India eye women''s hockey WC berth under returning coach Marijne

Hyderabad, Mar 7 (PTI) Under a new but familiar coach in Sjoerd Marijne, India will aim to secure a coveted berth at the upcoming FIH Women's Hockey World Cup when they open their campaign against Uruguay in the Qualifiers here on Sunday.

The tournament will feature eight teams -- hosts India, England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales and Austria -- competing for three coveted qualification spots for the global showpiece.

At stake will be three direct World Cup berths, with the teams finishing first, second and third in the tournament earning direct qualification for the 2026 edition to be hosted jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30 alongside the men's event.

It will be Marijne's first assignment back as head coach, as the Dutchman returns for the second time since leaving the position after the team's historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

India are currently ranked ninth in the world and are the second-highest ranked team in the tournament behind England, who are ranked seventh globally.

"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," India captain Salima Tete said.

Going by world rankings, India start as favourites against Uruguay and if not for a bad day in office, they are certain to win.

After Uruguay, India will take on Scotland and Wales on March 9 and 11 respectively.

Meanwhile in other matches of the day, England will play Italy, Korea will be up against Austria and Scotland against Wales.

In the qualifiers, the teams are divided into two pools, with England, Korea, Italy, and Austria in Pool A, while hosts India, Scotland, Uruguay, and Wales form Pool B.

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

The upcoming World Cup will feature 16 teams in both the men's and women's competitions, with nine teams in each category already having secured qualification.

India have played in eight editions of the Women's World Cup so far and are targeting their ninth appearance. Their best finish came in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1974, when they finished fourth. PTI SSC SSC ATK