The Indian women’s hockey team will play the second round of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup after playing out a 0-0 draw against England on Thursday (August 20) at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
This is the first time since the 2018 edition that the Women in Saffron have advanced past the group stage in the mega event.
India finished second in Group D, like their male counterparts, behind China. The Salima Tete-led team finished with five points after securing two draws and one victory. Their South Asian neighbours secured seven points. England finished third with three points, while South Africa lost all three games and did not get a single point.
Before today’s game, India had started the tournament with a 2-2 draw against China in their opening game on Sunday (August 16) before thrashing South Africa 6-1 to register their biggest victory in the tournament’s 52-year history.
After England’s 4-2 loss to China, India knew a draw would be enough to seal their place in the next round. Sjoerd Marijne’s tactical masterclass was executed to perfection by the Asian team to ensure they are still alive in the tournament.
After not qualifying for the Paris Olympics and finishing eighth and ninth in the previous two World Cups, this marks significant progress for the Indian women’s team. Marijne was also the coach responsible for leading the team to a 4th-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics, but he left the role after the tournament. The Dutchman returned to the top job in February this year.