Captains ready as stage is set for FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 Hyderabad

A day ahead of the start of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 Hyderabad, the captains of all eight participating teams were officially welcomed in the city on Saturday, setting the stage for an exciting battle for qualification to the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026.

The skippers were greeted by A Sonibala Devi, VC and MD of the Sports Authority of Telangana, along with Jitender Reddy, advisor to the Telangana government for sports affairs, during the official welcome ceremony.

Captains from India, England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria gathered ahead of the tournament, which begins on March 8 and will see the teams compete for three coveted spots at the upcoming World Cup.

Johanna Czech (Austria), Salima Tete (India), Sara Puglisi (Italy), Yuri Lee (Korea), Sarah Robertson (Scotland), Manuela Vilar (Uruguay), Elizabeth Bingham (Wales), Lily Walker & Flora Peel (England) pose for a picture at the Gachibowli hockey stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday

Hosts India, led by captain Salima Tete, will be eager to make the most of the home advantage as they begin their campaign in front of passionate fans in Hyderabad.

The tournament marks the final qualification opportunity for teams aiming to secure a place at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026, promising high intensity matches and top-quality international hockey over the coming days.

The live streaming of FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana 2026 matches will be available on Star Sports Khel and JioHotstar.