Vandana Katariya is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a forward for the India women's national team. Known for her speed, finishing ability and experience as one of the senior-most strikers in Indian women's hockey, she has represented India at multiple Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cups.
Key Facts
| Full name | Vandana Katariya |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 April 1992 |
| Birthplace | Roshnabad, Haridwar district, Uttarakhand, India |
| Sport | Field hockey |
| Position | Forward |
| National team | India |
| Honours | Arjuna Award (2021), Padma Shri (2022) |
Background
Vandana Katariya was born on 15 April 1992 in Roshnabad, a village near Haridwar in Uttarakhand. She took up hockey at a young age, training at local academies in the Haridwar–Roorkee region before moving up through age-group teams. She later trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Lucknow, which has produced several India internationals.
Career
Junior career
Katariya made an early impression at junior level and was part of India's squads in age-group international tournaments. She was a key member of the Indian team at the FIH Women's Junior World Cup, where she was among the leading goal-scorers, helping India to a bronze medal at the 2013 edition held in Mönchengladbach, Germany.
Senior international career
She has been a regular member of the senior India squad for over a decade, featuring in major events including:
- Olympic Games – Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020
- FIH Women's Hockey World Cup appearances
- Commonwealth Games, including Glasgow 2014, Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022
- Asian Games and Asia Cup tournaments
- FIH Pro League fixtures
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Katariya scored a hat-trick against South Africa in the pool stage, becoming the first Indian woman to score a hat-trick at the Olympic Games. India reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history before finishing fourth, with Katariya playing a central role in attack.
Commonwealth Games 2022
She was part of the Indian squad that won the bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, defeating New Zealand in the bronze medal match.
Asian Games 2022
Katariya featured in India's bronze medal-winning campaign at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023.
Honours and awards
- Arjuna Award (2021) – for outstanding performance in sports
- Padma Shri (2022) – India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in the sports category
- Bronze medal, FIH Women's Junior World Cup, 2013
- Bronze medal, Commonwealth Games, 2022
- Bronze medal, Asian Games, 2022
Significance
Katariya is regarded as one of the most prolific forwards in Indian women's hockey history and among the leading goal-scorers for the national team. Her hat-trick at the Tokyo Olympics is considered a landmark moment in Indian women's hockey. Coming from a modest background in Uttarakhand, her career has also been cited as an example of the broadening base of women's hockey beyond traditional centres such as Haryana and Punjab.