Hyderabad is set to host the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers from March 8 to 14, marking another milestone in the city’s growing stature as a global sports destination. The official poster of the tournament was unveiled today by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy at his residence on Monday.
The prestigious tournament will be held at the Gachibowli Hockey Complex, bringing together some of the world’s top women’s hockey teams. Telangana hosting this global event is being hailed as a landmark moment in the state’s sporting history, once again positioning Hyderabad as a preferred destination for international sporting events.
Eight teams, selected based on world rankings, will compete in the qualifiers. Along with host nation India, the participating teams include England, Scotland, South Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria. Each team will consist of 20 players and 10 support staff, with over 300 international delegates expected to visit Hyderabad during the tournament.
Notably, this tournament represents the final qualification stage for the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026. So far, nine teams have already qualified, including host nations Belgium and the Netherlands, along with teams qualifying through the FIH Pro League and continental championships. The remaining seven World Cup slots will be filled through the qualifier tournaments in Hyderabad and Santiago, Chile.
The top three teams from the Hyderabad qualifiers will earn direct qualification for the World Cup. Additionally, among the teams finishing fourth in both qualifier tournaments, the team with the highest world ranking will receive an extra qualification berth, making every match in the tournament crucial.
For the Indian women’s hockey team, this tournament carries immense significance. Having missed out on direct qualification, this event presents India’s final opportunity to secure a World Cup berth. With the advantage of playing on home soil and strong fan support, the Indian team will be determined to seal qualification.
As per the competition format, the eight teams will be divided into two pools of four teams each. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals. Final rankings and World Cup qualification will be decided through the knockout stages.
Hosting this event is expected to significantly enhance Hyderabad’s international visibility, boost sports infrastructure development, promote tourism, and inspire greater interest in hockey among youth. Sports officials believe the tournament will play a key role in encouraging women’s sports in the country.
With global hockey attention focused on Hyderabad in March, the FIH Women’s World Cup Qualifiers are set to elevate Telangana’s position on the international sports map. Telangana’s hosting an FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers event for the first time makes it a historic milestone for the state’s sporting journey. The event brings international visibility, infrastructure development, and positions Hyderabad as a premier destination for world-class hockey tournaments.
The dignitaries present at the poster release function were: Vakiti Srihari, sports minister, A P Jithender Reddy, sports advisor to Telangana government, Dr Sony Baladevi, MD, Sports Authority of Telangana, Dato Tayyab Ikram, FIH president, Dr Dilip Tirkey, HI president, Bhola Nath Singh, HI secretary general, Sekar J Manoharan, HI treasurer, Cdr R K Srivastava, HI DG, Konda Vijay Kumar, president, Telangana Hockey Association, Bheem Singh, secretary, Telangana Hockey Association and other officials.
