India hold China to 2-2 draw in Hockey opener
Amstelveen saw an exciting start to the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 as India's women's hockey team faced China, resulting in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. India took an early lead in the eighth minute when Navneet converted a penalty corner. The match remained closely contested, with China equalizing in the 14th minute after a penalty stroke.
Despite India's protest, the original decision stood. The Indian team demonstrated resilience in the second quarter, with Shilpi making an important defensive play. Deepika sealed India's advantage in the 25th minute with another penalty corner. China pushed back in the third quarter, equalizing in the 39th minute through Ma Ning's impressive penalty corner.
The teams maintained a level score through the remainder of the match, with neither side managing to find the decisive goal. India will face South Africa in their next match on August 18, while China will play England on August 17 in the World Cup.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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