Hockey in India

Indian hockey is rooted in a hockey history older and richer than that of any other country in the world. Hockey India coordinates a sport that for decades won eight Olympic golds on the men's side and that, on the women's side, has experienced a societal turning point since Tokyo 2020. The state of Odisha has acted as primary sponsor of Hockey India since 2018, with the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre as national hubs. The sport is therefore professionalised by state and provincial structures rather than by commercial markets.

What systemically sets India apart is the combination of tribal hockey roots and modern franchise infrastructure. Many top players come from Jharkhand, Odisha and other regions where hockey has been the dominant sport for generations — exemplified by Salima Tete from Simdega. In January 2025 the Women's Hockey India League launched as the first professional franchise competition for women, with teams like Odisha Warriors, Delhi SG Pipers, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers and Soorma Hockey Club. Deepika Sehrawat was bought by Delhi for 20 lakh rupees and Yibbi Jansen joined Odisha Warriors as a foreign star.

India's modern hockey history is unusually intertwined with Dutch coaching expertise. Sjoerd Marijne led the team between 2017 and 2021 to fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics. Janneke Schopman took over until February 2024, followed by Harendra Singh, whose tenure ended in internal conflict at the end of 2025. In January 2026 Marijne returned for a second era, arrived in Bengaluru on 14 January, and led the squad straight into the Qualifier in Hyderabad, where India qualified for the World Cup as finalist.