Ritu Rani to lead Indian women’s team in the Champions Challenge 1 in Dublin

NEW DELHI, Sept 10: Ritu Rani will lead our senior Women in the Electric Ireland Hockey Champions Challenge 1 to be held in Dublin from September 29 to October 7 at the National Hockey Stadium in the University College, Dublin.

Defender Kirandeep Kaur will be vice-captain in the team’s maiden assignment under chief coach Neil Hawgood.

Ritu Rani, the captain, said the team is eager to compete with teams that had taken part in the recent Olympic Games. “We have worked very hard during the camp in Bhopal under the supervision of Chief Coach Neil Hawgood and Exercise Physiologist Ben Dascombe. We are confident we will compete hard and do our best against quality opposition,” she said.

Chief Coach Neil Hawgood, who took over the reins as Indian Senior Women’s team’s coach recently, is looking forward to the competition: “I have shared my vision of enhancing an already attractive style of hockey that will balance out the attacking ability – and that that is naturally within this group – and to have a defensive side of the game that is as well respected as our attacking side,” Hawgood said.

Hockey India Secretary-General Narinder Batra is confident the Indian team would be competitive. “Our Junior Women’s team recently won Junior Women’s Asia Cup silver for the first time and the selectors have included as many as seven players from that team in this squad,” he said. “We are sure the team will be very competitive in Dublin.”

Besides India, the teams that will compete in the event are Australia, Belgium, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, United States of America and host Ireland. Australia, which finished fifth in the Olympic Games in London last month and is ranked seventh, tops the rankings among the eight teams. South Africa, Belgium and the USA finished 10th, 11th and 12th in the Olympic Games.

India is ranked World No. 12 and ahead of not only Spain (13), Ireland (15) and Scotland (19) but also Belgium (14).

The winner of the event will join Argentina, England, Netherlands, Germany and Japan in the Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy 2014 to be played in Argentina. Two further contenders will be assigned invitational places at a later date by the FIH Executive Board.

The Indian team:

Goalkeepers: 1. Yogita Bali

2. Savita

Defenders: 3. Jaspreet Kaur

4. Sushila Chanu

5. Kirandeep Kaur (vice-captain)

6. Deep Grace Ekka

7. Deepika

8, Joydeep Kaur

Mid-fielders: 9. Ritu Rani (captain)

10. Vandana Katariya

11. Monika Malik

12. Chanchan Devi

13. Poonam Rani

14. MN Ponnamma

Forwards: 15. Roselin Dung Dung

16. Soundarya Yendala

17. Lily Chanu

18. Anupa Barla.

Officials

Chief Coach: Neil Hawgood

Coach: CR Kumar

Coach: Ms. Sumrai Tete

Exercise Physiologist: Dr. Ben Dascombe

Physiotherapist: Ms Deena Kumari Brij Mohan

Lady masseuse: Mrs Man Kuvar Rohar

Manager: Dr. Mrs. Sudarshan Pathak.

Article Courtesy: Hockey India Media Release