FIH Hockey: Olympic Qualifiers India ready for German challenge in semis

RANCHI: The Indian Women’s Hockey Team is all set to face Germany in the Semi-Final of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Ranchi 2024 in Ranchi following its 5-1 victory over Italy in the final Pool B match. A win in the semi-final will ensure the Indian team qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024.

The Indian Team started off on the backfoot with a 0-1 loss to USA in its first game in the group stage but came back strongly to beat New Zealand 3-1 in its second game which was a must-win match. They carried the good form into their final group stage game against Italy, whom they comfortably beat 5-1. They will go into the semi-final with their confidence riding high following back-to-back wins after having their backs to the wall after the loss in the first match.

Ahead of the all-important semi-final, Captain of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team Savita said, “we’ve already played Germany a few times and have done well. We’re confident in our abilities as a team and have the game to put up a solid performance. Our attacking game is quite good. Germany is a good team so we will have to be on top of our defense and try to convert any chances we get.”

The Indian Women’s Hockey Team which is ranked sixth in the world will take on fifth ranked Germany in the semi-final and hope to confirm a place in the Olympics with a win. Despite Germany being the highest ranked team in the tournament and India’s head-to-head record with the Germans not being too favorable, the Indian team will look to draw inspiration from its hard-fought win over their counterparts in the 2021-22 FIH Hockey Pro League played in Bhubaneswar in March 2022.

The Indian Women’s Hockey Team Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said, “Germany has a lot of good players but we have a quality side that has shown they can do well under pressure. We are one game away from a spot in the Olympics. We will treat the semi-final like a final and give it our all.”