New Delhi: The Indian Womens Hockey Team will face China on Sunday in the first game of the Germany tour, where they will play three matches from July 16 to 19.
The team led by ace goalkeeper Savita and Vice-Captain Deep Grace Ekka will play one game against World No. 11 China on July 16 in Limburg, followed by two back-to-back matches against the hosts Germany in Wiesbaden, and Rsselsheim, respectively, on July 18 and 19.
Indian Womens Hockey Team left from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for three matches in the Germany tour and will then subsequently fly to Spain for the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament in a bid to prepare themselves ahead pic.twitter.com/eXpTF0YyGW
Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 12, 2023
The Indian Womens Hockey Team aims to utilize the tour for the preparation of the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, the Hockey India sources on Saturday said.
Speaking on the upcoming contest against China, Indian Womens Hockey Team Captain Savita said, The match is a good chance for us to test ourselves against an Asian opponent ahead of the prestigious Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. We have had a long National Coaching Camp at SAI Centre in Bengaluru and we have discussed the areas where we have to focus and improve upon. We are prepared for the upcoming games.
Indian Womens Team are hard at work as they prepare for their first match in Limburg, Germany against China.
Here are some glimpses from their training session ?#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/Q2FYyRJYyW
Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 15, 2023
The last time India played against China was in the FIH Womens World Cup Spain Netherlands 2022 and the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
The two teams have come face-to-face 17 times since the 2013 Womens Asia Cup, with India emerging victorious on 10 occasions, while China have won five matches, and two matches ended in a tie.
Indian Womens Hockey Team Vice-Captain Deep Grace Ekka added, We know our opponents well, and we have squared off against China multiple times in the recent past. We know what they are capable of, but at the same time, it allows us to prepare ourselves accordingly. We are confident of getting a good result from the match.
Meanwhile, the Indian Womens Hockey Team last contested against World No. 4 Germany in the 2021-22 FIH Womens Hockey Pro League on March 13 last year.
The match had ended with India picking a 1 – 1 (3 – 0 SO) win in the Shoot-outs. Since 2013, the two teams have faced off against each other five times, with India winning the contest twice, while Germany won it three times.
Indian Womens Hockey Team Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said that the team will stick to their plans and play to their strengths on the Germany tour.
We had a long camp before the tour and we have recognised our strengths. Both China and Germany have strong teams and well-balanced squads. We will continue to play to our strengths and stick to our plans and we hope to pick up good results on the tour, Schopman said.
(With UNI inputs)
