New Delhi [India], June 2 (ANI): Hockey India on Tuesday introduced the Indian Women’s Team for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26, scheduled to be held from June 15 to 21 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Salima Tete will proceed to guide the facet for the match. Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam will present the workforce with dependable and skilled choices for goalkeeping. In defence, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Nikki Pradhan and Jyoti convey appreciable worldwide expertise to the backline, based on a press launch.
They shall be joined by Lalthantluangi and Shilpi Dabas, each of whom earned their maiden senior call-ups in the course of the lately concluded tour of Australia and shall be desperate to proceed their improvement at this stage.
The midfield shall be marshalled by Salima, who will draw on the experience of Neha, Sunelita Toppo and Sakshi Rana round her. They shall be joined by Deepika Soreng, who additionally impressed in the course of the pleasant sequence in Australia.
Navneet Kaur will spearhead the assault and is predicted to proceed the tremendous goalscoring type she has proven in current worldwide outings. She shall be supported up entrance by Deepika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Annu and Ishika, moreover skilled attacking midfielders Lalremsiami and Sonam. Collectively, they create a mix of tempo, creativity and scientific ending to the ahead line.
The Indian squad heads into the Nations Cup on the again of a productive tour of Australia, the place the facet performed a four-match pleasant sequence in Perth within the lead-up to the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26. The sequence supplied the workforce with invaluable expertise, permitting Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne to check the squad. India held the hosts to a 2-2 draw within the sequence after 4 aggressive matches.
India have been positioned in Pool A of the match alongside Japan, the United States and Uruguay, with Pool B comprising hosts New Zealand, Chile, Korea and France.
Chief Coach Marijne underlined the significance of the workforce’s preparations forward of a vital section, starting with the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26, adopted by the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games.
‘The Nations Cup is a vital match for us. We need to go there and play with ambition to set an ordinary for ourselves that we will construct on. We have constructed on these points within the Argentina and Australia excursions, which gave us good preparation as a workforce. Now it’s about taking the following step and displaying that stage constantly throughout a full match. The squad is motivated and prepared for the problem,’ Marijne stated.
Sharing his ideas on the squad choice, the Chief Coach added, ‘We have named a squad that has the correct stability of expertise and starvation. Players like Savita, Sushila, Nikki and Navneet have been in huge tournaments earlier than and know what it takes to carry out underneath strain. At the identical time, we now have gamers who’re nonetheless growing on the highest stage, and a match like this supplies the atmosphere the place that development occurs. I’m wanting ahead to seeing how this group comes collectively in Auckland.’
India will open their Nations Cup marketing campaign towards the United States on Monday, June 15, at 16:15 IST, earlier than going through Japan on Tuesday, June 16, at 18:30 IST. They will spherical off their pool stage with a conflict towards Uruguay on Thursday, June 18, at 16:15 IST. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, June 20, and the ultimate for Sunday, June 21.
India’s 20-member squad for FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26:
Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam
Defenders: Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Lalthantluangi, Shilpi Dabas, Jyoti, Nikki Pradhan
Midfielders: Salima Tete (c), Neha, Sunelita Toppo, Sakshi Rana, Deepika Soreng, Sonam, Lalremsiami
Forwards: Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Ishika, Annu. (ANI)