22 Jun, 2025 The final day of the FIH Nations Cup 2 delivered everything fans could have hoped for – drama, skill, heartbreak, and celebration. From a pulsating final where France edged Uruguay in a shootout classic, to Wales securing bronze with a gritty win over Poland, the tournament wrapped up in unforgettable style. Czechia staged a remarkable comeback to claim fifth, while Malaysia edged South Africa in another tense shootout to round off an action-packed day in Walcz. France (3) 3-3 (1) Uruguay An unforgettable final saw France and Uruguay deliver a classic filled with grit, flair, and a frenetic final five minutes that had everything. Uruguay took the early lead through Manuela Quinones after a blistering run from Manuela Vilar tore through the French defence. France hit back before the break with a powerful reverse stick finish from Mathilde Duffrene. It was Duffrene again who gave France the lead in the third quarter via a penalty corner, but the late drama was still to come. Uruguay equalised with four minutes to go through Vilar, before France surged ahead again just 49 seconds later thanks to a mazy Yohanna Lhopital run. With just seconds left, Sol Amadeo’s feather-touch finish sent the game to a shootout. Lucie Ehrmann was the hero, saving three shootout efforts to hand France the crown. Mathilde Duffrene, the player of the match, could not hide her emotion: “There is a lot of emotion and I’m not even sure where to begin. There are always sacrifices to get here, and I’m so proud of the team. The dream was to earn the FIH Nations Cup place, and we are delighted to have achieved that.” Wales 1-0 Poland In the only game of the day to not go to a shootout it was a battle of two brilliant defenses, both looking to end the tournament on a high. A first half that saw Wales dominate possession, but fail to find the final touch or combination would pass by without troubling the scorer. The games defining moment would come early in the second half. The penalty corner shot was well saved by Kucharska but Lily Roberts was on hand for the rebound and would fire in the goal that would ultimately prove to be the bronze medal winning goal. Elizabeth Bingham, was pleased mostly with the team effort after the game: “We were really disappointed on our performance yesterday and we wanted to come out on top today. We don’t rely on individuals we rely on our team effort. Im really proud of the team today.” Czechia (2) 3-3 (1) Italy Czechia and Italy served up a thriller in the 5th/6th playoff. Czechia struck first via Linda Nova, but Italy responded quickly with two goals in under a minute through Victoria Cabut and Lola Brea to lead at the end of the first quarter. Frederica Carta extended the Italian lead in the second half, but Czechia refused to go quietly. A second goal from Nova and a dramatic penalty stroke conversion by Natalie Hajkova with just nine seconds on the clock sent the game to a shootout. Nikol Babicka held her nerve to convert the decisive effort for Czechia. Katerina Lacina was once again delighted with the fight: “We didn’t give up today and we produced a great fight back. Its an important lesson to learn for the team and one we have to take forward to future games.” South Africa (3) 1-1 (4) Malaysia South Africa’s final game of the tournament was filled with missed chances and frustration. Thati Zulu hit the crossbar in a dominant first half, while several other chances went begging. Malaysia weathered the storm and then struck first through Nur Azhar in the final quarter. With four minutes remaining, Charne Maddocks gave South Africa hope, smashing home the equaliser to take the game to a shootout. Fatin Sukri stepped up for Malaysia and calmly slotted the winner to claim 7th place. Juliani Din, was delighted with the result: “It was important to get the win today. South Africa are a very good side so I am proud of my team. We have a young team and I am so proud to play with them!” To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, click here. FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 – 22 June 2025 Walcz, Poland (POL) Result Final France 3-3 Uruguay Player of the match: Umpires: Kelly-Anne Foskin (NZL), Jamie Telfer (SCO) Result Bronze Medal Wales 1-0 Poland Player of the match: Elizabeth Bingham (WAL) Umpires: Anna Ortega (ESP), Rob Argent (IRL) Result 5th Place Playoff Czechia (2) 3-3 (1) Italy Player of the match: Katerina Lacina (CZE) Umpires: Sharne Meyers (ZIM), Sarah Craig (IRL) Result 7th Place Playoff South Africa (3) 1-1 (4) Malaysia Player of the match: Juliani Din (MAS) Umpires: Yogita Pasi (IND), Ilaria Amorosini (ITA), Player Awards Best Junior Player – Mathilde Duffrene (FRA) Best Goalkeeper – Marta Kucharska (POL) Top Goalscorer – Manuela Vilar (URU) – 5 Goals Best Player – Manuela Vilar (URU) Source: FIH.hockey

22 Jun, 2025 At the FIH Nations Cup 2 in Wałcz, while top athletes competed on the field, a dedicated group of young Polish volunteers stood proudly on the sidelines — the Ball Patrol team. Twenty young athletes, some just 10 years old, made an 16-hour round trip in a single day to be part of the tournament. For them, it was a chance to be close to the sport they love, to learn, and to dream of one day playing on that very field. FIH President Tayyab Ikram remarked: “Our sport lives through the dreams of the youth. The commitment and spirit shown by the Ball Patrol team in Wałcz was incredible. They are not only part of the event — they are the future of hockey. We thank them, and we believe in them” Their energy and belief lit up the sidelines — a powerful reminder that the next generation is already stepping forward.

