Sports Bulletin

Lausanne, Switzerland (PR): An exciting official draw ceremony held today at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands - one of the two venues where the upcoming World Cup will be held, alongside the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium – has determined the eight Pools of the group stage of the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026:Women: Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (playing in Belgium)Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (playing in Belgium)Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (playing in the Netherlands)Men:Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (playing in Belgium)Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (playing in Belgium)Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (playing in the Netherlands)The draw was done by international hockey legends Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen and Teun de Nooijer, as well as DJ La Fuente, who was announced as Dutch Ambassador for the World Cup during the ceremony.Today’s milestone event was attended by FIH President Tayyab Ikram, FIH Vice-President and EuroHockey President Marcos Hofman, FIH Executive Board Member Erik Cornelissen, Dutch Hockey Federation President Erik Klein Nagelvoort, Belgian Hockey Federation President Patrick Keusters, the captains from the Netherlands (Renée van Laarhoven, Marijn Veenand, Thierry Brinkman and Lars Balk) and Belgium (Charlotte Englebert, Michelle Struijk, Arthur Van Doren and vice-captain Arthur De Sloover), the head coaches from the Netherlands (Raoul Ehren and Jeroen Delmee) and Belgium (Adam Commens and Shane McLeod), representatives from the local authorities, commercial partners and numerous other guests.FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Today’s draw marks another major milestone on the road to the most prestigious FIH event, the FIH Hockey World Cup! The upcoming edition, for both women and men, co-hosted by two hockey powerhouses, promises to be a resounding success. We are very grateful to both Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting our top athletes and the global hockey community in less than six months' time.In today’s fractured world, sport—and events such as this in particular—can play a substantial role in bringing people together. It can foster peace at times when our world is torn apart by conflict.I invite all fans around the world to join in, and I already wish all participating athletes an unforgettable experience!”Match scheduleThe FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 will be held in Amsterdam and Wavre from 15 to 30 August 2026.

Lausanne Switzerland (Sports News): The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that New Zealand and South Africa will host the fourth edition of the women’s and men’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup (respectively), with the winners being offered the opportunity to join the 2026-27 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The city of Cape Town, South Africa, will host the men’s event which will involve some of the best teams in the world: South Africa, New Zealand, France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Malaysia, along with Scotland—who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and Ireland — who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The 2025-26 edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from 11 to 20 June 2026, and will mark the return of the competition to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural edition of the men’s competition in Potchefstroom in 2022.The women’s event will take place in Auckland, New Zealand from 15 to 21 June 2026. The impressive line-up for the competition includes includes hosts New Zealand, USA, Japan, Korea, Chile, Scotland, along with France — who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and India — who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League in the following season.India, Spain and New Zealand have won the first three editions of the women’s competition thus far. On the men’s side, South Africa won the inaugural edition, followed by back-to-back successes for the New Zealand men’s team.FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “On behalf of FIH, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Hockey Associations of New Zealand and South Africa. We are delighted to have two outstanding host nations and cities for these remarkable tournaments. I’m excited for the thrilling matches and the fantastic atmosphere that will unfold across two continents, as some of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams showcase their talent for hockey fans around the globe.”

