New Delhi: With three weeks to go for their match against the United States in the FIH Hockey Olympics Qualifiers in Ranchi, the Indian women’s hockey team is preparing in high spirits, aiming to secure a spot in next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Ranchi will host one of the two women’s Olympic Qualifiers from January 13 to 19 with Valencia in Spain hosting the second. The top three teams from each of the two events will make it to Paris.
The Indian women’s team stunned everyone by making a maiden appearance in the semifinals of the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. Though their performance has been a bit up and down since then, the team is hoping to make it to the Paris Olympics once again and prove that their Tokyo performance was not a flash in the pan.
Ranchi presents the Indian team with its first challenge of 2024, and the final opportunity to clinch its berth after failing to clinch a direct spot by winning gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, a few months back.
in Ranchi, India will begin their campaign against the United States January 13 and go on to face New Zealand the next day before winding up their Pool B engagements with a clash against Italy on January 16. Pool A comprises Germany, Japan, Chile, Czech Republic in the eight-team competition.
“We have some high-calibre teams coming to Ranchi to battle for qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics, but we have a great group of players and an outstanding support staff. So, we are certain that we can finish on the podium and qualify for the Olympics, said Indian women’s team chief coach Janneke Schopman on India’s chances in the Qualifiers.
“The aim will be to play each match on our terms, take more responsibility for our actions in-game, be solid at the back, and capitalize on the chances we create,” Schopman was quoted as saying by Hockey India in a release Friday.
The team is entering this tournament after playing preparatory matches in Spain. The Indian women’s team won the gold medal at the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi a few months back and the bronze medal in the 19th Asian Games, both times defeating Japan.
The team is optimistic about the upcoming event, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of home fans. The team’s main goal is to finish in the top three and secure a spot in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Elaborating on the preparations, Schopman said, “The last few months were crucial, and I am happy with the way the team has responded after missing out on direct qualification from the Asian Games. Our performance in the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 is an example of the team’s potential.
“The next step is to tap into this potential and become a consistently high-performing team. The 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 was important in this regard, as it helped us fine-tune our game and maintain match sharpness before entering a critical juncture in our journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics,” she said.
IANS