Hyderabad to host women’s hockey World Cup qualifier in March 2026
The Indian women’s hockey team will have home advantage when it takes one final shot at qualifying for the 2026 World Cup next year, even as the side continues to be devoid of a chief coach.
The FIH on Thursday announced the dates and venues for the World Cup qualifiers, with India hosting one of the eight-team events in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14. The other women’s qualifier will be held in Santiago, Chile, which will also host one of the men’s events. The other men’s event qualifier will be in Ismailia, Egypt.
Besides India, the other teams in the fray include England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria, with India being the second-ranked team behind England.
The top three teams at each qualifier will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, along with the higher-ranked fourth-placed team across both events.
The Indian men have already qualified by virtue of winning the Asia Cup earlier this year.
Published on Dec 11, 2025