2 weeks ago
India face China test in women's hockey World Cup opener
The Indian women's hockey team is getting ready to play in a very big tournament called the World Cup.
In their first game, they will play against China, one of the best hockey teams in the world.
China won a silver medal at the last Olympic Games in Paris.
The game will be played in the Netherlands, in a town called Amstelveen.
India's coach is from the Netherlands, and he says his team is full of confidence.
Many of India's players are new — eleven of them have never played in a World Cup before.
Their goalkeeper, Savita, is very experienced and has played in more than 300 international games.
India finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, and the players really want to win a medal this time.
China has beaten India recently, so the Indian team knows this will be a tough challenge.
A win would give India confidence for the rest of the tournament.
India, ranked ninth, open their Women's FIH Hockey World Cup campaign against second-ranked China, the Paris Olympic silver medallists, in Pool D.
The match will be played at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, and begins at 4:30pm IST.
Eleven members of India's squad are appearing in a World Cup for the first time, while goalkeeper Savita has 313 international appearances.
China beat India 4-1 in the 2025 Asia Cup in Hangzhou, while India won the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand to return to the Pro League.
India's best World Cup finish was fourth place at the inaugural 1974 edition, and the two sides meet again at next month's Asian Games.
- Who
- India's women's hockey team, coached by Sjoerd Marijne, and China's team, coached by Alison Annan
- What
- Opening Pool D match of the Women's FIH Hockey World Cup
- Where
- Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- When
- Sunday; match begins at 4:30pm IST
- Why
- India open their World Cup campaign in a demanding Pool D, and the two teams also meet again at next month's Asian Games.
Key facts
- Event
- Women's FIH Hockey World Cup
- Match
- India vs China — Pool D opener
- Venue
- Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- Start time
- 4:30pm IST
- World rankings
- India 9th; China 2nd
- India's best World Cup finish
- 4th place (1974, inaugural edition)
- India's 2022 finish
- 9th place
- Head coaches
- Sjoerd Marijne (India); Alison Annan (China)
Quotes
Savita
India goalkeeper with 313 international appearances
“The pain of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after coming so close still lingers. This time, we will not hesitate. We have high expectations from ourselves and want to finish on the podium.”
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Sjoerd Marijne
Dutch coach of the Indian women’s hockey team
“We see the World Cup as the next step after the FIH Nations Cup. This team is full of confidence and ready to face the challenges ahead.”
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