Women's Hockey WC Qualifiers: India Lose 0-2 To England In Final, But Qualifies For Main Event

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 22:06 IST

India lost 0-2 to England in the FIH Women's Hockey Qualifier but secured a spot in the major tournament. Hockey India congratulated Salima Tete on her 150th appearance.

In an intense final at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifier, India faced a 0-2 defeat against England but still secured their spot in this year’s major tournament, set to be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.

England, ranked sixth globally, took the lead with a penalty corner conversion by Grace Balsdon in the 13th minute, followed by a field goal from Elizabeth Neal in the 43rd minute to double their advantage.

Ranked ninth in the world, the Indian team gave their all throughout the 60-minute match but could not penetrate the staunch English defence.

Alongside champions England, runner-up India and Scotland, who triumphed over Italy 1-0, earned qualification for the World Cup through this event.

Hockey India Felicitates Salima Tete

Hockey India on Saturday congratulated Salima Tete for completing 150 appearances for the India women’s national field hockey team during the final of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 against England women’s national field hockey team. Known for her speed and tireless work in midfield, Salima made her senior debut in Test matches against Australia women’s national field hockey team in Melbourne in November 2016.

Since then, the 25-year-old midfielder from Jharkhand has become one of the most important players in India’s lineup. Apart from creating numerous scoring chances for her teammates, she has also scored 16 international goals.

Salima became an Olympian at just 19 when she was part of the Indian side that finished fourth at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She later won the Rising Player of the Tournament award at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022 in Muscat.

She also captained India at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2021 in South Africa and played a key role in India’s bronze medal win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Salima was later appointed captain in 2024 and led India to gold at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024.

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