Hyderabad

With Sjoerd Marijne returning as head coach, the India women's national field hockey team will begin their campaign in the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 against Uruguay women's national field hockey team here on Sunday, aiming to secure a place in the global tournament.

The qualifiers feature eight teams — hosts India, England, Scotland, South Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales and Austria — competing for three direct qualification spots for the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2026.

The World Cup will be held jointly in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30 alongside the men’s tournament.

Marijne begins his second stint with the Indian side after guiding the team to a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. India are currently ranked ninth in the world and are the second-highest ranked team in the tournament after England, who are seventh.

India captain Salima Tete said the team is eager to perform well in front of home fans.

“We are really excited to play the qualifiers at home in front of our fans. The team has been preparing very hard for this tournament because we know what is at stake. Every team here is competing for a place in the World Cup, so we expect tough matches from the start,” she said.

On paper, India are favourites against Uruguay. After the opening match, they will face Scotland women's national field hockey team on March 9 and Wales women's national field hockey team on March 11 in Pool B.

In other opening-day matches, England women's national field hockey team will take on Italy women's national field hockey team, while South Korea women's national field hockey team face Austria women's national field hockey team, and Scotland meet Wales.

The eight teams are split into two pools. Pool A comprises England, South Korea, Italy and Austria, while Pool B includes India, Scotland, Uruguay and Wales.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals and the bronze medal match will secure direct qualification for the World Cup. Additionally, the highest-ranked team finishing fourth will also earn a place in the tournament.

The upcoming World Cup will feature 16 teams each in the men’s and women’s competitions, with nine teams already qualified.

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India have participated in eight editions of the Women’s World Cup so far and are aiming for their ninth appearance. Their best performance came in the inaugural tournament in 1974, where they finished fourth.