India registers title win at FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup

India registered a title win at the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 in Auckland on Sunday, defeating the hosts 2-0 in a thrilling final. 

India remained unbeaten throughout their dominant campaign, defeating the USA, Japan and Uruguay in the league stage while Chile in the semi-finals and New Zealand in the final.

The title-deciding match saw early goals from Navneet Kaur in the fourth minute and Sunelita Toppo in the 15th, which proved decisive. 

Striker Lalremsiami secured the ‘Player of the Match’ award for her performance in the final.

While drag-flicker Deepika finished as the joint top-scorer of the tournament with six goals. She shared the honours with USA’s Ashley Sessa.

To honour the team’s achievement, Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh for each player and ₹1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff.

Captain Salima Tete echoed Marijne's sentiments and highlighted the intense preparation behind the victory. 

She said that "It feels absolutely amazing to lift this trophy. Our entire team worked incredibly hard for this moment. We entered this tournament with a clear mindset to bring the trophy home.”

Expressing immense satisfaction after the team's victory, Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne praised the growth of the squad.

“Of course, we are delighted to win our first tournament and final together. It was crucial for us to learn how to win finals, especially after our recent heartbreak against England at the World Cup qualifier,” he said.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)