Hockey New Zealand chief executive Michelle Hollands is hopeful of a bilateral series with India in November to mark a century of sporting ties between the two nations.

"[June 26] marks 100 years since the first international hockey match between India and New Zealand," Hollands said.

"In November, the aim is to have Indian men and women play here as part of the 100-year centenary celebrations, with the other sports that are involved."

Michelle Hollands, chief executive of Hockey New Zealand. (RNZ/Blessen Tom)

Hollands was speaking on the sidelines as she watched India beat defending champions New Zealand 2-0 to win the 2026 FIH Women's Nations Cup in Auckland on Sunday.

Navneet Kaur and Sunelita Toppo scored in the first quarter with penalty corners, while the final three quarters were more evenly matched between the world no. 9 Indian team and the Black Sticks women's team sitting one rank below them.

The Kiwis were strong on offense in the final quarter as they unleashed a barrage of attacks, but India's defence held its nerve and kept a clean sheet.

After an undefeated campaign throughout the week, the Indian team earned promotion back to the Hockey Pro League after a year of relegation.

The competition will also double as an automatic qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Indian midfielder Lalremsiami Hmarzote was named player of the match.

Hollands was appreciative of how well Indian hockey had developed over the past decade or so.

"I had the opportunity to go to India this year," she said. "The culture, the colour, the brightness ... and the opportunity to work with [Indians] is a really great experience for New Zealand."

India's High Commissioner to New Zealand Muanpuii Saiawi poses with Indian hockey players after the Nations Cup finals in Auckland on Jun 21, 2026. (Supplied photo)

Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Muanpuii Saiawi was delighted to see the two nations celebrating 100 years of unity through sport this year.

"[As part of these celebrations] there will be a lot of bilateral series involving various sports, including cricket, with many more Indian teams to come and play in New Zealand," Saiawi said.

The Indian men's cricket team - the biggest drawcard in world of cricket right now - is set to embark on its biggest-ever bilateral tour to New Zealand.

India will take on the Black Caps in five T20s, five ODIs and two tests in October and November.

The 12 matches are the most internationals scheduled for an in-bound tour in New Zealand cricket history.

The Indian High Commissioner said sporting ties began 100 years ago, when the Indian Army hockey team undertook a historic three-month tour of New Zealand.

The Indian team played 21 matches in New Zealand, winning 18, drawing two and losing one.

The first match was played on 26 June 1926 at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, which India regards as its first ever international hockey match.

The visitors included Dhyan Chand, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

These players formed the core of an Indian team that went on to win Olympic golds in 1928, 1932 and 1936.

A key part of sporting engagement between India and New Zealand is a sports memorandum of cooperation signed in 2025, paving the way for new collaborations in high-performance sports, technology, research and people exchanges.

This is expected to be done through joint training camps, coaching exchanges and knowledge sharing in sports science, analytics and athlete performance systems.

"We're [collaborating on] a lot on high-performance sports because New Zealand has a lot of technology ... [that] we need to learn in India," Saiawi said.

Meanwhile, Indian captain Salima Tete said after the final she was proud of how the team played throughout the week.

New Zealand captain Olivia Shannon said it was tough to lose to India in the final, but the visitors played a good game of hockey.

"[But] it's really incredible to have international hockey back in New Zealand," she said.

The tournament which took place between 15-21 June, featured eight teams in what was the country's biggest international hockey event in nearly a decade.

Finalists aside, the other teams in the tournament were Japan, the United States, Uruguay, Chile, France and South Korea.

The United States defeated Chile 3-2 to earn a bronze medal earlier on Sunday.

US player Ashley Sessa was awarded player of the tournament, who was also the Nations Cup's top scorer along with India's Deepika.

New Zealander Grace O'Hanlon won goalkeeper of the tournament as well as teammate Riana Pho, who received the young player award.

Hollands was elated with how the tournament went.

"Hosting the event in New Zealand has been a wonderful experience for Hockey New Zealand," she said.

"It has given us the opportunity to bring our community together, to celebrate hockey and to reunite ourselves as a hockey whānau.

"It has given the athletes and the teams that are here the opportunity to experience Aotearoa New Zealand."

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(This story was first published on www.rnz.co.nz)