India beat New Zealand 2-0 to lift FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup title
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Auckland: Hockey India has announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff after the Indian women’s hockey team clinched the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 title with a 2-0 win over hosts New Zealand in the final on Sunday.
India secured their second Nations Cup crown after a dominant campaign, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. The victory also helped the team earn a place in the FIH Hockey Women’s Pro League for the next season.
Navneet Kaur (4’) opened the scoring for India in the final, while Sunelita Toppo (15’) doubled the lead as the team produced a strong defensive display to seal the championship.
Lalremsiami was named the Player of the Match in the final, while Deepika finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, sharing the honour with USA’s Ashley Sessa.
India’s latest triumph follows their maiden Nations Cup title win at the inaugural edition in 2022. The team began their campaign with victories over USA (3-2), Japan (2-1), and Uruguay (3-2) in Pool A before defeating Chile 6-0 in the semi-final. They then overcame New Zealand 2-0 in the title clash.
“Glory. Gratitude. Recognition. To honour Team India’s FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26 title win, Hockey India announces a cash award of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff. A fitting reward for a team that made the nation proud,” Hockey India said in a statement on X.
In Sunday’s final, New Zealand dominated possession in the early stages as they looked to take control of the contest. However, India created the first major opportunity when Navneet earned a penalty corner and converted it with a powerful strike in the fourth minute to give India the lead.
India continued to threaten through quick transitions and increased pressure on the hosts’ defence. They extended their advantage from their fifth penalty corner of the match in the 15th minute, with Sunelita Toppo deflecting Deepika’s sharp attempt into the net to make it 2-0.
The second quarter saw India maintain their discipline, while New Zealand began finding their rhythm and searched for a comeback. The hosts created some opportunities, but India’s defence stood firm, and neither side managed to add another goal before halftime.
India remained solid in the third quarter, preventing New Zealand from creating clear scoring chances. Their high-intensity approach also forced errors from the hosts’ defence, though Navneet’s reverse shot was denied by the goalkeeper.
New Zealand earned an early penalty corner in the fourth quarter, but Indian goalkeeper Savita made a crucial save to preserve the two-goal lead. India continued their organised defensive performance until the final whistle to complete a 2-0 victory and lift the title.
With IANS inputs