Salima Tete captains national squad for Auckland tournament
Hockey India officials confirmed a strong twenty-member national roster on Tuesday for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26. Dynamic midfielder Salima Tete keeps her role as captain for the prestigious tournament. The highly anticipated matches will take place in Auckland from June 15 to June 21, serving as a critical testing ground for the national squad.
Odisha continues its long-standing tradition as the backbone of national hockey by contributing exceptional talents like Sunelita Toppo and Deepika Soreng to this elite lineup.
Reliable goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam will anchor the defense. Experienced backline defenders Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Nikki Pradhan, and Jyoti give the lineup solid defensive depth. Rising stars Lalthantluangi and Shilpi Dabas earned their places after strong showings during the recent test matches in Australia.
Skipper Tete will direct the midfield actions alongside Neha, Sunelita Toppo, Sakshi Rana, and Deepika Soreng. Up front, Navneet Kaur will guide the attacking line after showing excellent goalscoring form in recent international outings. The forward line also features depth from Lalremsiami, Sonam, Deepika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Annu, and Ishika.
National selectors placed the team in Pool A alongside challenging opponents including Japan, the United States, and Uruguay. Host nation New Zealand, Chile, Korea, and France will compete in Pool B. Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne noted that the team enters this tournament with high confidence after a highly competitive four-match friendly series in Perth where they secured a hard-fought 2-2 series draw against Australia.
Marijne explained that the upcoming matches form a critical foundation for the team before they head into major events like the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games. The coaching staff wants the group to show high consistency across the entire tournament.
Opening tournament action begins on Monday, June 15, when India faces the United States at 16:15 IST. The team then challenges Japan on June 16, before completing their group stage matches against Uruguay on June 18. Knockout stage games begin on June 20, leading up to the final match on June 21.
