India's men and women advance to second phase at Hockey World Cups; tougher tests ahead
India's men's and women's hockey teams advanced to the second phase at the Hockey World Cups on August 21, 2026, after both sides finished second in their respective pools.
Progress out of the group stage proved hard-fought for both squads: the men opened with a win over Wales, suffered a heavy defeat to England and then secured a 5-3 victory over Pakistan to progress, while the women recorded draws with China and England and a 6-1 win over South Africa after Sjoerd Marijne returned with a new support staff and a younger core.
India's men's attack has relied heavily on set-piece efficiency, with captain Harmanpreet Singh contributing five goals overall and strong penalty-corner conversion noted; field goals were scarce in the opening two matches but Abhishek produced two field goals in the 5-3 win over Pakistan.
Defensive frailties have emerged for the men, who conceded eight goals in the pool stage largely from errors at the back; because India lost to England they will not carry any points into the second phase and must close the gap on Netherlands and England to reach the next round.
Opposition group form underlines the challenge: the Olympic champions Netherlands have scored 12 goals and conceded three, while Argentina finished second in Group A with 11 goals scored and four conceded, seven of those 11 coming in their final match against New Zealand.
The women's side showed balance in attack and resilience in goal — Savita and Bichu Devi made notable saves against England, the defence remained compact, and goals came from multiple players in the wins and draws. Marijne said: "The basics were dropping a little bit (vs England), and that's something we need to work on. If we can do that every quarter, yeah, we can match every team in the world. So I think that that is our next step."
In the second phase the women will meet the Netherlands and Australia; the Dutch have scored 15 goals and conceded two in the tournament, with Yibbi Jansen and Marijn Veen singled out as threats for India on Friday, while Australia have shown defensive vulnerability yet remain a formidable opponent. India enter the next round with one carried point after drawing with China.
Both Indian teams now face tougher opposition in a higher-stakes pool where results will determine semi-final qualification: the men must recover without any carried points, and the women begin with one point as they prepare to play Netherlands and Australia in the next stage.
