New Delhi, 13 May (H.S.): The Indian women's hockey team will tour Australia as part of preparations for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26. Hockey India made the announcement on Wednesday. The tour will be held from May 21 to June 3, 2026, while the Nations Cup is scheduled from June 15 to 21 in Auckland.

During the Australia tour, the Indian team will play four matches against Australia at Perth Hockey Stadium. These matches will be held on May 26, 27, 29, and 30. The first two matches will start at 5 PM Indian Standard Time, while the last two will begin at 11 AM.

After the Australia tour, the Indian team will proceed to New Zealand, where it will fine-tune preparations through practice matches ahead of the Nations Cup.

The Indian women's hockey team had earlier delivered a strong performance on its Argentina tour this year. The team secured two wins in a four-match series, showcasing robust play. Since returning from the tour, the players have been training continuously at the SAI Bengaluru national camp, working on their weaknesses with the international season in mind.

During this tour, special training will also be provided to the team's drag-flickers. With support from the Coca-Cola India Foundation 'Anandana', Dutch legend Taeke Taekema will deliver specialized drag-flick coaching to the players in Perth and Auckland from May 26 to June 21.

Indian women's hockey team head coach Janneke Schopman described the tour as extremely important. She said, “Thanks to Hockey India, this tour has become possible. These matches will give us an opportunity to understand both our shortcomings and areas of improvement. We saw what international standards look like during the Argentina tour. Now we will gauge how close we are to that level.”

She added, “This tour before reaching New Zealand will help the players adapt to conditions there. Breaking the long journey into segments will allow players to acclimatize quickly. New Zealand's weather is cool, and Perth's conditions are quite similar.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar