Archive · 15 Aug 2026
India Beat Wales 3-1 in Hockey World Cup Opener
India's men's hockey team played their first game of a big tournament called the Hockey World Cup.
They played against a team from Wales.
India won the match with a score of 3-1.
The captain, Harmanpreet Singh, scored two goals.
His teammate Sanjay scored the very first goal of the match.
A player named Sam Welsh scored the only goal for Wales.
The game was played at a stadium in Amstelveen, a town in the Netherlands.
The match took place on India's Independence Day, a special holiday for Indian people.
Lots of Indian fans came to cheer for the team, and some even traveled from the United States.
The fans hope India can win a medal in this tournament.
India opened their men's Hockey World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace from penalty corners in the 11th and 43rd minutes.
Sanjay gave India the early lead in the 8th minute, while Sam Welsh scored Wales' lone goal in the 56th minute.
Large numbers of Indian fans, including diaspora members and some who flew in from the United States, celebrated the Independence Day match.
Indian fan Pawan Agarwal said he is looking forward to India's match against Pakistan on August 19.
- Who
- India's men's hockey team, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, and the Wales hockey team.
- What
- India defeated Wales 3-1 in the opening match of the men's Hockey World Cup.
- When
- Saturday, India's Independence Day; the match was scheduled for 1 pm local time.
- Where
- Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.
- Why
- It was the start of India's Hockey World Cup campaign, and Indian fans gathered to show support amid high expectations following back-to-back Olympic medals.
- Final score
- India 3, Wales 1
- India's scorers
- Sanjay (8th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (11th and 43rd minutes, penalty corners)
- Wales' scorer
- Sam Welsh (56th minute)
- Venue
- Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen, Netherlands
- Competition
- Men's Hockey World Cup, opening match
- Match start time
- 1 pm local time (4:30 pm IST)
- Fans began arriving
- As early as 9 am local time (12:30 pm IST)
- Upcoming match mentioned
- India vs Pakistan on August 19