Sports Bulletin

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.

Sports NewsIsmailia, Egypt – Malaysia and Japan claimed vital victories at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Ismailia on Wednesday to book their tickets to the semi-finals.The Malaysians held on for a 5-4 victory over China while Japan withstood a spirited fightback from Egypt, beating them 6-3 to join England and Pakistan in the final four. Pakistan had already secured their place before extending their winning run with a 4-2 victory over Austria on Wednesday.The results of the group games mean England will play Malaysia and Pakistan will take on Japan in the semi-finals on Friday, with the winners of those matches guaranteed a ticket to the FIH Hockey World Cup this August.(Men’s) Austria 2 – 4 PakistanPakistan wrapped up the group stage with another win, beating Austria 4-2.The match pitted contrasting styles against one another, but Austria did well to keep up with top-of-the-table Pakistan in the first half. The Pakistanis did get in front early, though, after successfully defending a penalty corner and counterattacking rapidly. Ghazanfar Ali produced a pinpoint pass across the goalkeeper for a diving Afraz to add the finishing touch in the 4th minute. It was a lead that they held onto through to half-time.After failing to convert any of their previous eight penalty corners, Pakistan opted for a different variation late in the third quarter, and it paid dividends with Abu Mahmoud dragging in their second goal in the 44th minute. Austria responded at the start of the final period, Max Kelner reducing the deficit with a well-worked penalty corner variation of their own. But Pakistan stretched their lead to 3–1 in the 51st minute when Sufyan Khan’s drag flick took a deflection off the first-wave runner from yet another penalty corner. Less than a minute later, they struck again, Mahmood completing his brace with a fierce drag into the bottom left corner. Austria managed to narrow the gap once again, this time through a Max Scholz penalty stroke in the 53rd minute, but too much damage had already been done, and they were unable to claw their way back.Ghazanfar Ali was named player of the match for Pakistan and said: “Austria is very good in the structure, but we played disciplined hockey in the last quarter and we won the game.”(Men’s) Malaysia 5 – 4 ChinaMalaysia held their nerve to book their semi-final ticket with a 5-4 win over China in an entertaining encounter.The Malaysians piled on plenty of pressure from the start and were rewarded for their efforts when Fitri Saari’s drag deflected in off a defender’s stick in the 5th minute. The Chinese response was immediate, with Xu Ao feeding in for an outstanding one-handed finish from a sliding Yaqi Wang to level the scores just moments later. China then took the lead for the first time off a penalty stroke in the 16th minute, Yulai Zhao deftly lifting it into the top right corner of the net. Again, there was an immediate reply, but this time the Malaysian goal was disallowed. It wasn’t until two minutes before the half-time break that they found the equaliser when the initial deflection off a penalty corner variation was saved, but Aiman Rozemi was on hand to tap in for 2-2.A beautiful deflection into the roof of the net off a penalty corner saw Faiz Jali edging Malaysia into the lead in the 36th minute. And despite being handed a five-minute yellow card, they managed to pull further in front with a penalty stroke in the 43rd, thanks again to Fitri Saari. Great work from Rozemi along the baseline ended with him popping the ball up to Faizal Saari to tap in Malaysia’s fifth at the start of the final quarter. The Chinese then pulled one back after a lovely piece of skill from Rui Su to set up Zhao for his second in the 51st minute. And they closed the gap even further when Benhai Chen rocketed in straight down the middle from a penalty corner three minutes later. But that was where the scoring ended, sending Malaysia into the semi-finals.Malaysia’s Aiman Rozemi was named player of the match and said: “I am very happy about this game. I think we played well for the game, but we still need to focus a bit in the last quarter, because when we are leading, we always… give them the chance to come back.”(Men’s) Japan 6 – 3 EgyptIn a match of massive momentum swings, Japan’s clinical start and composed finish proved decisive in a 6–3 defeat of Egypt which featured two hat-tricks.The Japanese controlled the first quarter and opened the scoring from the first penalty corner of the match, captain Raiki Fujishima rifling a drag flick into the top right corner in the 7th minute. They doubled their advantage moments later when Koji Yamasaki’s tomahawk from the top of the circle picked out Ryosuke Shinohara in front of goal to apply a deft deflection for Japan’s second. The third arrived via a swift counterattack after Egypt failed to make their second penalty corner count, Kazumasa Matsumoto crashing the ball home in the 11th minute.A defensive lapse in the 22nd minute handed Egypt a lifeline, a loose turnover inside the Japanese circle presenting a gilt-edged chance that Ahmed Elganaini gratefully accepted. Japan were 3-1 at the half-time break.A well-worked penalty corner variation in the 33rd minute saw Egypt right back in the match, with Elganaini providing the final touch to make it 3-2. Elganaini then completed his hat-trick with a field goal moments later to pull his side level. After a long period of Egyptian dominance, Japan managed to score against the run of play when Matsumoto slapped in his second in the 40th minute. And Fujishima put the result beyond doubt when he produced a phenomenal drag in the 52nd and another in the 59th to complete his own hat-trick and seal a somewhat flattering 6-3 win.

