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NEW DELHI: Indian women hockey team on Saturday booked their tickets to the 2016 Rio Games , only their second qualifications ever for the Olympics. India's only previous qualification for the Games was in 1980, where they finished a commendable fourth.The fifth-place finish at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in July was enough for India to clinch the historic berth as a place opened up after Netherlands and England reached the final of the Euro Hockey Championships in London.The Indian women's team was waiting for the confirmation since July as they needed two of the already-qualified teams to reach the final of the European Championships for their qualification."India qualified after England defeated Spain in the semi-finals of the Unibet EuroHockey Championships in London, which ensured that the only teams who can now win the event have already qualified for Rio through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals – Netherlands and England (as Great Britain)," the FIH said on its website."The winner of the EuroHockey Championships will qualify for the 2016 Olympics as European continental champions, opening up a further qualification spot which India secure as the team who ranked highest at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals not already qualified," it added.India became the 10th team to qualify for the Rio Games after South Korea, Argentina, Great Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and USA.Hockey India applauded the historic achievement of the women's hockey team."It is a proud moment for Hockey India and the whole country. We have been waiting for this for the last 36 years and this achievement is the sweetest and the most memorable among all our previous feats in recent times," HI president Narinder Batra said in a release."I congratulate all the players and coaching staff who made this dream real and this achievement also shows their commitment toward their responsibilities. Hockey India thanks all the coaches who trained these players at their respective academies, parents, sponsors and the entire hockey fraternity, who continuously motivated the players and without their support, we could not have achieved this success. I am sure the girls will make us proud at the Olympics," he said.Hockey India secretary general Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said: "The Olympics qualification is indeed a great achievement for the Indian Women Team and the Indian hockey fraternity. The players and the Coaching Staff have done a commendable job and they are still training hard for the 2016 Olympic Games. Hockey India is doing its part and fulfilling all the requirements of the team."I congratulate the whole team and the people who have been working hard behind the scene to achieve this success. However, the job is still half done and the team now has to set a new aim of clinching the first Olympic medal," he said.Two more qualifications are available for the women's event at Rio Games and the lineup will be finalised after the two remaining continental championships - the Oceania Cup and the Africa Cup for Nations - to be held in November.(With inputs from agencies)