2 weeks ago

India face China test in women's hockey World Cup opener

India face China test in women's hockey World Cup opener
Wall of China awaits India in women’s hockey World Cup opener · theprint.in

The Indian women's hockey team is getting ready to play in a very big tournament called the World Cup.

In their first game, they will play against China, one of the best hockey teams in the world.

China won a silver medal at the last Olympic Games in Paris.

The game will be played in the Netherlands, in a town called Amstelveen.

India's coach is from the Netherlands, and he says his team is full of confidence.

Many of India's players are new — eleven of them have never played in a World Cup before.

Their goalkeeper, Savita, is very experienced and has played in more than 300 international games.

India finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, and the players really want to win a medal this time.

China has beaten India recently, so the Indian team knows this will be a tough challenge.

A win would give India confidence for the rest of the tournament.

Key facts

Event
Women's FIH Hockey World Cup
Match
India vs China — Pool D opener
Venue
Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Start time
4:30pm IST
World rankings
India 9th; China 2nd
India's best World Cup finish
4th place (1974, inaugural edition)
India's 2022 finish
9th place
Head coaches
Sjoerd Marijne (India); Alison Annan (China)

Quotes

Savita

India goalkeeper with 313 international appearances

“The pain of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after coming so close still lingers. This time, we will not hesitate. We have high expectations from ourselves and want to finish on the podium.”
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Sjoerd Marijne

Dutch coach of the Indian women’s hockey team

“We see the World Cup as the next step after the FIH Nations Cup. This team is full of confidence and ready to face the challenges ahead.”
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Sources

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