Already assured of a World Cup berth, India would purpose for the winners’ trophy on the FIH Girls’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers and take a step ahead in that path by profitable the semifinal in opposition to Italy right here on Friday.

The Indian girls’s hockey staff completed on prime of Pool B with seven factors from three matches. Scotland additionally collected identical factors however completed second within the group due to India’s superior objective distinction.

The hosts registered two wins and one draw within the pool stage. Italy completed second in Pool A with 4 factors after registering one win, one draw and one loss, giving the hosts a slight psychological edge forward of the semifinal.

India will look to construct on the spectacular type of ahead Navneet Kaur, who’s at the moment the joint top-scorer of the event with 4 objectives. She produced a standout efficiency within the last pool match in opposition to Wales, scoring an excellent hat-trick to cap off the group stage in type. Italy, in the meantime, will depend on Federica Carta, who has been their key attacking risk and has scored three objectives thus far within the competitors. On paper and type, India maintain a significant benefit over Italy.

When it comes to head-to-head encounters, India and Italy have confronted one another seven instances since 2012. India have received 5 of these matches, whereas Italy have registered one victory and one recreation resulted in a draw, giving the hosts a slight psychological edge.

India’s chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, who’s again on the helm after the Tokyo Olympics, termed the achievement as a major milestone. “Securing qualification for the FIH Hockey Girls’s World Cup 2026 is a vital milestone for this group, and the gamers deserve a number of credit score for the best way they’ve carried out thus far within the event,” he stated.

“On the identical time, our mindset could be very clear — we aren’t right here simply to qualify. We wish to preserve enhancing with each match and purpose to win the event. The semifinal is one other large problem and we are going to method it with full focus and depth.”

The Dutchman, nevertheless, cautioned his wards to take Italy frivolously. “Italy are a aggressive aspect they usually have proven on this event that they will hassle sturdy groups. For us, the main target will probably be on executing our plans effectively, sustaining our construction, and persevering with to play with the identical power and confidence,” he stated.

The FIH Girls’s World Cup will probably be performed alongside aspect the boys’s competitors to be collectively hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.