India draw 2-2 with China in Hockey World Cup opener

The Indian women's hockey team secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Paris Olympics silver medallists China in their opening Pool D fixture of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2026 on Sunday. In a pulsating encounter at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, the world's ninth-ranked side twice took the lead against the higher-ranked Chinese team but ultimately settled for a share of the points.

India, led by captain Salima Tete, began the match with aggressive intent. Their pressure paid off in the eighth minute when vice-captain Navneet Kaur deflected a precise pass from Neha into the net. China equalised late in the first quarter through a penalty stroke conversion by Ying Zhang after a foul was awarded against Indian defender Shilpi. Undeterred, India regained the lead just before halftime. Forward Deepika scored in the 25th minute with a powerful drag-flick from a penalty corner, sending her team into the break with a 2-1 advantage.

The second half saw the second-ranked Chinese side, coached by Alyson Annan, intensify their attack. They capitalised on a counter-attack to level the score at 2-2. Despite relentless Chinese pressure in the final quarter, Indian veteran...