Last Update: December 10, 2022, 15:49 IST
India would like to start their campaign with a win. (AFP photo)
India have been placed in Pool B along with Chile, Japan and South Africa
Savita Punia-led Indian women’s hockey team will be eyeing Hockey Pro League qualification as they open their campaign against Chile in the Nations Cup in Valencia on Sunday.
The eight-team tournament brings a system of promotion-relegation, where the champion will be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women’s Pro League, a key tournament ahead of next year’s Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He said, ‘It will be important for us to start with a win. It is an important tournament for us and starting well will help us find the right momentum.”
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India has been placed in Pool B along with Chile, Japan and South Africa. The other teams in the field are Ireland, Italy, Korea and Spain, who are placed in Pool A.
“Every match in this tournament will be tough as every team will be vying to make it to the FIH Hockey Pro League.
“We cannot take any team lightly and as I said, the focus will be on ourselves and the process we are practicing,” Savita said.
Riding on the confidence from a good performance at the Commonwealth Games, where the team won a bronze medal, India Would like to start their campaign with a win. In the build-up to the tournament, India played four warm-up matches – three against Spain and one against Ireland.
“Our focus will be on ourselves and making sure we play to our potential. In the match against Ireland, Beauty Dungdung, Neha, Gurjeet, Sangeeta and Navneet scored goals. Having different goal scorers is always a good sign and shows how much variety we bring to our attack.”
In their second Pool B match on December 12, India will take on their Asian rival Japan, against whom they lost the final of the 2018 Asian Games.
They will play South Africa in their last league match on 14 December while the knockout matches will be played on 16 and 17 December.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)