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Continuing their awesome tally of form, India defeated hosts New Zealand 2-0 successful the last to triumph their 2nd FIH Women's Nations Cup rubric and secured promotion to the FIH Women's Pro League connected Sunday (June 21, 2026).
Navneet Kaur (4’) gave India the aboriginal pb earlier Sunelita Toppo (15’) doubled India's advantage. The squad produced a stellar antiaircraft show to support their pb and triumph the title, which besides marked their instrumentality to the Pro League adjacent season.
Lalremsiami won the 'Player of the Match' grant successful the final, portion Deepika finished arsenic the joint-top scorer successful the tourney with six goals to her sanction – sharing the honours with USA’s Ashley Sessa.
This is India’s 2nd Nations Cup title, having won the inaugural variation of the tourney successful 2022.
India remained unbeaten passim their campaign, defeating USA (3-2), Japan (2-1), and Uruguay (3-2) successful the Pool A matches, earlier registering a commanding 6-0 triumph implicit Chile successful the semi-final.
To recognise the teams' achievements, Hockey India announced a currency grant of Rs 3 lakh for each subordinate and Rs 1.5 lakh for each subordinate of the enactment staff.
In the rubric match, the hosts enjoyed the bulk of possession successful the aboriginal exchanges arsenic they looked to marque aboriginal inroads.
However, the visitors manufactured the archetypal meaningful accidental of the crippled erstwhile Kaur won a punishment corner. She converted from the set-piece with a thunderous deed successful the 4th minute, putting India successful front.
India were exceptional successful transition, causing each sorts of problems for New Zealand's defence with their intensity.
They doubled their vantage done their 5th punishment country of the opening quarter, with Sunelita deflecting a crisp effort from Deepika, handing India a 2-0 pb successful the 15th minute.
India were disciplined successful the 2nd quarter, portion New Zealand began to turn into the crippled arsenic they looked to claw back. The visitors excessively had a mates of opportunities to widen their lead.
However, neither broadside could find the backmost of the net, resulting successful India holding onto their two-goal vantage astatine half-time.
India remained resolute successful the 3rd quarter, putting up a singular antiaircraft show that kept the hosts astatine bay and denied them immoderate wide goal-scoring opportunity. With their precocious intensity, the visitors forced a mistake from the New Zealand defence, but Navneet's reverse deed was saved by the goalkeeper.
New Zealand earned a punishment country successful the opening exchanges of the 4th quarter. The resulting set-piece, however, was saved by Savita. The visitors remained superb successful maintaining a choky antiaircraft operation and yet secured a 2-0 triumph to clinch the title.
