Hyderabad to host FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers from March 8

Hyderabad will host the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers from March 8 to 14 at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Complex. Eight teams, including hosts India, will compete for seven remaining berths for the 2026 World Cup.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad will host FIH Women’s World Cup hockey qualifiers from March 8 to 14 at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Complex here featuring eight teams England, Scotland, South Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, Austria besides hosts India.

The qualifiers represent the final stage of qualification for the 2026 FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup. These tournaments determine which teams earn the remaining spots at the World Cup after direct qualifiers (host nations, Pro League winners, and continental champions) have already secured their berths.

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The top three teams from each qualifier tournament automatically qualify for the World Cup.

The highest world-ranked fourth-place team between the two tournaments also qualifies. It is informed that there will be a total seven qualifiers, three from Hyderabad, three from Santiago and one highest-ranked fourth placed team.

India will feature in the tournament in a last attempt to qualify for the global tournament after missing direct qualification. This represents a crucial opportunity for the Indian women’s hockey team to secure their place at the World Cup on home soil, which provides a significant home advantage.

The eight teams will be divided into two pools of four teams each

In the round-robin group stage with the top two teams from each advancing to the semifinal knock-out phase.

Incidentally, it will be the first time Telangana is hosting FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers event, making it a historic milestone for the state’s sporting journey.