Sports Bulletin ReportIsmailia (Egypt): Following an official advisory on 3 March 2026 from the US State Department urging all US citizens to depart from nations within or close to the conflict zones in the Middle East, including Egypt, the USA Men's team, with the full support of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), has withdrawn from the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifier currently taking place in Ismailia, Egypt. The team departed Egypt earlier today. The results of the first two USA matches will stand, and remaining matches involving the USA will be cancelled. The Ismailia event progresses to the classification stage on Friday and the finals on Saturday.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): England and Pakistan both claimed decisive victories on the second day of the men’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Ismailia on Monday, so securing passage through to the semi-finals.Pakistan came from behind to beat Malaysia 5-3 before England defeated hosts Egypt 3-0. That sees them currently topping their respective groups with one more round of group matches to come on Wednesday.In the other matches of the day, Japan claimed their first points of the tournament with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over the USA, while Austria and China played to a 1-1 draw.(Men’s) Pakistan 5 – 3 MalaysiaPakistan came back from a two-goal deficit to complete a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Malaysia.The Malaysians controlled large parts of the first quarter and found the breakthrough when Muhajir Abdu Rauf managed to push the ball through the keeper’s legs in the 12th minute. With just over a minute remaining, Akhimullah Anuar rocketed another one into the roof of the net from a penalty corner to double the Malaysians’ lead. Pakistan then produced the perfect response just seconds later – Waheed Rana pulling one back with a superb deflection at the other end. The Pakistanis found the equaliser within seconds of the start of the second quarter. An excellent solo run finished with Zikriya Hayat popping the ball across goal, only for it to take a fortunate deflection off a Malaysian defender and trickle in for 2-2, which is how the score remained at half-time.After a more controlled period of play from the Malaysians, Fitri Saari put his side back in front from a penalty stroke in the 40th minute. And it was then a pivotal pass from Waheed Rana that allowed Ahmad Nadeem to tuck the ball in at the far post for Pakistan's equaliser with one second left on the clock in the third quarter. Andy Jeffrynus was struck on the head by the stick of Fayyaz Hamza, who was shown a 10-minute yellow card in the 49th minute, but Pakistan took the lead for the first time in the match from a Sufyan Khan drag directly after the incident. The Malaysians pulled off their keeper with just over five and a half minutes to play, but it immediately cost them as a Pakistan counterattack saw Muhammad Ammad firing in their fifth to wrap up the comeback win.Waheed Rana was named the player of the match and said: “It was a good team effort, and I would give credit to all my team to play such a wonderful game.”(Men’s) Austria 1 – 1 ChinaBoth Austria and China struggled to find their finishing touch in an even contest that resulted in a 1-1 draw.With both sides having lost their opening matches a day earlier, caution dominated proceedings, resulting in a largely defensive contest with few clear-cut chances and little goalmouth action in the first half. The breakthrough finally came in the 27th minute when Josef Winkler fed to Moritz Frey, who controlled well and then lifted the ball into the back of the net over the keeper’s shoulder to hand Austria a 1-0 lead, which they held at the half-time break.China came back at them at the start of the third quarter with Benhai Chen firing in from a penalty corner in the 31st minute. Adrian Fink had the chance to put the Austrians back in front with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, but, having done all the work in front of goal, he put his shot wide. With all to play for in the final quarter, neither side managed to dominate. While the Chinese probably shaded the overall scoring opportunities, with four penalty corners earned in the match compared with Austria’s two, ultimately the sides had to settle for a share of the points.Austrian captain Benjamin Kölbl was named the player of the match and said: “We did a really good job today. We tried to defend everything, but we were not dangerous enough in the circle.”