Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 12: Savita, an experienced goalkeeper, will lead India at the upcoming women’s Asia Cup in Muscat. Hockey India picked a strong 18-member squad for the event on Wednesday, including 16 players who competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
Since usual skipper Rani Rampal is recovering from an injury in Bengaluru, Savita will lead the team in the tournament, which will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex from January 21 to 28. India, along with Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, has been assigned to Pool A. On the first day of their title defence, they will face Malaysia. They’ll face Japan on January 23 and Singapore on January 24. (Jan 24). On January 26, the semifinals will be held, followed by the final on January 28.
The top four teams will go to the World Cup in 2022, which will be contested in Spain and the Netherlands.
Experienced defender Deep Grace Ekka will be Savita’s deputy. The team includes goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu and defenders Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, and Udita. Deep Grace Ekka, a seasoned defender, will be Savita’s deputy.
Nisha, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Monika, Neha, Salima Tete, Jyoti, and Navjot Kaur will play in the midfield, while Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Mariana Kujur, and Sharmila Devi will play on the forward line. Deepika (Junior) and Ishika Chaudhary are replacement athletes for the team.
“This is a very important tournament for us and I am happy with the team we have chosen which is a mix of some very experienced players along with talented youngsters who have shown great potential at the international level,” said chief coach Janneke Schopman.
“Though we were a bit disappointed with how things turned out for us at the Asian Champions Trophy, we were able to return to camp in SAI, Bengaluru and put in some good sessions of hockey to prepare well for this challenge,” added Schopman.
In the previous edition held in 2017, India beat China 5-4 in a tense shootout to lift the title.
Indian women’s team:
Goalkeepers: Savita (C), Rajani Etimarpu.
Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka (VC), Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita.
Midfielders: Nisha, Sushila Chanu, Monika, Neha, Salima Tete, Jyoti, Navjot Kaur.
Forwards: Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Mariana Kujur, Sharmila Devi.
