NEW DELHI: Buoyed by their victory in Hockey World League Round 2, the Indian women’s team is geared up for the opening match against China in the Hawke’s Bay Cup beginning in New Zealand on Saturday.

Both teams are looking forward to a positive start and a close contest is in the offing.

India and China last met at 2014 Asian Games where India suffered a 1-2 loss.

Aiming for a win, India captain Ritu Rani said, “the victory at World League has definitely motivated the team for the upcoming tournament.

“The players are all in good spirit and want to give a tough fight to the opponents. Also, this is a good opportunity for us to work on our skills and bring in the required improvement which will help us to perform better in the World League Semi-Final Round. We hope to begin the tournament on a winning note.”

Roelant Oltmans, Director High Performance, Hockey India said, “The players have worked really hard with enough practice sessions for this tournament. Our team has become strong with time which is very evident.

“The aim now is to play the matches with the best efforts being put in and meanwhile makes the team even stronger to give a tough fight in the upcoming Semi Finals.

“The aim will be to earn the crucial penalty corners and convert them, for this the girls have to maintain the attack on the opponents during the entire match. For the team, this is a wonderful opportunity to polish the skills make themselves strong enough to qualify for the Rio Olympics,” the Dutchman added.