India take on Uruguay in the first of three group stage matches as they seek to qualify for the 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup. You can follow all the action live right here (which will appear right after a short preview here):
Sjoerd Marijne returns as head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team after their spectacular failure to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games led to a drop in their stocks over the past couple of years. That has also seen them miss the direct bus to the 2026 World Cup and that is Marijne’s first task: to get India back on the global elite stage.
Going by rankings and pedigree, it should be a fairly straightforward ask, but if we know one thing about sport it’s that theory can turn meaningless once everyone takes to the field. A good start against Uruguay, then, is of paramount importance to the team. After this come Scotland and Wales and they should be looking to carry good momentum into those matches.
India have a squad mixed with experience and youth, and with the likes of the legendary Savita Punia missing along with the likes of Deepika and Sangita Kumari it will be upto captain Salima Tete and veteran forward Navneet Kaur to lead the charge.
Can they do it against Uruguay? We’ll find out soon.