(Men’s) Japan 4 – 0 USAJapan did well to bounce back from a five-goal loss at the hands of England a day earlier and claim a 4-0 victory over the USA.The Japanese made an early statement, capitalising on their first opportunity when the ball found an unmarked Kazumasa Matsumoto in space and he fired home for a 1–0 lead. Clear chances were scarce for the Americans, whose defence came under sustained pressure from a series of Japanese penalty corners. They held firm to limit the damage, but in the 23rd minute, a clever variation at another set piece ended with Koji Yamasaki applying the finishing touch to double the advantage. Five minutes later, Ryoma Ooka blasted in a ferocious strike from just inside the circle to make it 3–0, a commanding lead Japan carried into the half-time break.The USA managed to stem the tide in a far more evenly contested third quarter. But they struggled with their penalty corner execution, meaning the score remained at 3-0 heading into the final period. After a relatively subdued third quarter, the Japanese looked livelier in the fourth. Kosei Kawabe came close to adding a fourth goal, only to be denied by the post. But he would not be frustrated for long. In the 56th minute, he got his reward with a sharp first-time deflection that found the back of the net, to consolidate a comprehensive 4–0 victory.Japan’s Kazumasa Matsumoto was named player of the match and said: “I was very happy to score the first goal, and we were very happy to win today’s game.”(Men’s) Egypt 0 – 3 EnglandEngland controlled proceedings well as they posted a hard-fought 3-0 win over hosts Egypt.The English dominated the stats throughout, enjoying long periods of possession and plenty of territorial advantage. Goalkeeper Mohamed Gamal made a series of excellent saves in the Egyptian goal as he led a defensive masterclass under continuous pressure. England survived a couple of dangerous penalty corners before Sam Ward fired them ahead in the 27th minute, his drag flick deflecting off the first wave runner to beat the defence. Nick Bandurak made it 2-0 to England with a sizzling drag flick placed mere millimetres inside the left post.The English continued to boss the third quarter, but there wasn’t much space to move with Egypt adopting a heavily defensive position to see off the 10-minute yellow card received late in the second quarter. Gamal remained vigorous in the defence of his goal throughout the second half before Tom Sorsby finally put the result beyond any doubt in the 57th minute, cleaning up the scraps after the post-man saved the first shot from a penalty corner.England’s Nick Bandurak was named as the player of the match and said: “We really had to work hard in that final third. They got numbers behind the ball, defended well, and they made life really tough. Every shot we had we felt was contested, so credit to them and the way they approached the game, and thankfully we got over the line in the end.”

Islamabad (Sports News):There were no major surprises on the opening day of the men’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Ismailia, Egypt as Malaysia, Pakistan, England and Egypt all racked up important wins.The hosts were pushed all the way by the United States, and Pakistan edged out the Chinese in a fixture that has been evenly contested in recent years. Malaysia and England powered through their matches.(Men’s) Malaysia 6 – 1 AustriaMalaysia had too much pace and energy for Austria as they stormed to a 6-1 win.The Austrians had a promising start when Fülöp Losonci fired them ahead from the penalty spot in the 3rd minute. Malaysia grew into the game though, and by the start of the second quarter, they were in full control, pressing aggressively and looking dangerous around the Austrian circle. They squandered several penalty corners before striking twice in the 24th minute. Azrai Abu Kamal got ahead of his marker to complete a clinical deflection in front of goal, and Shello Silverius’s strike trickled across the line after taking two touches off defenders. Malaysia missed a penalty stroke just before half-time and went in leading 2-1.It was all Malaysia in the second half. Norsyafiq Sumantri got the final touch from a scrappy penalty corner in the 34th, and Kamal tapped in to complete his brace after Akhimullah Anuar eliminated the keeper with an unselfish pass. Anuar pounced on a loose ball at the back post for his goal, and Marhan Jalil slapped in a recycled penalty corner to complete the scoring in the 52nd minute.Faizal Saari was named player of the match for Malaysia and said: “Credit to the boys, we collected the 3 points today… It doesn’t matter if we are down one or two-zero, we just play a normal game, and we come back from 1-0 to 6-1.”