Wall of China awaits India in women’s hockey World Cup opener
A confident India faces a stern opening test in the Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup here on Sunday as Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne’s side takes on the Olympic silver medallists China, with a little room for error in a demanding Pool D contest.
Ranked ninth in the world, India will take on the second-ranked China, the Paris Olympic silver medallists, in a match that could set the tone for their campaign.
With England and South Africa also in the pool and the tournament being played in a new format, India cannot afford a slow start. India have spent a considerable time acclimatising to European conditions, training at the Wagener Stadium in the heat and playing a practice match against hosts and defending champions the Netherlands.
The game against China assumes added significance as the two teams will meet again at next month’s Asian Games. India’s best World Cup finish came at the inaugural edition in 1974, when the team led by Ajinder Kaur finished fourth. Having featured in only eight of the previous 15 editions, India will be looking to improve on their ninth-place finish from 2022.
It will also be a first appearance in the World Cup for as many as 11 members of the squad, but they have had plenty of big-match experience.
Goalkeeper Savita, with 313 international appearances, is the most experienced player in the tournament. Playing in her third World Cup, she has already participated in two Olympics and three Asian Games.
Defender Sushila Chanu has 262 caps, while Navneet Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, and Neha Goyal have also crossed the 200-match mark each. Savita believes India’s fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics can provide extra motivation.
“The pain of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after coming so close still lingers. This time, we will not hesitate,” she said. “We have high expectations from ourselves and want to finish on the podium.” India’s confidence has also been strengthened by a series of encouraging performances over the past year. India won the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand to return to the Pro League, in which drag-flicker Deepika rediscovered her scoring touch after recovering from injury, finishing the tournament with six goals. Navneet has emerged as another key attacking weapon. She scored six goals during India’s Asia Cup campaign and four at the World Cup qualifiers, where she was named the Player of the Tournament. India, however, will be wary of China’s recent dominance. China defeated India 4-1 in the 2025 Asia Cup in Hangzhou and went on to win the continental title. The Chinese side also claimed silver at the Paris Olympics and finished fourth in the last two Pro League seasons.
China’s resurgence has coincided with the arrival of Australian coach Alison Annan, a six-time FIH Coach of the Year, who previously guided the Netherlands to World Cup and Olympic gold.
India coach Marijne, who guided the team to fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics, is confident his players are ready for the challenge.
“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,” the Dutchman said. Marijne has also strengthened his backroom team, with Wayne Lombard coming on board as the head scientific advisor and athletic performance, Matias Vila handling analysis and Taeke Taekema providing specialist drag-flick expertise. Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila add sports-science expertise to a support structure that has placed strong emphasis on physical preparation and performance.
China’s quality and ranking make them favourites on paper, but India have shown enough progress over the past year to believe they can challenge the Olympic silver medallists. A positive result against China would not only provide India with valuable points but also strengthen their belief ahead of the remaining pool matches while giving them a psychological edge before their Asian Games reunion next month.
