New Delhi: The India women’s national field hockey team will aim to continue their strong run and move closer to the title at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers when they face Italy in the semifinal on Friday.
India have already secured qualification for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026 after finishing at the top of Pool B with seven points from three matches. Scotland also ended with the same number of points but finished second due to India’s superior goal difference. The hosts recorded two wins and one draw during the group stage.
Italy, on the other hand, finished second in Pool A with four points after registering one win, one draw and one loss. While the Italians have shown resilience in the tournament, India will enter the semifinal with a slight advantage based on recent form and past results.
India will rely heavily on forward Navneet Kaur, who has been in impressive form and is currently among the tournament’s top scorers with four goals. She delivered a standout performance in the final pool stage match against Wales, scoring a hat trick that helped India finish the group phase on a high.
Italy’s main attacking threat will come from Federica Carta, who has scored three goals so far in the competition and remains a key player for her side.
Historically, India have enjoyed the upper hand in meetings between the two teams. Since 2012, the sides have faced each other seven times, with India winning five matches, Italy winning one and one encounter ending in a draw.
Head coach Sjoerd Marijne said securing a place in the upcoming World Cup was a significant milestone for the team but emphasised that their ambition goes beyond qualification. He said the players have shown discipline, composure and attacking intent throughout the tournament and will approach the semifinal with full focus.
The FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026 will be held alongside the men’s competition and jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