(Men’s) Pakistan 5 – 4 ChinaPakistan opened their campaign with a hard-fought 5-4 win over China after threatening to run away with the result at the halfway mark.Pakistan created better opportunities in a high-paced opening quarter and Sufyan Khan fired them ahead in the 8th minute, beating the keeper for pure pace with a drag flick. China hit back in the 16th minute, Shihao Du’s drag flick deflecting horribly off the first wave. Ali Raza then made a good double save for Pakistan before his team got upfield to score two quick goals. First, Waheed Rana worked hard across the circle and pounced on a loose ball for a neat finish in the 20th minute. Muhammad Ammad tapped in a minute later after some brilliant aerial skills from Ahmad Nadeem along the baseline, and Pakistan led 3-1 at the break.Pakistan seemed to be cruising to victory when Abu Mahmood nailed a huge drag flick in the 35th minute to go 4-1 up. But China raised their energy to assert some control. They struck twice in quick succession, Du completing his brace with a sizzling drag flick in the 39th, and Quyang Guan adding a penalty corner variation in the 42nd minute. Waleed Rana edged Pakistan two ahead within a minute, but Xiaojia Zhang’s pass across goal deflected in off a defender in the 49th minute to set up a tense finale. Pakistan came closest to scoring when they rattled the crossbar from a PC with two minutes remaining, and they held on for the three points.The player of the match was awarded to Pakistan’s Ammad Butt who said: “I’m very disappointed in the way we played. The first two quarters, very good, but after that, third and fourth, we had some patches. We have to improve in our midfield, and our attack and PC short corner defence as well. By the way, I’m really happy because of the three points.”(Men’s) England 5 – 0 JapanEngland scored five high-quality goals as they cruised to a 5-0 win over Japan.It took the English some time to settle down, but two goals from acute angles towards the end of the first quarter saw them on their way. Thomas Sorsby’s opener was a sensational slap into the top corner from an acute angle. Sam Ward went even tighter, using his physical strength to drive along the baseline before slapping in with no angle to work with. Henry Croft added a tomahawk in the 17th minute, carrying the ball well into the circle after some quick passing from a free hit. Other than a couple of turnovers late in the half, England were in full control as they led 3-0 at half-time.Sorsby’s second goal came from a piece of individual brilliance as he carried the ball into the circle and tomahawked it in at the back post in the 36th minute. Croft added an excellent deflection from Jacob Payton’s feed off the baseline in the 44th, and England went on to manage the game through to the final whistle. Japan did create some clear chances and earned a couple of penalty corners, but they couldn’t execute in the circle when it mattered.England’s Thomas Sorsby was named the player of the match and said: “Japan are a very good team. We knew we had to prepare well, so a very professional start from us, really enjoyed the game, and hopefully some more of that to come.”(Men’s) Egypt 3 – 1 United StatesHosts Egypt were made to work extremely hard as they came from behind to post a 3-1 win over the United States.An action-packed first quarter saw the USA take the lead in the 6th minute, Aki Kaeppeler launching his drag flick into the top right corner. Ahmed Elganaini equalised with a penalty stroke in the 10th after the post-man was struck on the line defending a penalty corner. Goalkeeper Jonathan Klages then came off his line twice to shut Egypt out as they gained momentum before Hamada Atef eventually fired them ahead with a huge drag flick in the 22nd minute. Mohamed Gamal raced off his line to block a shot and Egypt held a slender 2-1 lead at half-time. Gamal pulled off a series of exceptional saves as the USA bossed a goalless third quarter. The Americans thought they had levelled matters in the 46th minute, but the goal was overturned and a 10-minute yellow card issued on the umpire’s review for a collision with a defender in the build-up. Egypt initially struggled to make their numerical advantage count, but Ahmed Mohsen tapped in from an exquisite feed in the 52nd minute to double their lead. The USA applied plenty of pressure towards the end of the match, but they couldn’t find another goal.Ahmed Elganaini of Egypt was named as the player of the match and said: “So proud for my team. We all played very well today, and USA played very well… it was a tough game.”

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 TeamsSwitzerland - 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 TeamsMalaysia - 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.”

Hobart (Sports Report): Hosts Australia overpowered Pakistan 3-0 in Pro league hockey match here on Friday.Australia defeated Pakistan by three goals to nil.For Australia, Blake Govers scored two goals, while Jake added one. Pakistan remained unable to score a goal until the end of the match.Pakistan will play its fourth and final pool match against Germany on February 14 at the same venue.

