Indian Women's Hockey Team Leaves For Europe Ahead Of FIH World Cup 2026 Preparations

New Delhi, July 29: The Indian women’s hockey team departed for Europe early Wednesday morning to begin its final preparations for the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, scheduled from August 15 to 30.

The team travelled from Bengaluru to Mumbai before flying to Frankfurt, Germany, where it will undergo a preparatory camp ahead of the prestigious tournament.

During its stay in Frankfurt, the Indian team will play two practice matches against hosts Germany on July 31 and August 1.

The matches will help the team fine-tune combinations, assess its preparations and adapt to European playing conditions before the World Cup.

After completing the training camp, the team will travel to Amsterdam on August 2 to continue its preparations in the Netherlands.

India has been placed in Pool D and will open its World Cup campaign against China on August 16.

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The team will later face South Africa and England in the pool stage.

Ahead of departure, captain Salima Tete expressed confidence in the team's preparations and said the squad was determined to start the tournament strongly.

“The entire squad is looking forward to the challenge ahead. We've had a good training block, and now it's about carrying that momentum into the practice matches and then the World Cup,” Tete said.

She added that the opening match against China would be an important test and the team would aim to make the country proud.

Meanwhile, the Indian men’s hockey team unveiled its new jersey ahead of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.

Hockey India shared the jersey launch on X, describing it as a symbol of pride, passion and the aspirations of millions of Indian fans.

India secured direct qualification for the men’s tournament after winning the Men’s Asia Cup held on home soil last year.

The men’s World Cup will also be hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)