Aug 29 (NDTV): India women's team confirmed its place in the 12-team hockey event at 2016 Rio Olympics following Spain's loss to England in semi-final at EuroHockey Championships 2015 on Friday. India's only previous qualification for the Olympics was in 1980, where they finished fourth.

India women join the nine teams already qualified for Rio 2016 - Korea as Asian Games champions, Argentina as Pan Am Games champions and Great Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the USA through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals.

India required two of the already qualified teams to reach the final of the European Championships in order to confirm their qualification.

"India qualified after England defeated Spain in the semi-finals of the 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)," an International Hockey Federation release said.

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.

The remaining two Olympic places (women) will not be finalised until after the Continental Championships, the Oceania Cup and the Africa Cup for Nations, which finish in November this year.