Lausanne Switzerland (Sports News): After a busy start to the calendar year of 2026 with teams playing in the FIH Hockey Pro League across three continents as well as the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Chile, Egypt and India, there have been plenty of movements across the World Rankings Table.In the men’s rankings, Netherlands (3460) and Belgium (3453) remain neck-and-neck as the top two sides. Australia (3258) are in third, up one spot from the start of the year, followed by England (3152) in fourth, up three spots from where they started 2026! Argentina (3126) in fifth have been steady, while Germany (3110) in sixth, are down three places from the start of the year, followed by Spain (2936) and India (2774), who are both down one place each in seventh and eighth respectively. Ireland (2547) in ninth are up two spots, followed by France (2385) down one spot in tenth. New Zealand (2353) in eleventh are down one spot as a result of Ireland’s move up the rankings. Pakistan’s (2316) four wins in the Qualifiers in Ismailia has seen them climb up two places to twelfth, followed by South Africa (2227)—who are down one spot having already qualified for the World Cup via the Africa Cup of Nations. Japan (2150) in fourteenth are one of the biggest climbers of the year, up from eighteenth place, thanks to their stellar run in the Qualifiers in Egypt, which ended in a third place finish and a spot in the World Cup. Malaysia (2140) in fifteenth, Scotland (2082) in seventeenth and Egypt (2005) in eighteenth have all dropped down a couple of places each, while Wales (2108) in sixteenth and Canada (1926) in nineteenth have remained steady. China (1831) in twentieth, Chile (1827) in twenty first, Poland (1825) in twenty second, Korea (1813) in twenty third, Austria (1772) in twenty fourth and United States (1702) in twenty fifth round out the top-25 standings in men’s rankings. In the women’s rankings, the top-5 in the standings remain intact from the start of the year. Leading the way are Netherlands (3927), well clear atop the standings, followed by Argentina (3467) in second place, Belgium (3230) in third, China (3143) in fourth and Spain (2961) in fifth. England (2764) have moved up two spots — up into sixth — following their involvement in the Pro League as well as the World Cup Qualifiers. Germany (2711) remain in seventh despite tough results in the Pro League, while Australia (2513) have swapped places with England, dropping two places, down into eighth. India (2420) in ninth and New Zealand (2391) in tenth hold on to their spots from the end of the previous year, and are closely followed by Chile (2342) who are amongst the biggest rank gainers, moving up to their all-time high ranking of eleventh, having started the year in fifteenth. USA (2337) in twelfth have dropped a spot, followed by Ireland (2306) who remain in thirteenth. Scotland (2206) in fourteenth are up one place after qualifying for their first World Cup in 24 years, followed by Japan (2192) in fifteenth, who have dropped three spots, after finishing fourth in Chile and qualifying for the World Cup, thanks to their superior world ranking. France (1912) in sixteenth and Uruguay (1891) in seventeenth have climbed one and two spots respectively, while Korea (1826) have dropped three places down into eighteenth, with South Africa (1798) in nineteenth and Italy (1795) in twentieth round out the top-20. 

Hyderabad, Telangana, India (Sports News): England defeated hosts India 2–0 in the final at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Stadium on Saturday to clinch the gold medal at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Qualifiers 2026, while both the teams secured qualification for the FIH World Cup later this year in Belgium and Netherlands. England finished on top of the final standings unbeaten, while it was the first defeat of the tournament for India.Earlier in the day, Scotland booked their place at the FIH World Cup 2026 with a narrow victory over Italy, which earned them the third qualification spot. In the classification matches, Uruguay and Austria ended their campaigns on a winning note with victories over Wales and Korea, respectively. 7/8 Place - Korea 1 – 1 Austria (SO: 1-2)Korea hit a nadir in their concluding game of a disappointing campaign, going down to Austria in a shootout to finish last in the eight-team competition. It was their third defeat in five matches, besides a draw and a win. The Austrians held their nerves in the shootout for a 2-1 victory after the regulation 60 minutes ended at 1-1.Austria began in fine fashion, earning a penalty corner in just the third minute and converted it through Kristine Vijkovich. They defended their 1-0 lead going into half-time. Korea drew level in the opening minute of the third quarter when Yuri Lee scored off a set-piece. Both the teams tightened their defence thereafter, as the game produced no more goals despite chances created by strikers on both sides.The shootout turned out to be a who-blinks-first battle, with goalkeepers Michaela Streb (Austria) and Seoyeon Lee (Korea) defending their respective post resolutely. After Yujin Lee and Johanna Czech scored off the first attempts, none of the attackers from both the teams could find the mark – until Carla Kemper beat the Korean goalkeeper on the fifth and last attempt to win it for Austria. 