India edged out 2-0 by hosts Netherlands at Women's Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen
India lost 2-0 to the Netherlands at the Wagener Stadion in Amstelveen in the second round of the Women’s Hockey World Cup on August 22, 2026, with Yibbi Jansen opening the scoring after 83 seconds and Frederique Matla adding a 37th-minute penalty corner.
The match was played before a large orange crowd as the hosts wore their away kit after India unveiled new colours that altered the expected visual of the fixture; the win sent the three-time defending champion Netherlands into the semifinals while India sits fourth in the standings.
Jansen, described in the report as a lethal drag-flicker, struck inside the second minute for her seventh goal of the tournament to give the Netherlands an immediate lead that forced India to chase the game from the outset.
India found it difficult to escape its own half under the Netherlands’ full-court press, with passes breaking down and solo runs ending in cul-de-sacs; the Dutch won further penalty corners, one of which Bichu Devi blocked and another which struck the post.
India produced moments of attacking promise as neat passing sequences lifted confidence, but Salima Tete shot over, Navneet Kaur flashed wide and Deepika’s two penalty-corner chances were repelled by the Netherlands’ defence.
After the interval Sunelita Toppo led a counter that resulted in a tame effort saved by goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal, and shortly afterwards Matla beat Ishika Chaudhary on the line with a drag-flick from a 37th-minute penalty corner to double the advantage.
Exhaustion affected Sjoerd Marijne’s side late on as unforced errors mounted; Freeke Moes forced Savita Punia into a close-range stop and a subsequent Moes rebound hit the post. The mood at the final hooter was not described as despair by the Indian team despite suffering their first loss of the campaign.
The Netherlands’ victory confirmed their progression to the semifinals while India remained fourth in the group; a 1-1 draw earlier between Australia and China left the door open for India to still challenge for a semifinal berth.
