India beat New Zealand 2-0 to clinch FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India beat New Zealand 2-0 to clinch FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26")
The victorious Indian team Photograph: (Hockey India)
India beat New Zealand 2-0 in Auckland to win the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26, securing a return to the Women's Pro League
The Indian Women’s Hockey Team emerged as champions of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 after defeating hosts New Zealand 2-0 in the final at Auckland on Sunday (June 21). India made a dream start as Navneet Kaur opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the game with a powerful penalty-corner strike. Sunelita Toppo doubled the lead in the 15th minute, expertly deflecting Deepika’s effort from another penalty corner to put India firmly in control.
The Indian side then delivered a disciplined and resilient defensive performance, denying New Zealand any clear scoring opportunities and protecting their two-goal advantage until the final whistle. Lalremsiami was named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance in the final, while Deepika finished as the joint-highest scorer of the tournament with six goals, sharing the honour with USA forward Ashley Sessa.
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New Zealand earned a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter, but goalkeeper Savita produced a crucial save to preserve India’s two-goal lead. India then displayed exceptional defensive discipline, maintaining a compact structure and denying New Zealand any clear opportunities. The hosts comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to secure a 2-0 victory and clinch the title.
The win marks India’s second FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup title after winning the inaugural edition in 2022. The victory also secures India’s return to the FIH Hockey Women’s Pro League next season. India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, recording victories over the USA (3-2), Japan (2-1), and Uruguay (3-2) in the group stage before thrashing Chile 6-0 in the semi-final. The team capped off a flawless campaign with a commanding 2-0 win over New Zealand in the title clash.
To celebrate the achievement, Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh for each player and ₹1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff.
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