5/6 Place - Wales 0 – 3 Uruguay Uruguay finished their tournament on a winning note when they defeated Wales 3-0 on the concluding day, which also earned them a 5th-place finish.The South Americans dominated the game right from the start, but it took a penalty stroke in the 23rd minute for them to break through as the in-form Teresa Viana made no mistake to put her team ahead with her fifth goal of the tournament.Uruguay continued to pepper the Welsh circle in the second half, which resulted in their second goal off the stick of Magdalena Verga in the 36th minute from a penalty corner. Wales failed to string together meaningful attacks, which showed up in the statistics with just nine circle penetrations by their strikers. Uruguay put the final nail in the coffin with their third goal in the 57th minute when Lupe Curutchague provided the finishing touch to an incisive move. It was Uruguay’s third win in five matches. 3/4 Place - Scotland 1 – 0 Italy With a place in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on the line, the European battle between Scotland and Italy was understandably a cagey affair, which eventually was decided by a solitary goal scored by the Scots – booking them a ticket to the showpiece event in Belgium and Netherlands later this year. Scotland joined England and India as the three teams to progress to the World Cup from the qualifiers in Hyderabad. This also meant that Japan, who finished fourth in the qualifiers in Santiago, also made it to the World Cup as the highest world-ranked fourth-placed team from the two qualification tournaments. The Scotland vs Italy match-up wasn’t expected to be a battle of defence, especially after Scotland got on the scoreboard as early as the 7th minute when Amy Costello ensured the penalty-corner wasn’t wasted. In the next 53 minutes, Scotland earned just one more PC with Italy fortifying their backline while trying to find the equaliser. But it never came. The chances created by the Italians were few and far in between against a determined Scottish defence that conceded just one penalty corner and held its structure to protect the 1-0 lead for a ticket to the World Cup. Final - England 2 – 0 IndiaEngland took home the gold medal and a place in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 with a 2-0 win over India in the final. The hosts had to settle for a silver medal, but it was enough to punch a ticket to the quadrennial event.In-form penalty-corner specialist Grace Balsdon put England ahead in the 13th minute, which made her the tournament’s joint top-scorer with five goals. India tried to piece together their A game but failed to find the equaliser despite having an almost equal share of ball possession and more circle entries than England. It remained 1-0 at half-time. India continued to pose a threat to England’s lead, which grew to 2-0 in the 43rd minute when Elizabeth Neal was awarded the goal that India challenged with a referral. However, the on-field official’s decision was upheld after video referral.The hosts were left with a stiffer chase in the last 15 minutes, where England held their nerves and defended in numbers to secure victory.

Hyderabad, Telangana, India (Sports Report): England and India secured qualification for the women’s FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 after winning their respective semi-finals at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2026 at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Ground in Hyderabad on Friday, setting up a title clash between two unbeaten sides of the tournament. England defeated Scotland 2–0 in the first semi-final, while India edged past Italy 1–0 in a closely fought second semi-final to book their tickets to the global showpiece.The two classification matches of the day saw Wales producing a spirited comeback to defeat Korea 2–1 and advance to the 5th–6th place playoff, while Uruguay registered an emphatic 3–0 victory over Austria to join them. Losing semi-finalists Scotland and Italy will now battle for the third place, which also assures World Cup qualification. Korea 1 – 2 Wales (5/8)Korea’s finishing cost them dear as they lost to Wales 1-2 and will now play for the 7th-8th place. Wales, despite fewer circle penetrations, were better with their conversion rate and booked their place in the battle for the 5th place. The Koreans entered the Welsh circle 20 times, but scored just one goal and