Hyderabad: The Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers began on Sunday at the Gachibowli Hockey Stadium, bringing eight international teams to Hyderabad for the tournament.
The event is jointly organised by the International Hockey Federation and the Telangana government. Officials said the tournament marks another major international sporting event hosted by the city.
The Telangana Sports Department completed arrangements at the venue according to international standards under the guidance of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr. M. Ramesh attended the opening day matches as chief guest. He said hosting international events in Hyderabad would motivate young sportspersons to pursue sports seriously.
Ramesh added that the police made extensive security arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the tournament.
Telangana Sports Authority Vice Chairman and Managing Director Dr. A. Sonibala Devi also attended the opening ceremony.
Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers feature eight international teams
The Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers include eight teams divided into two pools competing in league matches.
Pool A features England, Korea, Italy and Austria. Pool B includes India, Scotland, Uruguay and Wales.
The tournament began with the opening match between England and Italy at 12:45 pm on Sunday. Later matches featured Korea against Austria and Scotland against Wales.
Fans are closely watching the India versus Uruguay match scheduled for 7:30 pm on Sunday.
League matches will take place on March 8, 9 and 11. Teams will have rest days on March 10 and 12 before the knockout stage begins.
The semi-finals are scheduled for March 13, while the final will be played on March 14 at 7:30 pm.
