Indian Women’s Hockey Team Targets World Cup Spot in FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026

Hyderabad – The Indian women’s national field hockey team will look to secure a place in the **FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026** when they compete in the **FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026** starting Sunday in Hyderabad, Telangana.

The qualifying tournament will feature eight teams — India, England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria — battling for three available spots in the prestigious global event.

The top three teams at the end of the tournament will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The upcoming edition of the World Cup will include 16 teams in both the men’s and women’s categories, with nine teams in each section having already confirmed their participation.

In the qualifiers, the teams have been divided into two pools of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. The winners of both semifinals, along with the winner of the bronze medal match, will earn automatic qualification for the World Cup. Additionally, the highest-ranked team finishing fourth in Hyderabad will also secure a place in the tournament.

Pool A consists of England, Korea, Italy, and Austria, while Pool B features hosts India, Scotland, Uruguay, and Wales. As the final qualifying pathway to the World Cup, the tournament is expected to witness intense competition among leading hockey nations.

India will look to take advantage of playing on home turf and the support of local fans in Hyderabad. The team will also compete under the leadership of newly appointed chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, who returned to guide the side earlier this year.

Currently ranked ninth in the world, India are the second-highest ranked team in the competition after England, who occupy the seventh position globally. With a balanced squad and the benefit of home conditions, the hosts will aim to capitalize on the opportunity to book their place in the World Cup.

India will begin their campaign against Uruguay on March 8, followed by matches against Scotland on March 9 and Wales on March 11.

The Indian women’s team has participated in eight editions of the Women’s Hockey World Cup so far and is aiming to qualify for its ninth appearance. Their best result came in the inaugural tournament in 1974, when they finished fourth.

Ahead of the competition, India captain Salima Tete expressed confidence and excitement about playing at home.

“We are very excited to play the qualifiers in front of our home fans. The team has been preparing extremely hard because we understand how important this tournament is. Every team here is fighting for a World Cup spot, so we expect tough matches right from the start,” she said.

She added that playing in Hyderabad would be special for the team. “The support from the home crowd always motivates us. Our approach is to focus on one match at a time, remain disciplined, and give our best to ensure strong performances and secure qualification for the World Cup.”

— With inputs from IANS