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The Indian women's hockey team is gearing up to take on China in the opening clash of 2021/22 FIH Pro League in Muscat today (January 31).
The Indian eves defeated China 2-0 to bag a bronze medal at the 2022 Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman on January 28. They overcame the disappointment of their 2-3 defeat against the mighty South Koreans in the semifinals.
On Sunday, coach Janneke Schopman spoke about the preparations of the Indian team ahead of its upcoming match against China.
"We are excited to start our Pro League campaign and look to build on our performance in the Asia Cup by hopefully creating and converting our opportunities as well as having a clinical defense," she said. "China has shown to be a good team here in the Asia Cup. While they did not finish in the top three, their game stats show that they were even to all top 3 teams."
Team India will compete against China in two back-to-back matches at the FIH Pro League.
Skipper Savita Punia shares her thoughts on the team's recent performances
Savita Punia, who will continue to lead the team in the absence of regular captain Rani Rampal, said the team is looking forward to building upon its recent performances.
"We not only managed to qualify for the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022 but also earned a podium finish," she said. "We are happy with how the team is shaping up and are looking forward to building upon the same in the upcoming matches."
While acknowledging that their recent outing at the Asia Cup was satisfactory, Savita also pointed out how the team needs to react quickly under pressure.
"It was a good tournament for us to not only get an understanding of our opponents, but also learn how the team reacts in certain situations on the field, and how we can replicate what we are learning in the training," she said. "We are eager to play in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the first time and continue to improve and gain confidence."
Also read: Asia Cup 2022: India wins bronze, Japan lifts title
