LAUSANNE: The Indian women's team will feature in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from June 15 to 21.
The Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the Hockey Pro League, and give the winning team an option to be promoted in it the following season.
The Indian women's hockey team was relegated from the Pro League 2024-25 after finishing at the bottom of the nine-team standings.
Apart from India, hosts New Zealand, USA, Japan, Korea, Chile, Scotland and France, who were promoted via the Hockey Nations Cup 2, will take part in the event.
The men's event will be held in Cape Town and will involve South Africa, New Zealand, France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Malaysia, along with Scotland, who were promoted via the Hockey Nations Cup 2, as well as Ireland, who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the Hockey Pro League.
The 2025-26 edition of the Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from June 11 to 20 and will mark the return of the competition to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural edition of the men’s competition in Potchefstroom in 2022.
Following the confirmation of the hosts for the fourth edition of the Hockey Nations Cup, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: "We are delighted to have two outstanding host nations and cities for these remarkable tournaments."
"I’m excited for the thrilling matches and the fantastic atmosphere that will unfold across two continents, as some of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams showcase their talent for hockey fans around the globe," he added.