Lausanne (PR): With the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on the cusp of getting underway – with pushback in Ismailia, Egypt and Santiago, Chile, starting tomorrow (1 March), followed by action beginning in Hyderabad, India from next Sunday (8 March) – here’s what the Captains of the participating teams have to say:
Women's Teams
Switzerland - Stephanie Weber, Captain
"The preparation period was short but efficient. With Australia, France, and Chile in our pool, we enter the competition as challengers with nothing to lose. We strongly believe we can steal points and win games."
Korea - Yuri Lee, Captain
"As we have prepared tirelessly to secure our place in the World Cup, I am confident that we can achieve strong results in the upcoming qualifiers.
The fitness, teamwork, and trust we have built throughout our training will be our greatest strengths on the field. I believe it is most important to show the unity and resilience we have developed together.
We will focus on each match, one game at a time, and as every player is striving toward the same goal, we will fight until the very end without giving up. By giving our absolute best in every moment, we aim to achieve the results we have been working so hard for."
France - Emma Ponthieu, Captain
“The team is ready and motivated for this tournament despite being in a fairly tough group. Securing qualification would be the culmination of many years of hard work, and we will give everything to achieve it.”
Austria - Johanna Czech, Captain
“Our preparation is short but intense, and we feel ready for the challenge ahead. We’re going into the tournament as underdogs, but we want to compete with confidence, give everything on the pitch, and make the most of this opportunity.”
Italy – Federica Carta, Captain
“This tournament is a great opportunity for us and we have great motivation to achieve the goal.”
Scotland - Sarah Robertson, Captain
“We are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in India. We’ve been building for a number of years now and the squad is prepared for the challenge ahead.”
Chile - Manuela Urroz, Captain
“As the most experienced member of the team, it’s my responsibility to lead by example. I want to share my experience and contribute in any way I can after everything I’ve gone through over the years.
Each of us plays a very important role on the team, and that’s something we’ve been working on for a long time with the coaching staff. It’s a tough group, but it’s also a great opportunity to secure qualification while playing at home and in front of our fans".
England - Lily Walker, Captain
“We are looking forward to the qualifiers in Hyderabad and hopefully qualifying for the World Cup in the summer. We have had a good preparation for the tournament and can’t wait to get started.”
India - Salima Tete, Captain
“As we approach the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana 2026, the entire team has been training with great intensity and clarity of purpose. We have worked strongly on our fitness, structure, and decision-making under pressure, because tournaments like these are about consistency across every match. Playing at home in India gives us added motivation, and we want to make the most of that energy and support.
We know that facing Scotland, Uruguay, and Wales in the pool stage will be tricky, as each team brings a different style and strengths. Our focus is on taking one game at a time, staying disciplined with our plans, and expressing ourselves with confidence on the field. The goal is clear — to play fearless hockey, deliver consistent performances, and make our country proud by securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.”
Malaysia - Juliani Mohamad Din, Captain
“Qualifying would be a dream come true, but even competing in the qualifiers is already a valuable experience in one of the toughest tournaments in international hockey.”
Australia - Stephanie Kershaw
“We know it’s really important obviously with World Cup qualification. So our first job is to come here and qualify for the World Cup. But we’re also a very competitive team and we want to win everything that we come to. So, we’re looking to win this tournament and make World Cup as well.”
Men's Teams
Malaysia - Mohammad Marhan Mohd Jalil, Captain
“Our preparations have been intense, and the squad is motivated for the World Cup qualifiers. Every match in the pool will be a tough challenge, and we’re ready to give our best.”
France - François Goyet, Captain
“We are approaching the qualification tournament with great excitement and ambition. After our strong run at EuroHockey 2025, where we were considered outsiders, this time the challenge will be to embrace one of the favourites’ roles in the race to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The task will obviously be difficult against teams such as Scotland, Wales, and Chile in the group stage, but we are confident in the team’s qualities — a blend of youth and experience — to achieve our ultimate goal.”
Austria – Benjamin Kölbl, Captain
“Our preparation has been relatively short due to the Indoor European Championship in January. We have only one Training camp/tournament in Granada ahead of the qualifier.
Our goal is, of course, to achieve the best possible result. At the same time, it is equally important for us to continue growing together as a team, as we have a very Young squad with several new players from the U21. We want to take the next step in our development following the last outdoor European Championship.”
USA – Aki Kaeppeler, Captain
"Reaching the final at the last Pan Am Cup gave us a boost and more belief in the group and what we’ve been building. It has been a long time since those last competitive games and we are looking forward to playing some top opposition again. We’re confident in the selected team and ready to perform and fight for a World Cup spot!”
Pakistan – Ammad Butt, Captain
“Hockey is our identity, and victory is our responsibility. Our sticks don’t merely strike the ball they echo generations of greatness. Glory lives in our game, and the world will witness our rise again.”
Chile - Andrés Pizarro, Captain
"I’ve had the opportunity to play several tournaments at home, and it’s a matter of great pride to compete with our fans cheering us on. This is going to be a great championship — it will be incredible. All of our opponents are tough, but we’ll leave everything on the field and go for qualification to the World Cup.”
England - Zach Wallace, Captain
“We are looking forward to starting the World Cup Qualifiers on Sunday. There is a great feeling in the squad right now and following a positive winter period, we’ll be hoping to continue our good form in the upcoming games.”
