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India to Host Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad from March 8

The International Hockey Federation has announced the schedule for the 2026 Hockey World Cup qualifiers, with India set to host matches in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14. The Indian women's team will compete in Hyderabad against teams including Uruguay and Scotland for a coveted spot. Qualifying tournaments will also be held in Chile and Egypt, with seven teams per gender ultimately advancing. The final World Cup will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands in August 2026.

Key Points: Hockey WC Qualifiers Schedule: India Hosts Matches in Hyderabad

  • India hosts qualifiers in Hyderabad
  • Women's team faces Uruguay & Scotland
  • Seven teams per gender to qualify
  • Final World Cup in Belgium & Netherlands 2026
2 min read

Schedule for upcoming Hockey World Cup Qualifiers unveiled, India to host matches from March 8-14

FIH unveils schedule for 2026 Hockey World Cup qualifiers. India to host women's matches in Hyderabad from March 8-14 against Uruguay, Scotland.

"The Qualifiers represent the final stage of qualification for this year's FIH Hockey World Cup - FIH"

New Delhi, January 23

The schedule for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 qualifiers was unveiled, with India set to host matches in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14 and the Indian women's team being in action against Uruguay and Scotland, announced the International Hockey Federation.

The matches for the qualifiers will start from February 28 onwards and be played in Chile (February 28 to March 8, Santiago), Egypt (March 1 to 7, Ismailia), and India (March 8 to 14, Hyderabad), according to a statement from FIH issued on Thursday.

In Santiago, the women's World Cup qualifiers will feature Australia, Japan, Ireland, Chile, France, Canada, Malaysia, and Switzerland, while France, Ireland, Korea, Wales, Scotland, Canada, Poland, and Chile will battle for a spot in the men's marquee tournament.

Shifting focus to Hyderabad, where the women's World Cup qualifiers will take place, the teams eyeing spots in the World Cup would be England, India, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales and Austria.

Team India, which secured a silver medal in the women's Asia Cup held at home last year, will have to play the qualifiers as they could not win the tournament to achieve a direct qualification to the World Cup. China secured the direct spot in the women's WC, beating India 4-1 in the final.

Egypt will witness the host nation battling for a Men's Hockey World Cup spot with England, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Austria, China and the USA.

The Qualifiers represent the final stage of qualification for this year's FIH Hockey World Cup, which will be hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands (15-30 August 2026) for both men's and women's. Both men's and women's competitions will witness 16 teams each in action.

Seven teams per gender will qualify through these events, which promise to be among the highlights of the FIH calendar next year. The teams finishing first, second, and third in each tournament will secure their place at next year's FIH flagship event. The highest world-ranked team among those finishing in fourth place in each event will be the seventh team to qualify.

The teams qualifying through these tournaments will join an impressive line-up of 18 teams (nine per gender) that have already qualified, either through the FIH Hockey Pro League, the Continental Championships, or as hosts.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
A bit disappointed we have to go through qualifiers after that Asia Cup final loss to China. But it's a good chance for the team to prove their mettle. The schedule looks tough with England and Korea in the mix.
D
David E
Interesting to see the global spread of the qualifiers. The format seems fair, giving the fourth-placed team with the highest ranking a shot. Good luck to all teams, especially the Indian women in Hyderabad.
A
Ananya R
Hope they get good crowds in Hyderabad. We need to support our women's sports more. The silver in Asia Cup was a good result, but the World Cup is the big stage. Fingers crossed!
S
Siddharth J
The men's qualifiers in Egypt look intense with Pakistan and England. Kind of wish our men's team was also in action at home, but hosting the women's event is fantastic. Let's make it a successful tournament!
K
Kavya N
With all due respect to the team and management, losing the Asia Cup final 4-1 at home was a big letdown. The qualifiers are a second chance they must not waste. The preparation needs to be top-class now.

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