert in the final third.
)
Xi Jinping's new AI bloc: China launches 'World AI Body' with Pakistan and Russia in, India out
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 football stars who went viral on social media during the tournament
)
Karoline Leavitt to be US Vice President when Usha Vance gives birth? JD Vance says...
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
'There is no need for...': PM Modi takes a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, sends big message amid Parliament March
)
'Could be bombed at any moment': What Iran's Araghchi told Trump envoy Witkoff during negotiations
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
)
BTS at FIFA 2026: Check the halftime show timings for India and across the world
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
)
JD and Usha Vance welcome fourth child: Who serves as acting US vice president during Vance's paternity leave?
)
Older than Himalayas: 85mn-year-old Kewra plant reached India 24mn years ago, fossil discovery in Assam shows
)
Did Iran secretly ship 70 million barrels of oil to China? Report claims $6 billion crude exported before blockade restored
)
Homer's Iliad written before The Odyssey found inside an Egyptian mummy
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 awards race: Who are Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove contenders ahead of the final
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global air power ranking 2026: India surpasses China
)
Truck loaded with stones, metro stations closed: What's happening at Jantar Mantar now
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
FIFA 2026: BTS lights up World Cup final halftime show with 'Dynamite' performance
)
'Chalo Sansad' march today: Section 163 in force, Delhi Police remove barricades; unfazed Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET topper
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s tail fins are canted to minimize its radar footprint
)
Imran Khan's sister links India-Pakistan 2025 conflict to Israel recognition plans
)
US strikes Iran, sirens heard in Kuwait, one American soldier killed in Iraq: What's happening in West Asia
)
Argentina's racism problem: How football chants reflect a deeper historical legacy
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
The scoreboard would then remain unscratched as the hosts failed to break the duck in a fiercely contested match which ended in disappointment.
Indian women’s team has only played in three Olympics in the past and have failed to reach the tournament for the first time since 2012. India’s maiden appearance in the women’s department came in the 1980 Moscow Olympics while the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Japan Games were other appearances for them.
India’s hockey medal hopes at the Olympics now lie on the shoulders of the men’s team who qualified for the big event through the Asian Games. Having won gold at the continental showpiece, India were guaranteed a place in the Olympics and did not have to play in the qualifiers. The Paris Olympics will start in August.
