A total of 16 teams will be participating at the Women’s hockey World Cup, starting 21 July, but India captain Rani Rampal believes that the abundance of experience will give her team an advantage.
Before departing for 16-day, 36-match tournament in London, Rani said:
It is a plus point for us that this team barring only three or four players have been playing together for over two years now and have had good international exposure with many of them having more than 100 or 150 plus International caps for India.
The Indian team booked their ticket to London after beating China 5-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout at the Asian continental championship final in November 2017.
Every player in the team has grown from strength to strength and I am confident we will do well at the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018.
While they’ve never won, 10th-ranked India will be participating in their first World Cup in eight years. No other player in the current squad apart from skipper Rani and Deepika have ever played at a World Cup before.
“The team is extremely excited and we have waited for this moment ever since we won the Asia Cup last year. For almost everyone on the team, this will be a first-time experience to be playing at the World Cup,” said the skipper.
India are grouped in Pool B along side Olympic champions England, World No 7 USA and Ireland.
In their first match on 21 July, India will take on hosts England.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)