India’s women put up a resilient defensive display, but their hope of progressing in the semifinals suffered a setback. It was their first loss of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026, and the Indian captain Salima Tete has reflected on the disappointment.
India went down 0-2 to defending champions and hosts the Netherlands in their Pool E second-round match at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Friday. Yibbi Jansen opened the scoring in the second minute from a penalty corner, with Frederique Matla adding a second in the 38th minute, also from a set piece.
India captain Salima Tete reflects on Women’s Hockey World Cup loss after 2-0 defeat to Netherlands
The World No. 1 side were unable to find a field goal as India’s defence and goalkeeper held firm under sustained pressure. Captain Salima Tete praised her players’ effort after the match. She said:
“Playing back-to-back matches is definitely hard, but we gave our best and fought till the end.”
Tete added that the team would return to the drawing board to identify areas for improvement. The result leaves India’s semi-final hopes dependent on their final group match against Australia and other results in the pool. The side had entered the second round unbeaten after a strong first phase of the tournament.
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