Islamabad (Sports Report): Germany’s men fired in five goals from five different scorers to see off Pakistan on the second day of the Tasmanian leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Australia’s women and India’s men endured difficult starts to their campaigns, both going down on home soil in Hobart and Rourkela, respectively. (Men’s) Pakistan 2 – 5 GermanyPakistan produced another gutsy performance in a rainy Hobart, but couldn’t get the better of Germany as they cruised to a 5-2 win.There was plenty of action at both ends in an entertaining opening quarter. But it was Germany who capitalised when an unmarked Christopher Ruhr received a baseline pass in acres of space and smashed home to complete a great team goal and secure a 1–0 lead in the sixth minute. Their second came early in the second quarter from a penalty corner, Tom Grambusch’s drag flick taking a deflection off a defender’s stick on its way in. Pakistan’s reply came a minute later when a crash ball into the circle was met by Muhammad Ammad, who, on the run, produced an audacious overhead deflection to make it 2-1. But Germany struck again before the break, Benedikt Schwarzhaupt converting another penalty corner in the 25th minute to send them into half-time with a 3–1 advantage.The Germans put their foot down with two goals in a clinical third quarter. Malte Hellwig’s cross ball found a deflection off a defender’s stick in the 41st minute and Raphael Hartkopf tapped in at the far post to make it 5-1 less than a minute later. Ali Raza did well to save a penalty stroke with two and a half minutes left in the period to prevent further damage. Pakistan then found late consolation in the final quarter when the impressive Sufyan Khan converted a penalty corner in the 57th minute, but it wasn't enough to stop Germany from securing a comfortable 5-2 win.(Women’s) Australia 0 – 1 ArgentinaArgentina secured their third win of the FIH Hockey Pro League season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Australia in Hobart.After a romping 5-0 victory over Ireland a day earlier, Argentina knew taking on hosts Australia would be a much tougher prospect. And so it proved in a tight, hard-fought first half. Australia controlled much of the possession but were unable to turn that dominance into clear scoring chances. Meanwhile, Argentina’s best opportunities came from a handful of penalty corners, among the nine they earned in the match, that they could not convert.The breakthrough finally arrived in the third quarter from a cleverly worked penalty corner variation. Agustina Gorzelany, playing in her 150th match for Argentina, stepped up and unleashed a powerful, low drag into the bottom right corner, giving Argentina the 1-0 lead in a contest where goals had been hard to come by. With just under three minutes remaining, Australia pulled their goalkeeper in search of an equaliser and earned a penalty corner with a minute to play, but it was well saved as Argentina held on for the narrow win.Argentina captain Agostina Alonso was named player of the match and said: “Every game against Australia is this way. A really tough team. They play really hard, so that’s the game we expected. We [played] the game we prepared for, so I’m happy with that. A good win, a good feeling.”(Men’s) India 1 – 3 BelgiumIndia’s men opened their FIH Hockey Pro League campaign on home soil in Rourkela on Wednesday but went down 3-1 to a slick-looking Belgian outfit.Belgium created the better chances at the start, but India’s defence stood firm to keep them out in a goalless first period. The Belgians then continued to apply pressure in the second quarter and, after India conceded a tame turnover, capitalised swiftly with Nelson Onana slapping it home for a 1–0 lead in the 23rd minute. India began to piece together more convincing attacks in the closing minutes of the quarter and won a penalty corner with a minute remaining. Amit Rohidas’s initial strike hit a charging defender’s stick, but Shilanand Lakra reacted quickest to gather the loose ball and rocket it into the net, sending his side into the half-time break level.After a goalless third quarter, Thomas Crols’ deadly strike from just inside the circle finally broke the deadlock for the Belgians in the 53rd minute. By that stage they had taken a firm grip on the match and just four minutes later, an excellent bit of interplay between Crols and Arno van Dessel saw them getting the better of the Indian defence and slotting it in to wrap up a solid 3-1 win. 

Hobart (Sports News): Hosts Australia defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the FIH Pro League here on Tuesday.Australia got 2-0 lead in the first half while Green Shirts leveled the game 2-2. In the last few minutes hosts made the final scoreline 3-2. Pakistan will face Germany in their next match tomorrow at the same venue.