Auckland, June 14: With goals firmly set on returning to the elite FIH Pro League next season, the Indian women’s hockey team is determined to make a positive start to its campaign in the FIH Nations Cup against a tricky USA here on Monday.
The India women’s team was relegated from the elite FIH Pro League to the second-tier Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup, following its last-place finish in the 2024â?”25 season, where it managed only 10 points from 16 matches.
The winner of the eight-nation FIH Nations Cup will be promoted to the Pro League next year.
Captained by Salima Tete, India will open their Pool A campaign against the United States before facing Japan on June 16 and Uruguay on June 18.
Pool B includes hosts New Zealand, Chile, Korea and France.
India will look to make a strong start in the pool stage and build momentum heading into the knockout rounds, scheduled to take place on June 20 and 21.
Going by world rankings, India will head into the match as favourites. India are placed ninth in the FIH rankings as against USA’s 12th place.
The tournament also offers valuable international exposure against quality opposition as the Indian team continues its preparations for major events this year, including the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup and the Asian Games.
Notably, India head into the tournament on the back of a competitive four-match tour of Australia, where they showcased impressive character against one of the world’s strongest teams on their home turf.
After suffering a narrow defeat in the opening encounter, the Indian side bounced back in emphatic fashion to register victories in the next two matches before Australia won the final game, resulting in the friendly series ending in a 2-2 draw.
The tour offered several encouraging signs for the Indian camp, with the team demonstrating resilience under pressure, tactical discipline across all phases of play and a potent attacking threat. (PTI)
