On Wednesday, Hockey India named a 22-member squad for the matches against Germany. The county’s renowned veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia will continue to lead the women’s hockey team, while defender Deep Grace Ekka will be her deputy in the upcoming FIH Women’s Pro League matches against Germany at the Kalinga Stadium on March 12 and 13.
FIH Women’s Pro League matches to be a crowd puller
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Bringing everything they’ve got to the table, the squad is ready to battle it out with two new faces, young defender Akshata Abaso Dhekale from Hockey Maharashtra and India Junior women’s hockey team star, Deepika Jr. The impressive new players were picked in the senior core group following an impressive performance in the National Championship.
Talking about the team selection, chief coach Janneke Schopman said, “It’s an exciting time for us playing yet again two back-to-back Pro League games at home against an esteemed opponent. Germany is a very consistent team with probably the best basic skills around the world. They defend very well and are quick to attack. I feel we have selected a nice mix of young talent and experience and we’re looking to build on our performance against Spain.”
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The A team includes biggies like Savita Punia, Bichu Devi Kharibam and young stars like Abaso Dhekale and Deepika Jr among others.
Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam
Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita and Akshata Abaso Dhekale
Midfielders: Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monika, Neha, Navjot Kaur and Sonika
Forwards: Rajwinder Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Mariana Kujur and Deepika Jr
Standbys: Rajani Etimarpu, Ishika Chaudhary, Namita Toppo
Germany Women’s Hockey team have arrived on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar for the double-header against the hosts India in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22. The matches are scheduled to take place on March 12 and 13 at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium. The match dated March 12 will be marked as the first match for Germany at the Kalinga stadium.
– With inputs from IANS