created only two penalty corners. In comparison, Wales scored off a penalty corner and a penalty stroke that resulted from two of their six circle penetrations. Skipper Beth Bingham was the star of Wales’s comeback after Korea scored first with a field goal from Yeongeun Park in the 46th minute following three goal-less quarters that saw the Welsh defence standing tall. But Wales upped the ante when they needed it the most, resulting in Bingham scoring the equaliser from a 49th-minute penalty corner and then finding the winning goal off a penalty stroke awarded in the 53rd minute.Talking about the game, ‘Player of the Match’ Beth Bingham said, “I’m delighted with the team’s effort and performance today against a higher-ranked team, especially in the heat. We were disappointed not to get anything out of the group stage. So, to bounce back and get a win against Korea was really important for us. We spoke about punching above our weight and we have done exactly that; I couldn’t be prouder of the 20 players.”Uruguay 3–0 Austria (5/8)Uruguay got the better of Austria with a comprehensive 3-0 victory and will now feature in the 5th-6th place playoff against Wales on the tournament’s concluding day, while the Austrians will take on Korea. Teresa Viana led the South American side with a brace after Manuela Vilar’s penalty-corner goal in the fourth minute put them ahead early. The teams went into half-time at 2-0 after Uruguay extended their lead when Viana found the mark on a penalty corner. In all, Uruguay earned seven penalty corners compared to none for Austria. The barrage of attacks from Uruguay continued in the third quarter and produced their third goal in the 44th minute off Viana’s stick. It remained 3-0 at the full-time hooter, with no goal-scoring action in the last quarter. Viana was named the ‘Player of the Match’. “Happy to win this match and bounce back after missing out on the semi-final. Now we aim to close out the tournament with another win tomorrow,” she said.England 2–0 Scotland (1st Semi-final)England secured their place in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 by entering the final after they defeated neighbours Scotland 2-0 in the first semi-final. England will definitely be happy with their fourth consecutive win, but not with the number of chances they missed. Their attacking intent showed up in the statistics, as they had 26 circle penetrations, but their success rate on penalty corners was zero in four set-pieces. Scotland, too, were not on target on penalty corners – not managing to score in six attempts.After coming close to scoring several times in 24 minutes, the English team found the target in the next minute when Lottie Bingham provided the finishing touch to a circle entry. Four minutes later, in the 29th, Darcy Bourne gave England breathing space at 2-0.Desperation crept into the Scottish game in the second half, with umpire Cookie Tan spotting yellow-card offences and punished Amy Costello (50rd minute) and Ellie Mackenzie (53rd) with five-minute suspensions, while England defence held tight to take the team to the final. Scotland will now have their eyes on 3rd-4th place playoff. Top three teams qualify directly from Hyderabad to the World Cup.  “I think how we have come together as a team (is the biggest strength of this group),” said ‘Player of the Match’ Sophie Hamilton after England’s unbeaten run. “It’s not just one person’s performance, it’s the whole team. That’s what is really great and why we have got four wins out of four.” India 1–0 Italy (2nd Semi-final)India punched their ticket to the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Italy in the second semi-final on Friday, setting up a title clash against England. Both the teams have remained unbeaten on their way to the final. India’s 22 circle entries, nine penalty corners and eight shots on target resulted in just one goal, but it proved to be the differentiator in the end. The Indian backline played out of its skin to defend the thin lead against a resolute Italian team that threatened enough but had nothing to show for it in the end. The game’s only and the all-important goal took 40 minutes to come, when Manisha Chauhan struck off a penalty corner to put India ahead.

