Indian women’s hockey team departs for Asian Games

New Delhi:India will start their Pool A campaign against Thailand on Sep 22 before taking on China on Sep 24 and Malaysia on Sep 26. The top two teams will qualify for the semifinals.
“The preparatory camp in Patiala and New Delhi has gone very well. We’ve had enough time to put in place strategies for each player. We looked closely at our key problems in converting penalty corners and stressed on rectifying those areas. We are hopeful of doing well and winning gold at the Asian Games to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics,” Hawgood said.
Speaking ahead of the Games, skipper Ritu said: “We have worked hard on our shortcomings during a one month camp with coach Hawgood and director high performance Roelent Oltmans.
“We have focussed our efforts on a few areas, especially penalty corners, and have made improvements. We are very confident about our strengths. We can reach the final of the Asian Games and are confident that the gold is in our reach.”
The squad:
Goalkeeper: Savita.
Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Deepika (vice-captain),  Sunita Lakra, Namita Toppo, Jaspreet Kaur, Sushila Chanu  and  Monika
Midfielders: Ritu Rani  (captain), Lilima Minz, Amandeep Kaur  and Chanchan Devi Thokchom.
Forwards: Rani , Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya  and  Navjot Kaur. (IANS)