India women’s hockey team finished as the runner-up in the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 after losing the final 2-0 against England women’s hockey team.
Even though India lost the final, the team had already secured their spot in the upcoming FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup earlier in the tournament, which is a big positive for the team.
The match started with a lot of excitement and hype from both teams. In the early minutes of the game, Navneet Kaur won the first penalty corner for India. It was a big chance to take an early lead, but the Indian team could not convert the opportunity.
Missing that chance proved costly because England quickly responded. In the 13th minute, Grace Balsdon converted a penalty corner to give England the lead.
England went ahead 1-0 and held that advantage going into the halftime break.
India’s Fightback in the Second Half
In the second half, India tried to bounce back and played with more attacking intent. The crowd in Hyderabad was expecting a strong response from the Indian team.
During the later stages of the third quarter, England looked to double their lead after another attacking move. However, India immediately went for a review.
The replay showed that the shot was taken from outside the D, and there was some confusion around the decision. Eventually, the goal was allowed and England extended their lead to 2-0.
India Push Hard But No Goal
In hockey, a two-goal lead can still be broken if a team attacks well. With this mindset, India pushed forward and even removed the goalkeeper to add an extra field player in the final quarter.
The team kept trying to create chances, but they could not score a goal in the fourth and final quarter.
In the end, England won the final 2-0 and India finished as runner-up in the tournament.
Positives for Team India
Despite the loss in the final, there were several positives for India. The team played a very good tournament overall and managed to qualify for the World Cup.
This tournament was also important because it was the first competition for the Indian women’s team after the return of head coach Sjoerd Marijne. Considering that, it can be seen as a good start for the team under his leadership.
Navneet Kaur also had a great tournament and was named the Player of the Tournament after scoring four goals.
Eyes on the World Cup
Now the focus for Team India will shift towards the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026. The team has shown good potential in this tournament, and the next target will be to prepare well and perform strongly on the world stage.
Even though the final did not go India’s way, the journey to the World Cup continues.
