New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Indian women’s hockey chief coach Sjoerd Marijne believes the squad is entering the most crucial phase of its preparation with renewed confidence and enthusiasm as it gears up for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 to be played in Belgium and the Netherlands, saying the players are fully committed to improving ahead of two major tournaments later this year.

With just a month remaining before the World Cup begins on August 15, the Indian women’s team is training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru after an unbeaten title-winning campaign at the FIH Nations Cup, a performance that secured valuable momentum heading into the global showpiece.

India has been drawn in Pool D and will open its World Cup campaign against one of the pre-tournament favourites, China, on August 16. The team will then face South Africa on August 18 before concluding the group stage against England on August 20.

Marijne said the prospect of competing at both the World Cup and the Asian Games has created a positive atmosphere within the camp, with every player eager to make the most of the preparation period.

“The team is very motivated for the upcoming period with the two major tournaments (World Cup and Asian Games) ahead. The players are excited, and you can clearly see that energy during our training sessions. Everyone is working hard every day, and there is a real hunger within the group to keep improving,” Marijne said.

Having lifted the FIH Nations Cup without losing a match, India enters the World Cup on the back of one of its strongest recent performances. The coaching staff is now focused on ensuring the team continues its upward trajectory while managing workloads during the final month before the tournament.

Marijne explained that the emphasis remains on sustained improvement rather than dramatic changes, with fitness and consistent progression forming the cornerstone of the team’s preparation.

“Our focus remains on ourselves. We want to take another step forward, especially in terms of fitness, while continuing to improve the areas we have been working on over the past few months. We have a good balance of high, medium, and low-intensity sessions because you cannot train at maximum intensity every day. Our strength and conditioning coaches closely monitor every player to make sure the team is ready. I can see the progress we are making, both individually and as a team, and that gives me a lot of confidence going into the World Cup,” he added.

The simultaneous staging of the men’s and women’s World Cups in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30 adds further significance to this year’s tournament, with India hoping its recent progress can translate into a strong campaign on the biggest stage.

–IANS

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