Hockey India on Friday announced the 20-member Indian Women's Hockey Team for the upcoming 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan.
Pakistan failed to win a single match in the FIH Pro League this season, which includes two defeats against arch-rivals India in London and finished last in the nine-team competition.
India avenged their defeat to England with a gritty 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory after a hard-fought goalless draw in the return leg of the Hockey Pro League.
Defending champions Netherlands women's team has virtually secured the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025-26 title, thus becoming the first confirmed qualifier, alongside the hosts, for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
The Indian women's hockey team is likely to field the same core group of players for both the upcoming World Cup and the Asian Games, with the two marquee events scheduled barely 20 days apart, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne indicated on Wednesday.
India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in a pulsating FIH Pro League match on Tuesday, extending their decade-long unbeaten streak against the arch-rivals in international hockey.
Padma Shri awardee and Indian hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia reflected on receiving the honour and spoke on India's chances at the Women's Hockey World Cup.
Indian men's hockey team produced another superb show to notch up a 3-2 win over the Netherlands in their last match of the FIH Pro League Rotterdam leg on Sunday.
Pakistan hockey team captain Ammad Butt was not refused UK visa on an infringement of over staying in the country two years ago, but the Federation messed up the matter which required the player to appear in an interview, a report said.
The Indian Women's Hockey Team was crowned champion of the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 after defeating the hosts 2-0 in the final.
Pakistan have endured a miserable Pro League season, losing all 11 matches against Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, and are now staring at the prospect of relegation from the competition's top tier.
Former India captain and the country's most-capped hockey player, Manpreet Singh, has expressed confidence in the national team's prospects at the upcoming Hockey World Cup.