New Delhi, Led by midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu, the Indian women’s hockey team will open its campaign against South Korea in the AHF Women’s Junior Asia Cup, to be held in Moqi, China, from September 4 to 13.
Tournament Overview and Team Preparations
The Indian squad, consisting of 18 members, has been intensively preparing under the guidance of newly appointed coach Tim White. This includes an exposure tour to the United Kingdom earlier this summer, aimed at enhancing their competitive edge.
In the upcoming tournament, India will compete in the Elite Pool against notable teams: hosts China, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia. The teams will vie for top positions, leading to a knockout stage that will culminate in the gold-medal match scheduled for September 13.
India had toured the UK from July 5 to 14, training and playing matches in Edinburgh and Lilleshall. India registered a commanding 6-0 win over the United States and followed it with back-to-back 2-0 victories against England. They also edged the USA in a shootout after a 1-1 draw, winning 3-2 on penalties in a closely contested rematch. The tour also provided the young Indian side with valuable experience against Scotland’s more seasoned senior team and a strong Belgium U-21 outfit.
White said the team’s preparations in Bengaluru had gone according to plan, with the players gaining valuable match experience against a combined India A side. We will go to China confident that we have built a game plan which can be hard to play against, and we are very excited to test that against the best teams in Asia,” said White. Our preparation has been good, including important matches against a combined India A team, which came to Bengaluru for four matches. The side played seven games against Scotland’s senior women’s team as well as the junior teams of the United States, England, and Belgium.
“The team is very excited to leave for China tomorrow for the Asia Cup.
