New Delhi, 20 July (H.S.): The journey of the Indian women’s hockey team to the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026, to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands, has been a story of resilience, determination and unwavering belief in their abilities.

After narrowly missing out on direct qualification through the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, the team secured its place in the World Cup through the home-based qualifiers and later went on to win the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand. These achievements reflect the team’s fighting spirit and consistent growth as they now head to the biggest stage of international hockey with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.

According to Hockey India, the prestigious tournament, jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, will be held from August 15 to 30. India has been placed in Pool D alongside China, England and South Africa. The Indian team will play all its pool matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, the Netherlands. India will begin its campaign against China on August 16, followed by matches against South Africa on August 18 and England on August 20.

During the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, India came very close to securing direct qualification for the World Cup. After an impressive run to the final, India lost to hosts China and missed out on automatic entry. Although the defeat was disappointing, it proved to be a crucial turning point as the team used the experience as motivation, strengthened its preparations and focused on earning another opportunity to achieve its World Cup dream.

In March 2026, India regrouped for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers held in Hyderabad. Under the guidance of head coach Sjoerd Marijne, the team remained unbeaten on home soil and secured qualification for the World Cup after defeating Italy 1-0 in a closely contested semi-final. Although England defeated India in the final, the silver medal ensured the team’s place in the prestigious FIH tournament.

The team’s biggest achievement came at the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand, where India remained unbeaten throughout the competition and lifted the title, securing its return to the FIH Pro League.

India began its Nations Cup campaign with an impressive comeback victory over the United States, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win 3-2. The team then defeated Japan and Uruguay to finish at the top of its group standings.

Led by captain Salima Tete, India defeated Chile 6-0 in the semi-final before beating New Zealand 2-0 in the final to claim the championship. Deepika emerged as one of the tournament’s leading performers, scoring six goals and finishing as a joint top scorer, highlighting India’s attacking strength ahead of the World Cup.

Over the past year, several players have achieved significant personal milestones. Navneet Kaur completed 200 international appearances during the Women’s Asia Cup 2025 and was later named the ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the World Cup Qualifiers. Defender Nikki Pradhan also reached the milestone of 200 international matches during the Hyderabad qualifiers, while captain Salima Tete played her 150th international match in the final against England.

With recent successes and a balanced squad comprising experienced campaigners and emerging talents, India will enter the Belgium and Netherlands-hosted World Cup with confidence, determination and the belief that they can challenge the best teams in the world.

As the countdown to the tournament enters its final phase, the Indian women’s hockey team will aim to transform its recent progress into a memorable campaign on the global stage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar