India women hold China to 2-2 draw in Hockey World Cup opener

The Indian women's hockey team opened their FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 campaign with a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China in Amstelveen on Sunday. Navneet Kaur gave India the lead in the eighth minute, but China equalised through a penalty stroke from Ying Zhang. Deepika Sehrawat restored India's advantage from a penalty corner in the 25th minute before Ma Ning levelled for China in the 39th minute.

The Times Now report highlighted that India, despite having lost to China in recent Asian tournaments, played with a fearless attitude and executed a tactical masterclass. The New Indian Express noted that India led twice and almost secured a famous win, while coach Sjoerd Marijne praised his team's discipline but emphasised the need to convert chances into goals.

India are level on points with China in Pool D, with England leading after a 4-0 win over South Africa. India will face South Africa on 18 August in their next group match.