Indian women's hockey team arrives in Ranchi for Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023

The tournament will kickstart on October 27.

The much-anticipated Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 is set to begin in less than a week, and the Indian women's hockey team arrived in Ranchi on a Sunday evening, full of confidence and determination to win the coveted title. Their arrival at the Birsa Munda Airport was met with an enthusiastic reception from a large gathering of fans.

Led by the dynamic Captain Savita, the Indian women's hockey team has been gearing up for the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 with rigorous training, strategic planning, and strong team unity. Furthermore, the Indian team is entering the tournament on the back of the bronze medal triumph at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, thus they will be raring to prove their mettle in the competition.

It's worth noting that India is aiming for their second Women's Asian Champions Trophy title, having previously claimed the crown in 2016. They were runners-up in the 2013 and 2018 editions of the prestigious tournament, while in 2010, they secured a third-place finish.

India's journey in the tournament will commence with a match against Thailand on Friday, October 27, 2023, followed by a game against Malaysia on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Subsequently, India will face China in their third match on Monday, October 30, 2023, and then compete against Japan on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. The team's final pool match will be against Korea on Thursday, November 2.  

As per the tournament format, all six teams will each play five matches in the round-robin stage before the top four teams move into the Semi-Finals.

Speaking on India’s preparations for the tournament and the team’s recent performance, Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said, “We played some top performances in the recently concluded Asian Games, however, there’s always room for improvement and we will focus on it in this tournament.”

“We are entering the competition with a hunger to prove our mettle, especially after our bronze medal win at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. We look forward to exciting matches and hope to display our best hockey on the field.”

Meanwhile, Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita also shared her thoughts after arriving in Ranchi and said, “The warm and heartfelt welcome we have experienced in Ranchi has deeply touched us, serving as an immense source of inspiration and motivation. We are brimming with confidence and determination to claim the coveted title.”

“We had some shortcomings in the recent Asian Games due to which we couldn’t win a gold medal, however, our team has worked tirelessly to address those issues and we are now ready to give our best on the field,” she added.