Hockey India on Monday named a 22-member Indian women’s hockey team that will represent the country in the upcoming FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League matches against Spain in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The matches will be held over the weekend on 26 and 27 February 2022.
The team will be led by ace goalkeeper Savita and vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka. The Indian team will see a new face in the form of young forward Sangeeta Kumari from Jharkhand, who has made a mark during her stint with Junior India.
Apart from the 22-member squad, five players – Rashmita Minz, Akshata Abso Dhakale, Sonika, Mariana Kujur and Aishwarya Rajesh Chauhan have been named as standbys for the double header.
Talking about the team selection, Indian women’s hockey team head coach Jeanneke Schopman said, “We are excited to start our domestic Pro League games vs Spain. We had two good training weeks after returning from Oman and I am sure the selected 22 players will be ready to show what they can do against Spain. When you have a strong pool of players, it always becomes difficult to select a team but I am happy to see that the new players are improving a lot and showing a lot of hope.”
He continued, “Spain are a strong opponent, they have consistently performed at a high level, only missing the semi-finals in Tokyo and getting a bronze medal in the last World Cup. They are very skilled and play hard defense, so we Looking to use my speed and skill and strong defense to compete well against them.”
Indian women’s team
goalkeeper: Savita (Captain), Bichu Devi Kharibam, Rajni Etimarpu
defenders: Deep Grace Ekka (Vice Captain), Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Choudhary
midfielder: Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monica, Neha, Navjot Kaur, Namita Toppo
Ahead: Vandana Kataria, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangeeta Kumari, Rajwinder Kaur
Stan by: Rashmita Minj, Akshata Abso Dhakale, Sonika, Mariana Kujur, Aishwarya Rajesh Chavan
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