As the FIH Olympic Qualifiers are inching closer, the Hockey India (HI) on Saturday announced a 22-member squad for Senior Women's National Coaching Camp, to begin on October 14 at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The camp will focus on the team's preparation for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers, which are scheduled to be played on November 1 and 2.
India will play two matches against the USA. The best of two matches will determine the team that qualifies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic.
India women, who were recently on their tour to England, displayed good performance as they won one match and lost the other. The rest of the three matches witnessed a draw between India and Great Britain.
"It was a good tour because we got to play a strong team like Great Britain and we did well against the pressure Great Britain created in each of the match. The one week break before the team reports for camp, I believe will give them enough time to recover mentally and physically and they will return fresh for the camp in Bhubaneswar," Hockey India's official website quoted Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne as saying.
Marijne further stated that there is a lot of excitement among the players to compete in Bhubaneswar.
"There is a lot of excitement among the players to compete in Bhubaneswar which has truly become a hockey destination for world events. During the camp, it is important for the team to get used to the pitch and we are also looking at playing practice matches amongst ourselves which we have requested should be open for the public to come and watch. It will not only boost our confidence but it will also help us prepare better," Marijne said.
22-member squad: Savita, Rajini Etimarpu, Deep Grace Ekka, Reena Khokhar, Salima Tete, Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nikki Pradhan, Nisha, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Monika, Lilima Minz, Neha Goyal, Namita Toppo, Sonika, R, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Navjot Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Jyoti, and Vandana Katariya.
( With inputs from ANI )