Uruguay, Wales register victories in FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers

Uruguay and Wales won their 5/8th place matches at the FIH Hockey Qualifiers. In the semi-finals, England beat Scotland 2-0, while India edged Italy 1-0 thanks to a goal from Manisha Chauhan. India will now face England in the final.

5/8th Place Encounters: Uruguay and Wales Secure Wins

Uruguay enjoyed a dominant 3-0 victory over Austria in their 5/8th place encounter at the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 at the G. M. C. Balayogi Hockey Ground (Gachibowli Hockey Complex) in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Friday. Teresa Viana (21',44') and Captain Manuela Vilar (4') were the goal scorers for Uruguay, according to a press release from Hockey India.

In another 5/8th place encounter, Wales defeated Korea 2-1. Captain Elizabeth Bingham (49', 53') scored the goals for Wales while Yeongeun Park (46') was the goalscorer for Korea.

Semi-Finals: England and India Book Final Berths

After that, England defeated Scotland with a comfortable scoreline of 2-0 in their semi-final encounter of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 at the same venue. Lottie Bingham (25') and Drcy Bourne (29') scored the two goals in the crucial match to book England's spot in the final.

In the second semi-final match, the Indian Women's Hockey team earned their spot in the final of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 after beating Italy 1-0. Manisha Chauhan (40') scored the winning goal for India, and they will now face England in the final on Saturday.

India vs Italy: A Tightly Contested Match

It was an extremely tight contest in the first quarter as both sides constantly battled for possession in the midfield. India started the match strongly with a couple of strong circle entries; however, Italy eventually started attacking aggressively and created a few good chances on goal.

India won the momentum back in the second quarter. The hosts used their flanks to push the ball ahead and started attacking in numbers, making crucial circle entries. In the 18th minute, India won the first penalty corner of the evening, but Navneet Kaur's shot on goal was stopped well by Italian goalkeeper Lucia Ines Caruso.

In the 27th minute, they were awarded another penalty corner as India played out an interesting variation. The ball was played back to the injector, Captain Salima Tete, but her shot was stopped on the line by Italy's defender, denying them a goal. In the 29th minute, India had another opportunity to score through a penalty corner, but Navneet Kaur's shot went off target.

India will next face England in the final on March 14 at 7:30 PM IST. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)