New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): After confirming their qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, the Indian ladies’s hockey staff is making ready for the marquee occasion following the match draw revealed on Tuesday night.
India have been positioned in Pool D alongside England, China, and South Africa for the upcoming match, which is scheduled to happen in August this yr. China are the top-ranked staff within the group, at present ranked world quantity 4. India’s current opponents within the finals and winners of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, Hyderabad, Telangana – England, are ranked sixth, with India and South Africa ranked ninth and nineteenth, respectively.
With vastly totally different types of play, the group will pose an thrilling problem for the Indian squad. Mindful of the strict exams forward, the staff’s Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne is assured that his staff can persistently categorical their type of hockey.
‘This is a really aggressive and balanced pool. There are groups like England and China that carry totally different types and quite a lot of expertise, whereas South Africa ladies’s nationwide discipline hockey staff is at all times unpredictable and harmful on their day,’ Marijne mentioned as quoted by a Hockey India press launch.
‘However, for us, it’s not concerning the draw – It is about how we present up. At a World Cup, each match calls for your finest. We respect all opponents, however our focus is on taking part in our type of hockey with consistency and braveness’, he added.
India clinched second place within the not too long ago concluded FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana, falling quick towards England within the closing. Despite the ultimate hurdle, there have been loads of positives for the staff. They completed the match because the second-highest purpose scorers (11 objectives), with six of these coming from penalty corners.
Reflecting on the match, Marijne inspired the staff to consistently look to enhance and discover consistency, with emphasis on being extra scientific on each ends of the sphere. He mentioned, ‘We have accomplished effectively going ahead, however an important factor for us is to concentrate on changing our possibilities into objectives – whether or not it’s from discipline objectives or from penalty corners. Besides this we, we additionally need to proceed engaged on our buildings defensively.’
Having guided the staff to a fourth-place end on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Marijne returned to steer the aspect in January this yr. Elaborating on his imaginative and prescient for the squad, he acknowledged, ‘We are constructing one thing long-term. We wish to construct a staff that’s resilient, adaptable, and fearless. Qualifying was the step, however we’re aiming for way more. The first steps have been made in the appropriate path, however there’s way more to go if we wish to achieve success.’
Looking ahead to the staff’s match whereas highlighting the preparation, Marijne concluded, ‘We have a tour to the USA and Argentina, the Nations Cup in New Zealand, and follow matches in Germany. We may also play some matches within the Netherlands. These scheduled video games mixed with our camps set us up for an excellent mixture of matches and coaching to be prepared for the World Cup and Asian Games.’ (ANI)