Focus on youngsters as Indian women’s hockey team tours Germany, Spain ahead of Asian Games
The Indian women’s hockey team is embarking on a mission to prepare for the Asian Games in September. The squad consists of both junior and senior players, and they will be traveling to Germany and Spain for a series of matches that will help assess their progress. Winning the Asian Games will give the team direct qualification for the Olympics in Paris next year, so the next few months will involve intense training, rest, and test matches to make sure they are at their peak. During the German leg of the tour, India will face China and the host nation, and in Spain they will take part in a four-nation tournament with Great Britain, South Africa, and the hosts. Coach Janneke Schopman has included some junior players to work on new combinations. The focus of the tour will be on midfielder Jyoti Chhatri, who will be making her senior national debut. Schopman is pleased with the team’s progress and believes they are getting stronger. The tour of Germany and Spain is also an opportunity to work on areas that need improvement, according to skipper Savita Punia. The team will try to make the most of each training session and match.