Hyderabad, Telangana, India (Sports News): The second day of the women's FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad saw crucial results across both the pools as teams battled for semi-final spots. Favourites England continued to dominate, as they remained unbeaten in two matches and secured a spot in the semi-finals from Pool A. The surprise came in Pool B when hosts India were held to a 2-2 draw by Scotland, who are ranked six spots below them in the world rankings, in a thrilling back-and-forth match to end day 2. Earlier, Wales and Austria's chances of making it to the top four ended with second straight losses.Italy 3 – 0 Austria (Pool A)Italy recovered from the defeat against England in style, coming back to sweep past Austria 3-0 in their second match of Pool A at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Ground in the race for FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 qualification at Hyderabad. The Italians faced a 5-2 defeat against England on Monday and needed this win to get their campaign back on track, while Austria suffered their second consecutive defeat, having lost to Korea 1-0, to bow out. The Italians were on a roll, entering the opposition circle a remarkable 30 times, which will also leave them a little disappointed with their conversion rate despite the win. The first quarter saw no goals, with Federica Carta ending Italy’s wait off a penalty corner in the 19th minute, but it was their only conversion from the eight PCs they earned. Two minutes later Lola Brea’s field goal made it 2-0, and it remained like that at the half-time hooter. The third and last goal of the match made it 3-0, when Italy’s Eleonara di Paola found the mark in the 45th minute, capitalising on stellar work by Lola Brea, who teed her up for a shot at an empty goal. This was followed by a series of near-misses in the last 15 minutes, with the game ending at 3-0.Korea 0 – 3 England (Pool A)England broke into the semi-finals with their second win of the tournament, getting the better of Korea in comprehensive fashion for a 3-0 victory, on a day where star defender Grace Balsdon celebrated her 100th cap for England. England, the highest-ranked team of the tournament at No. 7, now have two wins in as many games, after their opening win over Italy. Korea now sit at 3 points with a win and loss. England’s domination showed in the 10 penalty corners they earned, thanks to their 25 circle penetrations. Two of those PCs resulted in goals, but it was a penalty stroke awarded in the 16th minute that got England on the board after they struggled to find the net in the first 15 minutes. Lily Walker converted from the spot.England had to wait for 22 minutes for their next successful strike. The English women scored twice in the third quarter through penalty corners – with Elizabeth Neal in the 38th minute and Grace Balsdon in the 44th breaching the Korean PC defence for a 3-0 lead. It remained that way despite England’s numerous attempts to increase the margin in the fourth quarter. Uruguay 3 – 2 Wales (Pool B)Wales suffered a blow to their semi-final chances after their second defeat in a row. Playing the higher-ranked Uruguay, Wales suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat, adding to their 0-1 defeat to Scotland in the campaign-opener. Wales began strongly, taking the lead in only the 5th minute off the stick of Anja Atkin. It pegged Uruguay back as the Welsh women defended their 1-0 lead until a minute before half-time. A 29th-minute penalty corner saw Manuela Vilar equalising to make it 1-1 halftime. The South Americans found their A-game in the third quarter, with Agustina Diaz scoring from another penalty corner (36th minute) before Teresa Viana (41st) made it 3-1. Wales lifted themselves in the fourth quarter, with Rachel Goodwin cutting the lead to 3-2, but the hopes of levelling the game in the last 12 minutes were futile. Scotland 2 – 2 India (Pool B)India were held to a 2–2 draw in a hard-fought match against Scotland, which put both the teams at four points from two matches in Pool B, with a win and a draw apiece. India, though, are ahead on goal-difference. Scotland made a strong start and took an early lead through a penalty-corner conversion by Heather McEwan in the 6th minute. India responded positively and found the equaliser when Navneet Kaur finished from a scramble drill after a failed penalty corner trap, in the second quarter (18th minute). The hosts built on that momentum and went ahead a minute before half-time following Sunelita Toppo’s smart conversion off a penalty corner, giving India a 2–1 lead.Scotland, however, bounced back three minutes after halftime and levelled the contest through Fiona Burnet.

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report): The Pakistan hockey team returned home after participating in the World Cup Qualifying Round. At their arrival, the team management and players received a warm welcome.On this occasion, (Member of the National Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary), Deputy Director General of PSB Mohammad Shahid Islam٫ Hassan (Staff Officer, ), President of Rising Stars Hockey Club Islamabad Mahmood Ahmed, international hockey umpire Sohail Akram Janjua, national hockey umpire Mohammad Azeem, and former national hockey player Khyber Ali were also present.On this occasion, the guests met with the national team players and management and appreciated their efforts. They also expressed their best wishes for the improvement and development of Pakistan’s national sport, hockey.

