- विज्ञापन -
Ranchi : Gearing up for a “challenging” tournament in the absence of some experienced players, Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia is banking on strong support from the hockey lovers of the city and the hard work put in by her team to sail through to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier starting on Saturday here and grab a ticket to Paris 2024.
Addressing a press conference two days ahead of the start of the eight-team FIH Olympic Qualifiers, Savita said the team takes heart from the support it got from the local hockey lovers during the Asian Champions Trophy here a few months back and said the team is excited about playing in Ranchi once again.
India are in Group B along with New Zealand, the United States and Italy as eight teams in the fray have been divided into two groups of four each. Pool A comprises World No.5 Germany, 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Japan, Chile and the Czech Republic. These eight teams are fighting for the three spots available at Ranchi for the Paris Olympic Games later this year.
On paper, Germany should clinch one of the three spots up for grabs in Ranchi, while India, New Zealand, USA and Japan will be fighting for the two remaining berths from this event.
“We have had a very good preparation for this event and we have done our best, both individually and as a team, to prepare for this event. The coaches have helped us work on all aspects of the game that needed attention,” said Savita.
India are going into the event without experienced players like Deep Grace Ekka, Sushila Chanu, Vandana Katariya and Gurjiot Kaur.
The Indian skipper, the main goalkeeper of the team and the most experienced member of this squad said they would try their best to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. She said the team is focusing on their own performance and matches and not thinking too much about the opponents.
