Indian women's hockey team will return to the Olympics after a long gap of 36 years as it qualified on Saturday for 2016 Rio games, courtesy England making it to the final of the ongoing EuroHockey Championships in London. Source: FRANK UIJLENBROEK/hockeyindia.org

England's semi-final victory over Spain, coming after the Netherlands' win over Germany in the other semi-final in the European Championships freed one quota place as both the finalists have already qualified for the Olympic Games. India took the quota place on the basis of its fifth-place finish in the women's Hockey World League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium last month.


 Source: KOEN SUYK/hockeyindia.org

International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed that Indian women's team has qualified for the Rio games.

"India qualified after England defeated Spain in the semi-finals of the Unibet EuroHockey Championships in London, which ensured that the only teams — The Netherlands and England (as Great Britain) — who can now win the event have already qualified for Rio through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals," the FIH said in a statement.

Indian women hockey team player vie for the ball during Pool B match of the World League Semi Final against New Zealand in Antwerp | Source: PTI