City of Santiago, Chile (Sports News): It was an absolutely thrilling day for hockey in Santiago, Chile at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifier.On the women’s side, Australia got the job done over Ireland, while Chile defeated Japan in shootouts, to lock down FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 qualification.(Women’s) France 3 – 0 CanadaCanada put up a fight in the first half but could not withstand a France attack that opened up its scoring in the second.In the 34th minute, Emma van der Zanden became the first France player to score against Canada, with a redirection off a penalty corner shot. With renewed confidence, France continued to press, earning another two set piece chances and seeing Mathilde Duffrene convert the second.The final quarter saw more frustration for Canada and a third goal for France, a set piece finished by Pauline Varoqui.(Women’s) Malaysia 3 – 1 SwitzerlandDespite a start seemingly in favor of Switzerland, Malaysia would be the first to strike, capitalizing on an error in the 25th minute. Siti Mohd scored on the penalty corner, and Fatin Sukri did the same just a minute later to put Malaysia up 2-0.The third quarter saw sustained pressure from Malaysia, which finally paid off when Nur Azhar notched the third goal. The next tally, however, would come from Switzerland, off a rare penalty corner chance in minute 43, finished by Sofie Stomp.Even after electing to substitute their goalkeeper for an extra field player in the fourth, Switzerland was unable to score again.(Men’s) Korea 0 – 0 (1 – 3 SO) ChileChile finished out the tournament with a shootout win over Korea to claim seventh place.An even first half between Korea and Chile went without a goal on either side, despite seeing a bit more chances from the hosts, including eight fruitless penalty corners.Korea started off the second half with a different pace, putting on some pressure, but Chile matched their energy, and the third quarter met another scoreless end.As the 10-minute warning came and both teams were desperate for a goal, the play opened up significantly. A turnover in the final minutes looked to be the golden opportunity for Korea’s Seyong Oh, but the chance was saved by Chile goalkeeper Adrián Henriquez. The 0-0 match would be decided in shootouts, with Korea defending first.Chile’s Jose Hurtado put the host team up with a nifty spin move, while goalkeeper Agustin Araya—substituted in for Henriquez—made the first save. In the second round, Arnau Labbe put in the rebound for Chile’s second tally, while Araya made another stop against Korea. Juan Amoroso, playing his 100th cap for Chile, scored on the third attempt. With all the pressure on his shoulders, Geonhyo Jin scored to keep Korea alive. Chile sealed their victory in the fourth round with a score by Kay Gesswein.(Men’s) Scotland 5 – 1 CanadaIt was a shining performance for Scotland’s Jamie Golden, who notched four goals in a 5-1 win over Canada.The first two tallies of the match came in the second quarter, where Golden converted both a penalty stroke and set piece. Canada was remiss to give up two more penalty corners to start the third, as both were sent in by Golden, giving Scotland a four-goal lead.Matthew Sarmento put Canada on the board in minute 38, laying out a dive to tip the ball in. Canada trailed, 3-1, heading into the final quarter.As the match wound down, Scotland were two men down after a yellow and green card. Canada looked to take advantage by substituting out its goalkeeper to go three field players up, but instead, Scotland put in one more, this time from Ali Douglas.(Women’s) Ireland 0 – 1 AustraliaBy a tight margin, Australia clinched their spot to the World Cup with a win over Ireland.A strong Australia team kicked off the match with pressure, but the Ireland defense was up to the task. Australia was kept off the board for the entire opening frame, including having a penalty stroke stopped by Ireland goalkeeper Elizabeth Murphy.In the second quarter, Australia had another chance at a penalty stroke, and this time there was no mistake: Claire Colwill put it away to put Australia up 1-0.Working against the clock, Ireland substituted their goalkeeper out for the final five minutes, adding to the drama when Australia had a chance and Caoimhe Perdue saved it on the line. Despite another penalty corner opportunity, Ireland was unable to find the equalizer.(Women’s) Chile 1 – 1 (2 – 0 SO) JapanIn a high-octane semifinal that needed shootouts to crown a winner, Chile punched its ticket to the World Cup.It was Japan’s match to win after the first quarter, showing a higher possession and scoring what would be the lone goal for the next 45 minutes.For the next two quarters, set piece chances on each side were defended, to the frustration of both teams. Time ticked down, all the way to the final minutes, and finally Las Diablas got the goal they needed so desperately. Domenica Ananias lifted the ball over the goalkeeper on a penalty corner, and the final whistle sounded over the roar of the home fans.Japan defended first in shootouts, with Chile’s Constanza Muñoz missing the attacking chance. The score remained nil after Japan did not make the attempt as well.On the second round, Ananias notched the first goal for Chile, while Japan’s Akari Nakagomi was blocked. Both teams missed out on the third round.

