India to meet China in Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup Pool D opener at Wagener Stadium
India face China in their opening Pool D match at the Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands today, with the game scheduled to start at 4:30pm IST. The encounter pairs ninth-ranked India against world No. 2 China.
India are drawn with China, England and South Africa in Pool D and will contest the tournament under a new format. China enter the match as favourites on paper after beating India 4-1 at the 2025 Asia Cup in Hangzhou and then claiming the continental title; they also won silver at the Paris Olympics and finished fourth in the last two Pro League seasons. The Chinese side is coached by Alison Annan, described in team materials as a six-time FIH Coach of the Year who previously guided the Netherlands to World Cup and Olympic gold.
Sjoerd Marijne has bolstered India’s support structure ahead of the World Cup, bringing in Wayne Lombard as head scientific advisor and athletic performance specialist, Matias Vila for analysis and Taeke Taekema for specialist drag-flick work, with Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila adding sports-science expertise. The setup has placed emphasis on physical preparation, tactical analysis and overall performance, and the squad has trained at the Wagener Stadium in the heat and played a practice match against hosts and defending champions the Netherlands.
India’s recent form includes winning the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand to return to the Pro League. Drag-flicker Deepika finished that tournament with six goals after recovering from injury, while Navneet scored six goals in the Asia Cup campaign and four at the World Cup qualifiers and was named Player of the Tournament. Marijne said: “We see the World Cup as the next step after the FIH Nations Cup. This team is full of confidence and ready to face the challenges ahead.”
Eleven members of the Indian squad will make their World Cup debuts, but the team contains substantial experience: goalkeeper Savita has 313 international appearances, will be playing in her third World Cup and has also featured at two Olympics and three Asian Games; defender Sushila Chanu has 262 caps; Navneet Kaur, Nikki Pradhan and Neha Goyal have all crossed the 200-match mark. Savita said: “The pain of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after coming so close still lingers. This time, we will not hesitate.”
India will begin the tournament as underdogs on paper given China’s recent consistency, and will need to break down a side noted for defensive organisation and quality. The Indian attack’s ability to create and convert opportunities, particularly from set pieces, is likely to be decisive if the match is tight.
A positive result would provide valuable points in a competitive Pool D and an early confidence boost ahead of the teams’ scheduled meeting at next month’s Asian Games; the World Cup also represents an opportunity for India to improve on their ninth-place finish from 2022, their best World Cup result being fourth at the inaugural edition in 1974 when an Ajinder Kaur-led India finished fourth.