Auckland: India continued their strong run in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 by defeating Japan 2-1 in their second Pool A match on Tuesday at the North Harbour National Hockey Centre, Auckland. With this win, India secured a place in the semi-finals after winning both their pool matches so far.
Tight First Half in FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026
The opening half of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 match remained closely contested, with both India and Japan creating chances but failing to break the deadlock. Neither side could find the finishing touch, and the teams went into half-time at 0-0.
India Take Lead Through Salima Tete
The match opened up in the third quarter of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 when India finally scored in the 33rd minute. A well-worked penalty corner variation saw Navneet Kaur’s shot deflected by Nikki Pradhan to captain Salima Tete, who calmly slotted the ball into the net to give India a 1-0 lead.
Also read : Deepti Sharma T20I Record: India Star Takes 5/10 to Dominate Pakistan in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Japan Respond Quickly to Equalise
Japan struck back almost immediately in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 encounter. In the 35th minute, Hiramitsu Ai converted a penalty corner to level the score at 1-1, bringing the game back to an even contest.
Lalremsiami Scores Winner for India
The decisive moment in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 came in the 49th minute when Lalremsiami scored the winning goal. A precise pass from Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam into the circle found Lalremsiami, who deflected it into the net to seal the victory for India.
India Top Pool A in FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026
With this win in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026, India moved to the top of Pool A with six points from victories over the USA and Japan. The team has already secured a semi-final berth with one match remaining.
Next Match for India
India will next face Uruguay on June 18 in their final Pool A fixture of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026, while Japan and the USA will battle for the remaining semi-final spot from Pool A.