 agencies
NEW DELHI, Feb 21: Hockey India on Monday named a 22-member team for the FIH Women's Hockey Pro League matches against Spain to be held on February 26 and 27 in Bhubaneswar.
The team will be led by ace goalkeeper Savita Punia. Deep Grace Ekka will be the vice-captain. The team will have a new face in young forward Sangita Kumari from Jharkhand who has played well for the junior India side.
Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said: "We are excited to start our home Pro League games against Spain. We had two good training weeks after our return from Oman. When you have a strong pool of players, team selection always becomes difficult.
"Spain is a strong opponent, they have consistently performed at a high level, only narrowly missing out on the semifinals in Tokyo and clinching the Bronze medal in the last World Cup. They are very skillful and play with a tight defence. We are looking to use our speed, skills and strong defence to compete against them."
Team:
Goalkeepers: Savita (Captain), Bichu Devi Kharibam, Rajani Etimarpu
Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka (Vice Captain), Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary
Midfielders: Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monika, Neha, Navjot Kaur, Namita Toppo
Forwards: Vandana Katariya, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Rajwinder Kaur
Standby players: Rashmita Minz. Akshata Abaso Dhekale, Sonika, Mariana Kujur, Aishwarya Rajesh Chavan. |
