Indian women’s hockey team leaves for Europe ahead of FIH World Cup 2026

The Indian women’s hockey team departed for Europe to begin its final preparations for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. The squad will play two practice matches against Germany before moving to the Netherlands ahead of its tournament opener against China on August 16.

Hyderabad: The Indian women’s hockey team departed for Europe early Wednesday morning, beginning its journey to the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, scheduled to be held from August 15 to 30.

The team travelled from Bengaluru to Mumbai before boarding its onward flight to Frankfurt, Germany, where it will undergo the final phase of preparations ahead of the showpiece FIH event. During its stay in
Frankfurt, the Indian team will play two practice matches against Germany on July 31 and August 1 to fine-tune combinations and adapt to European conditions.

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Following the training camp, the team will depart for Amsterdam on August 2 to continue its World Cup preparations in the Netherlands.

India will begin its campaign against China on 16 August, followed by matches against South Africa and England in Pool D.

Ahead of the team’s departure, captain Salima Tete expressed confidence in the team’s preparations and said, “The entire squad is looking forward to the challenge ahead. We’ve had a good training block, and now it’s about carrying that momentum into the practice matches and then the World Cup. Facing China in our opening game will be an important test, and we want to start the tournament on a
positive note. As a team, we are determined to give our best and make the country proud.”

With months of preparation and valuable training coming up in Germany, including two practice matches against the hosts, the team is eager to start well.