After an epic win at the Asia Cup in November 2017, the Indian women’s hockey team has left to face Koreans in their first tour of the year. The 20-member squad led by Rani Rampal along with Vice Captain Sunita Lakhra left for Jinchun, Korea on Friday where they will play a five-match Series with the hosts starting March 5.
“This is our first event after winning the Asia Cup last year so naturally, the team is riding on confidence. The team is upbeat and eager to play our first international tour of the season and Korea can be a tough team to play in their home conditions so we look forward to the challenge,” expressed Captain Rani ahead of the team’s departure.
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“Korea Tour will help us analyze our game and find out if there are short comings in the way we play ahead of the CWG. We have specifically trained on our man-to-man marking, tried different variations in our attack during the camp and we want to execute these strategies against an international team. We have been playing matches against local men’s team to get tougher too,” added the skipper.
“It is a big boost to have Deepika and Poonam back in the squad. We also have talented youngsters like defender Suman Devi Thoudam, midfielder Udita and forward Lalremsiami, I think we have a very good mix with a perfect balance of young and experienced players.
The team will report back in Bengaluru after arriving from Korea on March 13 and will continue with their preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Ace goalkeeper Savita is not playing in the Korea Tour so she is replaced by debut goalkeeper Swati and Rajani Etimarpu whose skills are put to test in this tournament. But Deepika and Poonam Rani have returned to the team after a long hiatus owing to their injuries.
Rani is confident about the entire team. “It is a big boost to have Deepika and Poonam back in the squad. We also have talented youngsters like defender Suman Devi Thoudam, midfielder Udita and forward Lalremsiami, I think we have a very good mix with a perfect balance of young and experienced players,” she said.
The India team of total 34 members who are part of the national camp operate out of the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru. It focuses on fitness, speed and skill development.
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