NEW DELHI: Hockey India today named Deepika Thakur as the captain of the 18-member senior women’s team for the upcoming the Hawke’s Bay Cup, scheduled to be held in Hasting, New Zealand from April 2-10.
Speaking on the tournament, which is being seen as an important stop on the road to the 2016 Rio Olympics from the preparation point of view, Deepika said,”It’s an important tournament for us especially in an Olympic year.
A good performance in New Zealand will definitely boost our confidence. The team has players with enough talent and skills to get the better of some of the higher ranked teams in our pool.”
India, currently ranked 13th according to the latest FIH world rankings has been grouped in Pool B with New Zealand (4th), China (5th) and Ireland (15th). Apart from India, both New Zealand and China have also qualified for the Olympics.
On the other hand, Pool A consists of Australia, Korea, Japan and Canada. The pool league matches will determine the seeding for the quarter-finals with all eight teams proceeding to the knock-out stage.
The Indian team will take on the formidable Black Sticks in their opening encounter on 2 April 2016 before going up against Ireland on 3rd April and China on 5th April.
Training under the vigilant eyes of Chief Coach Neil Hawgood, the Indian eves will be aiming to put up an improved show in the tournament and further fuel their spirit ahead of the most crucial 2016 Rio Olympics. (AGENCIES)
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