Navneet Kaur Eyes World Cup Success As Indian Women's Hockey Team Gears Up For 2026

Star Indian forward Navneet Kaur on Friday received the Balbir Singh Sr Award for the 2025 Player of the Year in the women’s category, a recognition of her achievements at the Hockey India Annual Awards.

Navneet has enjoyed a stellar year, establishing herself as one of India’s most reliable attacking players. She played a key role in India’s silver-medal finish at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, ending as the tournament’s third-highest scorer with four goals and earning Player of the Tournament honours.

She carried that form into the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, where she again contributed significantly to India’s silver-medal campaign, scoring six goals. Along the way, she also reached a major personal milestone, earning

her 200th international cap and underlining her consistency at the highest level.

“It feels great to have played 200 matches for my country and receiving recognition from Hockey India makes the achievement even more special,” Navneet told News18 Sports on the sidelines of the award ceremony.

Navneet has also drawn inspiration from the success of other Indian women’s teams. In a recent interview, she spoke about being motivated by the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s cricket team that lifted the ODI World Cup last November, and emphasised the importance of creating a similar legacy in hockey.

“Whenever any women’s team achieves something, it’s an inspiration for everyone. Our goal is to create a legacy so that the coming generation, the youngsters, if they want to play hockey, can have a pathway to reach this level,” Navneet said.

“It’s always on our side to deliver the best results so that more children can be motivated,” she added.

The Indian women’s hockey team has started 2026 on a positive note, with World Cup qualification and the return of Sjoerd Marijne to the coaching setup.

Navneet noted the clarity in approach since his arrival, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and defined roles within the squad.

“Yes, some players already knew him, while there were also some new players with us. From his arrival, it was clear that we had to play as a team. It does not matter who is performing well; what is important is that we function as a team,” Navneet said.

“The structure of the game and the plan are clear for everyone. Everything is clear for the players on how we need to play and I think it is a good approach. When we are on the field, we know our roles and play as a team, which helps us perform better,” she added.

Since making her debut in 2014, Navneet has been a key part of India’s journey, including the fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and podium finishes at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. She was also part of the team that won bronze at the 2013 Junior World Cup.

Reflecting on her 12-year journey, Navneet acknowledged the challenges and learning phases that shaped her career, particularly the transition from junior to senior hockey.

“Of course, there are ups and downs. When I was in the junior team, it took some time to transition to the senior level. I realised the importance of fitness and understood the structure of the game,” she replied.

“I always had support from my family and the coaches made it clear that improving would help me perform better. My teammates also believe in me, which motivates me even more.”

“As a player, you have to keep working hard and maintain consistent performance. Achievements only feel meaningful after facing difficulties. I have learned a lot from my journey and will continue to learn,” Navneet added.

With World Cup qualification secured, the focus now shifts to the marquee event, which begins on August 14 in Belgium and the Netherlands.

India have been placed in Pool D alongside higher-ranked opponents including China, England, and South Africa. Historically, India’s best finish at the tournament was a fourth-place result in the inaugural edition in 1974, while they finished ninth in the 2022 edition.

The team is yet to begin detailed discussions on the challenges ahead, with players set to regroup for camp starting April 1.

“No, we all went home after the qualifiers. The camp will start on April 1 and we will keep all these things in mind and train accordingly. It does not matter which team we face,” Navneet said. “When we focus on ourselves and our game, the opponent does not matter. Our focus will be on what we can improve as a team.”

The upcoming camp is crucial, with India preparing for a packed calendar that includes the Nations Cup in June, followed by the World Cup and the Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Japan.

Despite not featuring in the FIH Pro League fixtures in Amstelveen, the team will rely on a series of tours and matches to build momentum and combinations ahead of the World Cup.

“Yes, before that, we have our tours. In April, we will be touring Argentina and the USA. After that, we have the Nations Cup in New Zealand. I think these matches will help us build a strong combination within the team,” Navneet said.

“We will arrive in Amstelveen a few days in advance. It is good that we don’t have to stay in one place for too long and that we get to play plenty of matches leading up to the World Cup,” she concluded.