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.
| 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) |
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.
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.
She has been a regular member of the senior India squad for over a decade, featuring in major events including:
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.
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.
Katariya featured in India's bronze medal-winning campaign at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023.
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.