The Indian women's hockey team left for Valencia, Spain from the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru on Saturday evening and will be participating in the 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup from December 11-17.
The 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup is an important fixture in the international calendar as it brings in a system of promotion-relegation, where the Champions will be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women's Pro League.
Goalkeeper Savita will lead the 20-member squad and is confident of a good outing in the tournament after a productive camp at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.
"Our team worked really hard in the camp to prepare for the upcoming 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup. We are determined to win the tournament as it will also allow us to participate in the next season of the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women's Pro League," Hockey India quoted captain Savita as saying.
India is grouped in Pool B along with Canada, Japan and South Africa and Captain Savita stated that the Indian Women's Hockey Team players will give their best in the competition. The other teams in the fray are Ireland, Italy, Korea and Spain, who are grouped in Pool A.
Skipper Savita said, "Our team is experienced in terms of playing in challenging tournaments such as the FIH Women's Nations Cup. We will go up against Canada, Japan and South Africa in the group stage and all our players have to be on top of their game to win these matches. For India, this is a chance to get some important game time under our belts too and looking ahead it will also serve as good preparation for the upcoming Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics."
The vice-captain of the Indian women's hockey team, Deep Grace Ekka also seemed positive about the 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup and stated that it will be a great opportunity for some young players to show their true potential.
Deep Grace Ekka said, "All the players are really excited to play in the upcoming tournament. We have played in Valencia before and are familiar with the surroundings. It will certainly help us to perform better in the tournament. It will be a huge opportunity for the young players to showcase their abilities at the international stage during the 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup. We will learn a lot from the tournament and our only aim is to win the trophy."
( With inputs from ANI )
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