Connecticut, Hartford, USA: India confirmed its participation in the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup by clinching the Hero Asia Cup title in Rajgir, Bihar, on Sunday. The home team registered an emphatic 4-1 win over defending champions Korea in the final, having dominated the game 4-0 until the closing 10 minutes.
Malaysia, which began the tournament strongly with impressive group-stage victories, had to settle for the bronze medal.
Teams qualifying for the 2026 FIH World Cup through continental tournaments include the USA, Canada, Chile, France, England, Austria, Poland, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, and India, along with one African team yet to qualify. The Netherlands, Germany, and Australia had already booked their places through the FIH Hockey League.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team, currently competing in the Asia Cup in China, opened their campaign in style with an 11-0 win over Thailand but were held to a 2-2 draw by Japan. Only the women’s Asia Cup winner will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Europe.
At the newly built hockey stadium in Rajgir, India’s journey was far from smooth. They narrowly edged past China (4-3) and Japan (3-2) before hammering Kazakhstan 15-0. Malaysia, under coach and former Olympian Sarjit Singh Kundan, stunned fans with consistent performances, including a 4-1 victory over Korea and a 15-0 demolition of Chinese Taipei, before upsetting China 2-0. Their run, however, ended with a 1-4 defeat to India.
In the Super 4 stage, India stumbled with a 2-2 draw against Korea, salvaging an equalizer in the dying minutes. They bounced back strongly, thrashing China 7-0 to set up a title clash with Korea. In the final, India scored in each quarter, building a 4-0 cushion, before Korea pulled one back late to finish at 4-1.
Elsewhere, New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams also sealed their places in the 2026 World Cup after the conclusion of the Oceania Cup 2025 in Darwin, Australia. The Black Sticks women earned their ticket by winning the Oceania Cup final in a dramatic shootout against Australia, while the men qualified as runners-up, since Australia had already secured entry via the FIH Pro League.
The women’s final series was fiercely contested, with both sides winning one game each before New Zealand prevailed in the decisive shootout. Captain Olivia Shannon credited her team’s resilience, saying their qualification was a statement of “fight and energy” after missing out on the Paris Olympics.
In the men’s event, Australia dominated with three straight wins, including a 4-1 victory in the last match. Despite the loss, New Zealand men secured their spot for the World Cup because Australia’s qualification had already been confirmed earlier.
With these results, New Zealand has become the seventh women’s team to qualify for the 2026 FIH World Cup, joining Belgium, the Netherlands (hosts), Germany, Argentina, USA, and Spain. More teams from Africa and Asia will be confirmed through their respective continental championships, while the remaining slots will be decided in the World Cup Qualifiers 2026.
For the women’s qualifiers, teams such as Uruguay, Chile, Canada, Ireland, England, France, Italy, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Switzerland, and Australia are already confirmed, with Africa and Asia set to contribute more.
