Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], January 5 : The US women's hockey team arrived in Ranchi on Thursday ahead of the FIH Olympic qualifiers, which is slated to begin from January 13-19 2024, at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium.
This prestigious event is one of the three Olympics Qualifiers happening globally, with counterparts in Muscat, Oman (Men's) and Valencia, Spain (Women's and Men's).
The aforementioned event was originally slated to be held in China, but Hockey India requested FIH to shift the venue to India after China Women's directly qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After the US team arrived a traditional dance performance was held and they also ended up joining the performers and dancing to the tune as well.
US skipper Amanda Golini talked about their preparation for the tournament and told reporters, "We are really excited to kind of rely on our preparation and going to the tournament knowing what we need to do. We are really embracing the opportunity. Wherever we go, wherever the tournament is the staff does a great job so that we can get there and acclimatize to the time zone, the weather and different elements that we face in different environments so it is a part of our strategy."
Meanwhile, Golini was also part of the USA Women's Hockey Team that faced off against India in the 2019 FIH Women's Hockey Olympics Qualifiers. India were able to qualify for Tokyo on an aggregate score - with a 5-1 win in the first game and a 1-4 loss to the US in their second match. Despite a remarkable comeback in the second game against India, the US were unable to book a berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
US head coach David Passmore said, "I think we can beat anyone here if we play to the best of our abilities and that's what we need to focus take one game at a time and play the best we can."
On the prospect of facing the Indian team on January 13, Passmore said, "We are really excited about it, we are going to embrace that challenge, we are going to tackle it head-on."
Ahead of the tournament, Hockey India, on a momentous occasion marked by unity and anticipation, formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for hosting the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Ranchi 2024 in Jharkhand. The historic event unfolded amidst the esteemed presence of eminent dignitaries, including Indian women's hockey team players, Secretary Sports Jharkhand, IAS, Manoj Kumar and Director Sports, Jharkhand, IAS, Sushant Gaurav, Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh and Hockey India Treasurer Sekar J Manoharan were present at the occasion.
The formal signing of the MoU showcased a collective commitment and shared vision among all stakeholders involved, emphasizing the dedication to promoting and fostering the growth of hockey in India, while also showcasing the nation's prowess on the global hockey stage.
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