New Delhi, March 18 -- After confirming their qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, the Indian women's hockey team is preparing for the marquee event following the tournament draw revealed on Tuesday evening.

India have been placed in Pool D alongside England, China, and South Africa for the upcoming tournament, which is scheduled to take place in August this year. China are the top-ranked team in the group, currently ranked world number four. India's recent opponents in the finals and winners of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, Hyderabad, Telangana - England, are ranked sixth, with India and South Africa ranked ninth and nineteenth, respectively.

With vastly different styles of play, the group ...