21 Jun, 2025 With final ambitions on the line and pride at stake, semi-final day of the FIH Nations Cup 2 delivered high-stakes drama across all four matches. Uruguay and France emerged as the two title contenders with impressive semi-final victories, while Italy dazzled in a dominant display, and Czechia stunned South Africa in a gritty defensive triumph. As the tournament heads into its final day, the battles for silverware, standings, and satisfaction are all still very much alive. South Africa 0-1 Czechia Czechia booked their spot in the 5th/6th playoff after withstanding a South African onslaught to edge a 1-0 victory in the 5-8 playoff clash. It was a dream start for the Europeans as Linda Nova deflected home from a well-worked penalty corner in just the 7th minute. That proved to be the only goal of the game, but South Africa launched wave after wave of pressure in response. The African champions created several circle entries, but were left frustrated by Czechia’s steely defence, the brilliance of goalkeeper Anna Linkova, and their own lack of finishing finesse. Captain Katerina Lacina was named Player of the Match and shared her delight: “It was definitely a focus that we wanted to play offensive hockey in this game. We succeeded with our early goal and it feels great. We want to push higher so the goal is to finish fifth tomorrow.” Italy 5-0 Malaysia Italy produced a commanding display to sweep past Malaysia and keep their hopes of a fifth-place finish alive with a 5-0 triumph. Maria Lunghi set the tone with a thunderous penalty corner strike in the 15th minute, and from there, the Italians never looked back. Lola Brea doubled the lead with a superb leading run and finish, before turning provider just before half-time with a perfectly squared pass for Antonella Bruni to tap home. Italy maintained the pressure in the second half. Teresa Della Vittoria added a fourth with a clinical penalty corner at the end of the third quarter, and Bruni rounded off the scoring by reacting quickest to a rebound in the final period. Bruni, named Player of the Match, was all smiles after the game: “We did well today, we delivered on our plans superbly and it makes us really happy. This is a much better demonstration of what Italian Hockey is like. We should have done better and made the semi-finals, but now we want to finish as high as possible.” Uruguay 2-1 Wales Uruguay held off a late Welsh fightback to become the first team into the FIH Nations Cup 2025 final, clinching a tense 2-1 victory in the opening semi-final. Wales, hungry for an upset, struck first when Sarah Jones delivered a pinpoint pass for Anja Atkin to finish from close range. But Uruguay equalised six minutes later as Manuela Vilar ripped a drag flick into the back of the net from a penalty corner. The decisive moment came after half-time when Teresa Viana was fouled in the circle, leading to a penalty stroke. Viana calmly slotted it low and hard to put her side ahead. Despite two yellow cards and a flurry of Welsh penalty corners in the closing minutes, Uruguay’s defence stood tall to secure their place in the showpiece. Vilar, again pivotal for her side, said: “We are happy to make the final. It was incredibly tough today and we held on well. We are going to do whatever we can to win the final tomorrow.” France 4-1 Poland France continued their scintillating form at the FIH Nations Cup, storming into the final with a dominant 4-1 victory over hosts Poland. It took just four minutes for France to hit the front, with Yohanna Lhopital calmly converting a penalty stroke after Verzura’s goal-bound shot was illegally stopped on the line. The second quarter brought déjà vu for the home side as a penalty corner struck Chmiel on the line, and this time Eve Verzura stepped up to the spot. She fired high and true to double the French advantage. France’s high press continued to pay dividends as Lhopital and Verzura combined brilliantly to win back possession, surge into the circle, and set up an easy tap-in for Verzura to make it 3-0. Poland finally gave the home fans something to cheer about late on, with a moment of individual brilliance from Amelia Katerla who rifled home a superb goal. But the joy was short-lived as France restored their three-goal cushion almost immediately. Verzura capitalised on some slack Polish defending to complete her hat-trick and cap a commanding performance. Verzura, unsurprisingly named Player of the Match, shared her thoughts:“I didn’t expect this, but I’m delighted with the performance and of course making the final. Uruguay is a team we haven’t played before — I’m looking forward to that challenge tomorrow.” To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, click here. FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 – 21 June 2025 Walcz, Poland (POL) Result: Match 1 South Africa 0-1 Czechia Player of the match: Katerina Lacina (CZE) Umpires: Yogita Pasi (IND), Ilaria Amorosini (ITA), Result: Match 2 Italy 5-0 Malaysia Player of the match: Antonella Bruni (ITA) Umpires: Sharne Meyers (ZIM), Meghan McLennan(CAN) Result: Match 3 Uruguay 2-1 Wales Player of the match: Manuela Vilar (URU) Umpires: Anna Ortega (ESP), Teresa Lipsky (GER) Result: Match 4 France 4-1 Poland Player of the match: Eve Verzura (FRA) Umpires: Kelly-Anne Foskin (NZL), Rob Argent (IRL) Source: FIH.hockey