Sports
India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams qualify for 2026 World Cup
Both teams will use the Belgium and Netherlands tournament as a build-up to Asian Games
MUMBAI: India’s hockey hopes are on the move, with both teams taking the field. The Indian men’s and women’s national hockey teams will compete at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, being held in Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August, with both squads looking to turn the global contest into an important step towards the next Olympic cycle.
India is the only South Asian nation to have both its men’s and women’s teams competing at this year’s World Cup, giving the tournament added significance for the country’s hockey programme.
Beyond the World Cup itself, the tournament forms part of a wider high-performance build-up towards the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games and, subsequently, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Asian Games will be particularly important on the road ahead. Competing against the world’s leading teams in Europe gives both Indian squads an opportunity to sharpen their tactical, physical and mental preparation in a high-pressure environment before the continental multi-sport event.
Indian Olympic Association president Dr P.T. Usha congratulated both teams and said the experience of competing at a tournament of the World Cup’s stature would be valuable as India looks towards the Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics.
She added that the Asian Games would provide another major test for the teams as they continue building towards India’s Olympic ambitions.
Hockey India president Dr Dilip Kumar Tirkey said the participation of both teams reflected the work put in by the players, coaches and support staff. He added that preparations had been focused on developing a strong tactical approach while ensuring the squads were ready to compete against the world’s best.
For Indian hockey, therefore, the World Cup is about more than the next 15 days of competition. The experience in Belgium and the Netherlands will feed into preparations for Aichi-Nagoya 2026, while also forming part of the longer journey towards Los Angeles 2028.
With both teams on the world stage, India’s hockey campaign now has two targets in sight competing today and building for what comes next.
