With the inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2 just a day away, here’s what the captains and coaches of the participating teams have to say…
Kevin Johnson, Head Coach – Wales
“We are really looking forward to going to a new tournament, and unique as it’s not often we get to play just the nations ranked closely around us in the world. All the teams present are no strangers to us in recent years, even South Africa, Uruguay and Malaysia who we have managed to play in series across the last 3 years.
This selection reflects yet more player transition and congratulations to the 4 players set to earn their 1st caps for the Senior squad but the returning Sarah Jones will provide invaluable experience. It is an exciting group of players with much potential and we will be endeavouring to find a consistent level to our performances as we progress towards a European Championships later in the summer.”
Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim, Head Coach – Malaysia
“This tournament is a great opportunity for our team to learn, compete, and push ourselves against strong teams. As part of our final preparations, we went on a tour to China and played against one of the top provincial teams there. That experience really helped strengthen our teamwork and game tactics. A few of our key players are injured, but we fully trust our younger players to step up and give their best. The team has trained really hard, and this tournament will test our teamwork, belief, and spirit. We are ready to give our best in every match and continue improving together.”
Gaël Foulard, Head Coach – France
“Our goal is to have the best possible tournament. Our ambition is to win as many matches as possible. We have also integrated new players into our squad. The objective of the Nations Cup will be to build new connections and to start the competition in the best possible way.”
Krzysztof Rachwalski, Head Coach – Poland
“The participation in the upcoming FIH Women’s Nations Cup 2 tournament in Wałcz is a great honor for us and an opportunity to play with higher-ranked national teams from all over the world. I am convinced that our game will provide our fans with unforgettable emotions. I wish all teams good luck and I hope that the Olympic Center in Wałcz will appeal to all tournament participants.”
Inky Zondi, Head Coach – South Africa
“We are excited to begin this new cycle together. Its our first event since I was appointed as the coach and we are strongly working towards World Cup qualification and beyond. We are looking forward to competing against teams ranked around us and to improve our rankings, while also exposing some of the new members in our squad to this level of international hockey.”
Sara Puglisi, Captain – Italy
“It’s a great opportunity for us to play in this tournament. Of course, we are here to compete and take the best out of it. The Nations Cup 2 is a great chance for preparation, it’s the first step towards the European Championship coming up this summer. There’s nothing better than competing in a tournament like this against driven and committed teams”.
Tomáš Procházka, Head Coach – Czechia
“We expect a high-quality tournament with strong opponents at the Nations Cup 2. We have rejuvenated an already young team, so integrating new players will be a big challenge for us. Our preparation is aimed at the European Championship, but this tournament is still an important test for our team.”
Watch all the matches from the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2 Poland 2025 LIVE from 16-22 June by signing up to the new reimagined version of the Watch.Hockey platform.
