New Delhi, Nov 7: The victory in the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Ranchi after the bronze in Hangzhou Asian Games has propelled the Indian women’s hockey team to the sixth position in the women's FIH World Rankings.

The Indian team now has 2368.83 points and has returned to its best-ever position in the rankings, last achieved in June 2022 during the FIH Pro League.

After winning the bronze medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games in China in October, the Indian women's team defeated Japan in the final to win the Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023.

Olympic and World Champions, the Netherlands continues to be ranked as the best women’s hockey team in the world with 3422.40 points. They are followed by Australia in second place with 2817.73 points and Argentina in third with 2766.90 points. Belgium is fourth with 2608.77 points and Germany fifth with 2573.72 points. England, Spain, New Zealand and China occupy the 7th to 10th positions in the rankings in that order.

The jump in world ranking is a big shot in the arm for the team in their preparations for the forthcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, scheduled to be held from January 13 to 19, 2024 in Ranchi. The Indian women’s hockey team will battle Germany, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, the United States, Italy, and the Czech Republic in a bid to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Praising the Indian women’s hockey team, Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “I would like to congratulate the team on achieving this ranking, it is a testament to the hard work and sacrifices they have made in their careers so far. The aim is to break into the top three with time and this serves as a good indicator that the team is on the rise.

"With Peter Haberl also joining the setup as a mental conditioning coach I am confident that the team will go from strength to strength and outdo themselves shortly,” Hockey India quoted Dilip Tirkey as saying in a release on Tuesday.

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Echoing the President’s sentiments, Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh added, “The Indian women’s hockey team has done well to become the sixth-best team in the world, they deserve all the plaudits coming their way. And with the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers also coming up it is a great opportunity to show the world that India is a force to be reckoned with.”

(IANS)

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