After a turbulent 2025 that saw two major controversies rock the team — with both the senior and junior coaches being shown the door owing to varied reasons — the Indian women’s hockey team are slowly getting back on track. Under Sjoerd Marijne, they qualified for the FIH Women’s World Cup in what was the Dutch coach’s first assignment in his second stint.

At the heart of the turnaround were reworked strategies, improved fitness and plenty of determination. At the GMC Balayogi Hockey Stadium in Hyderabad, the team gave a good account of themselves, playing with composure and intensity to seal their World Cup berth.