Ismailia, Egypt (Sports News): Pakistan and England booked their tickets to the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 by winning their respective semi-finals at the qualifying tournament in Ismailia, Egypt on Friday.England made sure of their spot with an emphatic 7-1 win over Malaysia while Pakistan pulled off a last-gasp 4-3 victory over Japan. The winners will meet in the final on Saturday.Malaysia and Japan still have a chance to qualify for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 by winning the bronze medal playoff, also on Saturday. The highest-ranked fourth-place team across all the qualifying tournaments will also secure a World Cup place.Meanwhile, in the other match of the day in Ismailia, Egypt claimed a comprehensive 4-0 win over Austria and will take on China in the playoff for fifth place.(Men’s) England 7 – 1 MalaysiaEngland racked up six goals in the second half as they advanced to the final with an emphatic 7-1 win over Malaysia.England enjoyed a significant advantage in possession and territory throughout the match, but a highly organised and energetic Malaysian defence kept the scoreline tight in the first half. England’s Jacob Payton bunted an early shot wide from close range, and Will Calnan pulled a tomahawk shot slightly left of goal before Sam Ward fired them ahead with a 19th minute drag flick. Malaysian goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman made two important saves to keep the score at 1-0 in England’s favour at half time.England kept applying pressure in the third quarter and the goals started to come. Sam Hooper landed a heavy drag flick in the 36th minute, and Tom Sorsby rifled a reverse strike into the roof of the net in the 41st. Stuart Rushmere did brilliantly to stop his leading run on a dime, collecting a pass behind him on the reverse stick and steering it in for a 4-0 lead. Malaysia pulled one back in the 50th minute, Faizal Saari sprinting 50 metres to receive a pass and fire across goal where Shafiq Hassan outpaced the scrambling English defence for an excellent deflection. England finished strongly, with Zach Wallace adding a delicate short corner deflection in the 54th minute, and both Rushmere and Hooper completing their braces in the 59th and 60th.(Men’s) Pakistan 4 – 3 JapanPakistan grabbed three late goals in a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan to secure their spot at the FIH Hockey World Cup.The Japanese had an early chance to go ahead when Tsubasa Tanaka found himself one-on-one against the keeper, but he flipped it over the crossbar. Muhammad Ammad opened the scoring for Pakistan in the 9th minute, pouncing on the rebound after his first shot was saved by Takumi Kitagawa and deflected back to him off the post. Japan were denied from a couple of penalty corners, including a sensational Arshad Liaqat save on the post. They did level the scores in the 21st minute though, Ryoma Ooka finishing with a good deflection from open play to take the teams to the break locked at 1-1.Shota Yamada edged Japan ahead with his 35th minute drag flick, and they doubled their lead in the 41st. A clever overhead behind the Pakistani defence drew their goalkeeper out of his circle, but he couldn’t clear to safety and Koji received the ball unmarked for a slap-in at the left post. The momentum seemed to be with Japan, but Pakistan dug deep and surged forward when the Japanese received a yellow card with 10 minutes remaining. Abu Mahmood reduced the deficit to one goal with his 52nd minute drag flick down the centre, and they drew level in the 55th when Sufyan Khan bulleted a drag flick between the goalkeeper and the post-man. There was plenty of drama at the finish. Afraz gave Pakistan the lead in the 57th minute with a sensational deflection from open play. Japan earned a penalty stroke immediately after, but Ali Raza read it well and saved it with his fully outstretched right foot to secure the win.Mohammad Ammad was named as the player of the match for Pakistan.(Men’s) Egypt 4 – 0 AustriaThere was plenty to celebrate for the hosts as Egypt marked Mohamed Ragab’s 100th international cap with a commanding 4–0 victory over Austria.The Egyptians struck first in the 9th minute when their second penalty corner of the match led to a penalty stroke after an Austrian defender was struck on the line. Ahmed Elganaini calmly stepped up and slotted the stroke into the right corner of the net to give the hosts the lead. The home side enjoyed the majority of possession during the second quarter and were rewarded again in the 25th minute. A crash ball into the circle from Mohamed Adel on the right found an unmarked Hussein Awad at the far post, and he fired it home to double Egypt’s advantage. The Egyptians had an opportunity to extend their lead to three goals with just over four minutes remaining in the half, but they missed a second penalty stroke and had to settle for a 2–0 lead heading into the break.Egypt lost some of their momentum at the start of the third quarter as Austria began to take greater control of possession. However, the Austrians were unable to capitalise, failing to convert any of their three penalty corners during the period (or indeed nine in the match). Egypt restored their grip on the game early in the final quarter when a clever penalty corner variation ended with a beautifully angled drag flick from Mahmoud Mamdouh to make it 3–0 in the 47th minute. The result was effectively sealed soon afterwards when a superb aerial pass from Ahmed Elganaini found Ziad Adel on the baseline. He controlled the ball well before smashing it in from an acute angle to wrap up a 4–0 victory.Egypt’s Mohamed Ragab was named as player of the match and said: “I’m very happy with my 100th game and also with the performance today of the team and all the players as well. We helped each other to achieve this win today.”

