Salima Tete Wiki, Age, Height, Net Worth 2026

Salima Tete is an Indian field hockey player and the captain of the Indian women’s national team. A midfielder known for her pace and tireless work rate, she has risen from a farming family in Jharkhand’s Simdega district to become the face of Indian women’s hockey. On 2 October 2026, she led India to a 1-0 victory over defending champions China in the final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan — the country’s first Asian Games gold in women’s hockey in 44 years, a triumph that also secured India’s direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, per NDTV and PTI reports.

Early Life

Tete was born in December 2001 in Badki Chapar (also spelled Barkichhapar) village in Simdega district, Jharkhand, a region long regarded as a nursery of Indian hockey. Her father Sulakshan Tete and mother Subhani Tete are farmers; her father also played hockey at the local level and passed his love of the game to his daughter, per middtimes.com and other reports. She grew up where hockey was played barefoot on rough village fields, was trained by a local coach while studying at S. S. Girls High School in Simdega, and counts national-level hockey player Mahima Tete among her siblings, per wikibio.in.

Her talent surfaced early. She moved through Jharkhand’s junior hockey structure and into the national setup, earning a reputation as an energetic midfielder with leadership instincts. In 2018, at just 16, she captained the Indian side at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, guiding the team to a silver medal in the Hockey5s format, per femaleinsports.com. Hockey India records her senior debut in November 2016, in Test matches against Australia in Melbourne; several profiles date her senior debut to a 2017 fixture against Belarus. By 19, she was an Olympian.

Career

Tete’s senior career has tracked the rise of India’s women’s hockey programme through its most successful era. She was part of the squad that finished a historic fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and captained India at the FIH Junior World Cup 2021 in Potchefstroom, where the team finished fourth, per Hockey India. Her senior medal record kept growing: silver at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, bronze at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, bronze at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham (scoring in the bronze play-off against New Zealand), gold at the FIH Nations Cup 2022 in Spain, and gold at the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023 and 2024, per her Hockey India profile.

In May 2023 she was formally named captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, and her influence grew through 2026. That year brought a silver at the Asia Cup in Hangzhou and a fifth-place finish at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup — India’s best World Cup result in 52 years — before the squad turned to the Asian Games, per ANI reports. Coach Sjoerd Marijne, the Dutchman who returned as chief coach in January 2026, drilled the side on fitness and chemistry for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, per a Hockey India press release. In March 2026, Tete completed her 150th international appearance, per an ANI report.

The Asian Games final, on 2 October 2026 at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, became the defining match of her career. Facing China — the defending champions and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallists — India struck early through Lalremsiami’s 10th-minute backhand finish, on her landmark 200th international appearance, per NDTV. What followed was a defensive siege: Savita Punia saved a penalty stroke in the second quarter, China won a string of penalty corners in the third, and in the closing stages withdrew their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player — but India held on for 1-0, per NDTV. Tete briefly left the field with a hand injury before returning, per IANS. The gold ended a 44-year wait dating to New Delhi 1982 — the only previous Asian Games gold for the Indian women — and sealed direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, per Rediff and PTI.

Personal Life

Tete keeps her private life low-profile, with her public identity centred almost entirely on hockey. She is unmarried, per profile listings, and remains closely tied to her family in Simdega. Away from the pitch she is employed by the South Eastern Railway — in October 2026, days after the Asian Games triumph, she was felicitated at SER’s Kolkata headquarters alongside fellow Jharkhand players Nikki Pradhan and Deepika Soreng, all three of whom work for the railway, per IANS. Her story — a farmer’s daughter from a remote Jharkhand village who captained her country to continental gold — has made her one of the most written-about Indian sportswomen of 2026, alongside fellow Games stars such as boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won Asian Games boxing gold on the very same day, and distance runner Gulveer Singh, who left Aichi-Nagoya with three medals.

Salima Tete Net Worth 2026

Salima Tete’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no credible published estimate exists. Her income streams are those typical of an elite Indian athlete: SAI and federation stipends, her employment with the South Eastern Railway, and central and state government cash awards for international medals. Any specific rupee figure attached to her name online should be treated as speculation.

FAQ

Who is Salima Tete?

Salima Tete is a 24-year-old Indian field hockey midfielder from Jharkhand and the captain of the Indian women’s national team. On 2 October 2026 she led India to the women’s hockey gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, beating China 1-0 — India’s first Asian Games gold in women’s hockey in 44 years.

What is Salima Tete’s age?

She was born in December 2001 — Hockey India lists 27 December; some sources cite 26 December — which makes her 24 as of October 2026.

What is Salima Tete’s height?

Profile listings put her height at approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm); no official measurement has been published by hockey authorities.

Where is Salima Tete from?

She is from Badki Chapar village in Simdega district, Jharkhand. Her parents Sulakshan and Subhani Tete are farmers, and her father played hockey at the local level.

Is Salima Tete married?

No. Profile listings record her as unmarried; she keeps her personal life private and focuses public attention on her hockey career.

Who coached India to the Asian Games 2026 hockey gold?

The team was coached by Sjoerd Marijne, the Dutch coach who returned as chief coach of the Indian women’s team in January 2026, per Hockey India.