Friday, Apr 26, 2024 | Last Update : 07:18 PM IST
Rio 2016: India eye encore in Japan opener
The India women’s hockey team at a training session at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: AFP)
The India women’s hockey team at a training session at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: AFP)
After a fairytale run to the Rio Games following a gap of 36 years, an upbeat India will look to begin from where they had left off against Japan when they clash in their women’s hockey opener in a Pool B match of the 31st Olympiad here on Sunday.
The women’s team beat Japan in a classification match last June to finish fifth in the World League semi-finals and qualify for the Olympics for the first time after Moscow 1980.
Tenth ranked Japan may be three notches higher but the women in blue, coached by Aussie Neil Hawgood, are hopeful of a good start to take the momentum forward. “The coach has told us to give our best in the first match, that will set the tone for the remainder league matches,” defender Deep Grace Ekka, who was part of the Asian Games Incheon 2014 bronze medal winning team, said.
With 106 caps to her name, Deep will form the backbone of India’s defence along with captain Sushila Chanu who took over the reins after veteran Ritu Rani was dropped less than a month before the Olympics for attitude problems. The forward line will be reliant on Rani Rampal who was the top-scorer when they clinched the Olympics berth while goalkeeper Savita Punia will also look to stand tall under the bar.
Dutch seek third straight gold The Oranje will be seeking to become the first nation to win three consecutive field hockey gold medals on the women’s side after winning in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
This year’s squad features some key mainstays from both winners, including Naomi Van As, Ellen Hoog, Lidewij Welten, Eva de Goede and Maartje Paumen. Welten was the FIH (International Hockey Federation) Player of the Year in 2015, Hoog in 2014, Paumen in 2011 and 2012 and Van As in 2009.
With that veteran core providing a balanced, high-scoring attack and a stout defense that is backed by 2015 FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Joyce Sombroek, the Dutch have remained the no. one team.
