Hockey India has announced a ₹50 lakh cash reward for the Indian women’s hockey team after its impressive fifth-place finish at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026.India capped its campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over world No. 5 Germany in Amstelveen on Thursday. The result secured India’s best Women’s World Cup finish since the inaugural edition in 1974, when the team finished fourth.The achievement comes 52 years after India last reached the top five of the competition.

India’s strong World Cup campaign

India played six matches in the tournament, recording two wins, three draws and one defeat. The only loss came against defending champions the Netherlands.The team also held higher-ranked sides such as China, England and Australia to draws, while registering a dominant 6-1 win over South Africa.India then produced another strong performance against Germany in the fifth-sixth place playoff to finish fifth overall.

Navneet Kaur stars in Germany win

The first half of the playoff remained goalless, but India took control after the break.Ishika opened the scoring in the 43rd minute before Navneet Kaur converted a penalty corner to double India’s advantage. Navneet struck again in the 47th minute to put India 3-0 ahead.Germany pulled one goal back through Linn Krings in the 59th minute, but India held on to secure a 3-1 victory.

Hockey India rewards team and support staff

Hockey India praised the team for its fighting spirit and consistency throughout the tournament and announced a ₹50 lakh cash reward following the fifth-place finish.According to reports, the reward will also benefit the support staff, with ₹2 lakh for each player and ₹1 lakh for each support staff member.Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh congratulated the team for its performance and described the result as an important achievement for Indian women’s hockey.

A significant milestone for Indian hockey

India’s fifth-place finish is particularly notable given the team’s overall consistency during the tournament. Despite missing out on the semifinals, India lost only once and competed strongly against several higher-ranked opponents.The result also provides momentum for the team ahead of its next major assignments, including the upcoming Asian Games.