A fifth place may not carry the sheen of a medal. But India has returned from the Women’s Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium with something almost as significant: Proof that the team is among the game’s best again. The team’s best finish since 1974 came after a disastrous four-year stretch in which the promise of fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics gave way to missed opportunities and poor results. The team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, lost its Pro League status and was beaten by China in the Asia Cup final last year. Against that backdrop, holding China, England and Australia, losing only once in six matches and then beating world No. 5 Germany 3-1 marks a remarkable turnaround.

In three weeks, India will travel to Japan for the Asian Games with a legitimate shot at their first-ever gold. China remain the team to beat, but the World Cup showed that the gap between the two isn’t insurmountable. India matched them in their group-stage draw and, with a defence that stood firm against some of the world’s strongest attacks and a young generation gaining confidence, the team has every reason to believe it can overturn last year’s Asia Cup disappointment.

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Hockey India cannot, however, afford to treat this as a feel-good moment. Reports that the Women’s Hockey India League could be in trouble are particularly alarming, with captain Savita Punia publicly urging authorities to ensure its continuation. The women have now shown twice — first at the Tokyo Olympics and now again at the World Cup — that they can go toe-to-toe with the best. The task now is to ensure that support grows.