Tour of Germany, Spain important for Asian Games preparation, says Indian women's hockey team skipper Savita
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
The Women in Blue will start their tour on July 16.
The Indian women’s hockey team departed for their European tour from Bengaluru on Wednesday. The team will be first flying to Germany for the three-match series which will witness India taking on hosts Germany in two games, while they will also lock horns with China in one game.
India will start their campaign in Limburg, where they will face off against China on 16 July 2023. Thereafter, the Indian team will be up against hosts Germany on 18 July 2023 and 19 July 2023 in Wiesbaden and Russelsheim respectively. The Indian team will utilize this tour to prepare for the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023.
The Indian team will then fly to Terrassa, Spain on 20 July for the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament. They will open their campaign against hosts Spain on 25 July. Up next for the Indian Team will be Republic of South Africa on 27 July. On 28 July, they will play their last group match against England. The team will be led by goalkeeper Savita while Deep Grace Ekka has been named the Vice-Captain.
The Indian squad has been training at the National Coaching Camp at SAI Centre in Bengaluru.
Speaking ahead of the Indian team’s departure, Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita said, “We are really looking forward to this tour. Playing against quality sides in the lead up to the Asian Games will give us a good learning experience. These matches will be really important for us as we prepare for the upcoming Asian Games. Having worked on our strengths and weaknesses in the last few months, we will aim to give our best in Germany and Spain.”
Meanwhile, Indian women’s hockey team vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka said, “We have carried out rigorous training sessions over the last few weeks. The preparations have been really good, and our previous performances will be a massive confidence booster for the players. We will look to replicate the same in our matches in Germany and Spain.”
Fans in India can view all the matches of the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament on Olympics.com and Watch.Hockey.
Indian women's hockey team for European tour
Goalkeepers: 1. Savita (C) 2. Bichu Devi Kharibam
Defenders: 3. Deep Grace Ekka (VC), 4. Nikki Pradhan, 5. Ishika Chaudhary, 6. Udita, 7. Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam
Midfielders: 8. Nisha, 9. Monika, 10. Salima Tete, 11. Neha, 12. Navneet Kaur, 13. Sonika, 14. Baljeet Kaur, 15. Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, 16. Jyoti Chhatri
Forwards: 17. Lalremsiami, 18. Vandana Katariya, 19. Sangita Kumari, 20. Deepika
Indian women's hockey team's schedule for European tour
On 16th July 2023, India Vs China at 1930 hrs IST.
On 18th July 2023, India vs Germany at 1430 hrs IST.
On 19th July 2023, India vs Germany at 2100 hrs IST.
On 25th July 2023, India Vs Spain at 2130 hrs IST.
On 27th July 2023, India vs Republic of South Africa at 1630 hrs IST.
On 28th July 2023, India vs England at 1430 hrs IST.
Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.