The Savita Punia-led Indian ladies’s hockey crew can have an eye fixed on the Hockey Professional League qualification because the aspect open its marketing campaign towards Chile within the Nation’s Cup right here on Sunday.
The eight-team event brings in a system of promotion-relegation, the place the champions might be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Ladies’s Professional League, a key event forward of the upcoming Asian Video games subsequent 12 months and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It will be crucial for us to start on a winning note. This is an important tournament for us and starting well will help us gain the right momentum,” Savita, who was awarded the FIH ladies’s goalkeeper of the 12 months for 2021-22, mentioned.
India are grouped in Pool B together with Chile, Japan and South Africa. The opposite groups within the fray are Eire, Italy, Korea and Spain, who’re grouped in Pool A.
“Every match in this tournament will be hard-fought as every single team would want to make it to the FIH Hockey Pro League.
“We can’t take any team lightly and as I said, the focus will be on ourselves and the process we have been practicing,” Savita mentioned.
Driving on the boldness from an excellent present on the CWG, the place the crew bagged a bronze medal, India might be vying to begin their marketing campaign with a win. India performed 4 observe matches — three towards Spain and one towards Eire — within the build-up to the event.
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“Our focus will be on ourselves and ensuring we play to our potential. In the match against Ireland, we had goals from Beauty Dungdung, Neha, Gurjit, Sangita and Navneet. It’s always a good sign to have different goal scorers and shows the variety we bring in our attack,” she added.
Of their second pool B match on December 12, India will tackle their Asian nemesis Japan, towards whom they misplaced the 2018 Asian Video games closing.
Of their concluding league match on December 14, they’ll play South Africa whereas the knockout matches might be performed on December 16 and 17.
