New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) The Indian Women’s Team’s path to the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 has been marked by resilience, determination, and strong self-belief. After narrowly missing direct qualification at the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, they secured their spot in the World Cup through qualifiers held at home and later won the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand. These achievements highlight the team’s resilience and steady growth as they prepare to compete on the world’s biggest stage with confidence and momentum.
The flagship event, co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, is scheduled from 15 to 30 August 2026. India, in Pool D, will compete against China, England, and South Africa during the group stage. All pool matches will be played at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. India will start its campaign against China on 16 August, then face South Africa on 18 August, and England on 20 August.
India narrowly missed securing direct qualification for the Asia Cup 2025. Despite a strong performance leading to the final, India lost to the host nation China, which cost them the automatic World Cup spot.
Although the defeat was a setback, it served as a pivotal moment, motivating the squad to improve its preparations and concentrate on seizing the next opportunity to pursue their World Cup dreams.
The team reconvened at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad in March 2026. Playing before a home crowd under Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne, India stayed unbeaten throughout the qualifiers and advanced to the final, securing their spot in the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Italy in the semi-final. Although England defeated India in the final, earning the silver medal, the team’s strong performance during the campaign ensured qualification for the prestigious FIH event.
Navneet Kaur, an experienced forward, was among India’s top performers in the qualifiers, scoring four goals, including a hat-trick against Wales, and earning the title of ‘Player of the Tournament’.
Last month at the Nations Cup in New Zealand, the team made a major statement by remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, winning the title and earning a promotion back to the FIH Pro League.
India started the tournament with an energetic 3-2 comeback win against the United States, coming back from two goals down, and then secured wins over Japan and Uruguay to lead the group.
The team led by Salima Tete secured a decisive 6-0 victory over Chile in the semi-final and then defeated New Zealand 2-0 in the final. Drag-flicker Deepika scored six goals, making her the joint top scorer of the tournament, highlighting India’s strong attacking options heading into the World Cup.
The past year has seen several notable individual milestones within the squad. Navneet Kaur earned her 200th international cap during the Women’s Asia Cup 2025 and was later named ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the World Cup Qualifiers. Defender Nikki Pradhan also reached 200 international appearances during the qualifiers in Hyderabad, while captain Salima marked her 150th cap in the final against England.
With recent success and a squad combining experience and youth, India will travel to Belgium and the Netherlands filled with confidence, momentum, and belief in their ability to challenge top teams. As the World Cup approaches its final stages, the team’s goal is to turn their recent improvements into a standout performance on the international stage.
–IANS
