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On Tuesday, Hockey India named a 20-player squad for the Indian women's hockey team's upcoming tour of Germany and Spain. In the latter country, the Indian team would be taking part in the prestigious 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament.
These contests would play a pivotal role in preparing the side for the highly-anticipated Asian Games 2023, set to be held in Hangzhou, China.
The Indian women's team are all set to kick off their European tour with three Test matches in Germany. One of them would be against China and the rest against the hosts, in the period from July 16-19, 2023. After this, the Indian contingent will travel to Spain to encounter South Africa, England, and the hosts.
The matches will occur in Terrassa from the 25th to the 30th of July and will be played as part of the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament. To prove their mettle in the forthcoming tournaments, the Indian team has been training diligently in SAI Centre in Bengaluru during the training camps.
Considering the squad, the team will be captained by skilled goalkeeper Savita while Deep Grace Ekka will join her as a deputy. Bichu Devi Kharibam has been named as the second goalkeeper in the squad.
The defensive lineup for the Germany and Spain tours also has Nikki Pradhan, Ishika Chaudhary, Udita, and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam.
The Indian team also contains a formidable line-up in the midfield. It includes the likes of Jyoti Chhatri, Neha, Nisha, Monika, Sonika, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Baljeet Kaur, and Salima Tete. Vandana Katariya will spearhead the forward line, which also includes Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Navneet Kaur, and Deepika.
Indian women's hockey team's chief coach Janneke Schopman sees Germany and Spain tours as great opportunities
The Indian women's team's chief coach Janneke Schopman stated that the upcoming tours will assist the team's preparations for the upcoming major international tournaments.
“The Spain and Germany tours will be a great opportunity for our team to show their ability and skills on an international stage again and to continue our preparation for the Asian Games."
The following table represents the complete squad for the tour:
