Indian team left for Santiago, Chile to compete in the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup on Wednesday. The tournament is scheduled to take place from November 29 to December 10.
India, which finished fourth in the 2022 edition, is placed in Pool C alongside 2022 runner-up Germany as well as Belgium and Canada while defending champion, the Netherlands, is in Pool A accompanied by South Africa, Australia and host Chile. Argentina, Korea, Spain and Zimbabwe are slotted in Pool B while England, New Zealand, the United States and Japan are a part of Pool D.
Top two teams from each group will progress to the quarterfinals.
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With Captain Preeti leading the charge and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal playing deputy, India will begin its campaign against Canada on November 29 followed by the clash against Germany on November 30. After a rest day, India will take on Belgium on December 2 in its final league stage match.
“It is truly an honour to represent the country on the world stage. I take great pride in being able to lead such a talented bunch of players in the Women’s Junior World Cup to show the world what Indian hockey is made of. We have had a terrific preparatory camp where each and every one of us has developed a sense of clarity in understanding what their role in the team is in order to take us all the way to winning the tournament,” said Preeti before leaving India.
Vice-Captain Rutuja said, “We have an amazing set of players who bring a variety of skills to the table. This is a huge opportunity for us to showcase our abilities as a team on a massive platform and prove to the world that India is one of the best. As the vice-captain of this team, I will do my best to assist Preeti in every way possible to ensure that we as a team give ourselves the best chance of winning the Women’s Junior World Cup.”
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