Indian team touches down in Ranchi with a focus on winning Women's Asian Champions Trophy

RANCHI: The Indian women's hockey team will be hoping to overcome the shortcomings noticed in the recently-concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou and win the title in the Women's Asian Champions Trophy starting here next week.

“We had some shortcomings in the recent Asian Games due to which we couldn’t win a Gold medal, however, our team has worked tirelessly to address those issues and we are now ready to give our best on the field,” said captain Savita on Sunday.

The Indian women's hockey team reached Ranchi on Sunday evening, full of confidence and determination to win the coveted title in the Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy set to begin in less than a week.

Their arrival at the Birsa Munda Airport was met with an enthusiastic reception from a large gathering of fans.

Led by the dynamic captain Savita, the Indian women's hockey team has been gearing up for the Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 with rigorous training, strategic planning, and strong team unity.

Furthermore, the Indian team is entering the tournament on the back of a bronze medal triumph at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, thus they will be raring to prove their mettle in the competition.

It's worth noting that India is aiming for their second Women's Asian Champions Trophy title, having previously claimed the crown in 2016. They were runners-up in the 2013 and 2018 editions of the prestigious tournament, while in 2010, they secured a third-place finish.

India's journey in the tournament will commence with a match against Thailand on October 27, followed by a game against Malaysia the next day. Subsequently, India will face China in their third match on October 30 and then compete against Japan on October 31. The team's final pool match will be against Korea on November 2.

As per the tournament format, all six teams will each play five matches in the round-robin stage before the top four teams move into the semifinals.

Speaking on India’s preparations for the tournament and the team’s recent performance, chief coach Janneke Schopman said, “We played some top performances in the recently concluded Asian Games, however, there’s always room for improvement and we will focus on it in this tournament.”

“We are entering the competition with a hunger to prove our mettle, especially after our bronze medal win at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. We look forward to exciting matches and hope to display our best hockey on the field,” she was quoted as saying by Hockey India in a release on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita also shared her thoughts after arriving in Ranchi.

“The warm and heartfelt welcome we have experienced in Ranchi has deeply touched us, serving as an immense source of inspiration and motivation. We are brimming with confidence and determination to claim the coveted title,” she said.