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Indian Women's Hockey Team to Compete in FIH Nations Cup 2025-26

The International Hockey Federation has announced the hosts and schedule for the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Nations Cup. The women's event will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from June 15-21, 2026, featuring India, who were relegated from the Pro League. The men's tournament will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa from June 11-20, 2026. The Nations Cup offers the winning team a chance to be promoted to the prestigious FIH Hockey Pro League for the following season.

Key Points: India in FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2025-26: Schedule, Teams

  • India women's team to compete in Auckland
  • Event runs June 15-21, 2026
  • Winner earns Pro League promotion
  • South Africa hosts men's event
  • Features 8 top nations per tournament
2 min read

Indian women's team to feature in FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2025-26 in June

India's women's hockey team will feature in the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand in June 2026, aiming for promotion back to the Pro League.

"I'm excited for the thrilling matches... as some of the world's top men's and women's teams showcase their talent. - Tayyab Ikram"

New Delhi, March 16

The International Hockey Federation on Monday announced that New Zealand and South Africa will host the fourth edition of the women's and men's FIH Hockey Nations Cup, with the winners being offered the opportunity to join the 2026-27 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

The city of Cape Town, South Africa, will host the men's event which will involve some of the best teams in the world: South Africa, New Zealand, France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Malaysia, along with Scotland-who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and Ireland - who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Following the confirmation of the hosts for the fourth edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, FIH president Tayyab Ikram said, "On behalf of FIH, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Hockey Associations of New Zealand and South Africa. We are delighted to have two outstanding host nations and cities for these remarkable tournaments. I'm excited for the thrilling matches and the fantastic atmosphere that will unfold across two continents, as some of the world's top men's and women's teams showcase their talent for hockey fans around the globe."

The 2025-26 edition of the FIH Hockey Men's Nations Cup will run from June 11 to 20, 2026, and will mark the return of the competition to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural edition of the men's competition in Potchefstroom in 2022.

The women's event will take place in Auckland, New Zealand from June 15 to 21, 2026. The impressive line-up for the competition includes includes hosts New Zealand, USA, Japan, Korea, Chile, Scotland, along with France - who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and India - who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League in the following season.

India, Spain and New Zealand have won the first three editions of the women's competition thus far. On the men's side, South Africa won the inaugural edition, followed by back-to-back successes for the New Zealand men's team.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good opportunity, but being relegated from the Pro League is a setback. The federation needs to ensure better long-term planning and exposure for the team. We have the talent, but need consistent top-level competition.
A
Ananya R
Exciting news! Auckland in June will be beautiful. Hope our team gets good acclimatization time. The lineup looks competitive with USA, Korea, and Japan. All the best, girls! Bring the cup home.
D
David E
Interesting format. It's good for the sport to have this second-tier competition with promotion/relegation. Makes every match meaningful. Hope the Indian women can bounce back strong.
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Siddharth J
We've won this tournament before (2022 I think?), so we know how to do it. This is the perfect chance to show our character and fight our way back up. The team spirit under the new coach looks positive.
K
Kavya N
Will the matches be broadcast on TV or streaming? Hockey India should ensure good coverage. Our women's team deserves the support and visibility. More fans will tune in if it's easily accessible.

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