India registered their first win at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 with a commanding 6-1 victory over South Africa in Amstelveen on Tuesday.
The Indian attack clicked from the outset, with six different players finding the net as India secured a convincing result following their opening 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China.
Sunelita Toppo opened the scoring in the first quarter before Navneet Kaur doubled India’s advantage early in the second. Sushila Chanu added another goal before half-time as India went into the interval with a 3-0 lead.
India maintain control after break
India continued their attacking dominance after the restart and extended their advantage through Deepika in the third quarter. Lalremsiami then added a fifth before Sakshi Rana completed India’s six-goal tally.
South Africa eventually pulled one back through Kayla de Waal in the fourth quarter, but the goal did little to alter the outcome as India comfortably managed the remainder of the contest.
The emphatic victory gives India a major boost in their bid to progress from the pool stage. After being held by China in their opening fixture, the six-goal performance also provided a significant improvement in their attacking output.
India’s defence remained largely untroubled for most of the contest, while their ability to convert chances across all four quarters allowed them to build an unassailable advantage.
India will next take on England in a crucial pool-stage fixture. The result of that encounter will play an important role in determining India’s position in the group and their prospects of advancing deeper into the World Cup.