City of Santiago, Chile (Sports News): The final four pool matches of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Santiago, Chile finished out today, deciding the remaining semifinal teams for the women’s Pool A and B.With a 4-0 victory over Malaysia, Japan joined Ireland at the top of Pool B and earned a spot in the semifinals. Ireland defeated Canada to finish number one in the group.In Pool A, host Chile claimed the top spot with a 1-0 win over France, as Australia secured the second with a 3-0 shutout over Switzerland.(Women’s) Japan 4 – 0 MalaysiaIn a matchup that would determine who moves on to the semifinals, Japan stepped up in the second half to secure the spot with a 4-0 win.The first two quarters were tight, and it seemed that Malaysia’s underdog mentality could propel them through. It was not meant to be, however, and halfway through the third frame, Shiho Kobayakawa tapped in a goal off the post to put Japan up, 1-0. Kobayakawa put in another for good measure as the quarter ended, dribbling down and hitting a reverse shot to double Japan’s lead.The game became out of reach for Malaysia in the fourth, as goals from Hiroka Murayama and Akari Nakagomi sent Japan’s margin of victory to 4-0.(Women’s) Canada 1 – 5 IrelandPerhaps due to having already clinched a semifinal spot, Ireland started out its match against Canada a touch complacent. Eager to pounce on the opportunity, Canada was the first to score, with Anna Mollenhauer striking on a penalty corner in the 13th minute.Ireland found its swagger in the second quarter and went on to score five unanswered goals. The first was a spectacular reverse hit and tip, sent in by Niamh Carey to Sarah Torrans. Caoimhe Perdue nailed the second of the quarter via set piece to put Ireland up, 2-1.Back-to-back tallies from Ireland came in the third quarter from Sarah Torrans and Jessica McMaster. Amy Handcock made it 5-1 with a penalty corner flick as time expired.(Women’s) Australia 3 – 0 SwitzerlandFollowing its narrow loss to Chile yesterday, Australia needed to find a win, which is exactly what it did against Switzerland.It was about eight minutes into play when Australia dealt its first blow — a pass from Amy Lawton dumped left for Neasa Flynn to put away. Switzerland responded admirably, however, turning in a strong defensive effort.Switzerland kept the No. 8 ranked Hockeyroos off the board for the middle two quarters, outlasting four penalty corners and numerous other attempts.Eventually, the force of Australia could not be contained any longer, and in the 51st minute, Neasa Flynn tallied again by tapping the ball out of the air on a set piece. Mihaylia Howell made it 3-0 for Australia will a well-timed tip over the goalkeeper.(Women’s) France 0 – 1 ChileWith the final semifinal spot at the Santiago qualifier on the line, France needed a big win against host Chile. France put on a good showing, but it was Chile who clinched the coveted spot with a 1-0 win.Las Diablas came in feeling confident, with yesterday’s win over Australia and the force of the home crowd behind them. Josefa Salas deflected in a shot off an early set piece opportunity to give Chile the first goal of the match.France settled into the game, but Chile refused to take its foot off the gas. An even second quarter gave way to a similarly close third, and tensions continued to heighten—seeing two yellow cards apiece in the second half. The final frame finished out the same, with a strong effort from both sides, but seeing Chile take the win.