Bhubaneswar, Mar 1: India will open its campaign in this year’s FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup against England on July 3, two days after the marquee tournament opens in Spain and the Netherlands.
The schedule was announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday. Placed in Pool B, India will next face China on July 5 and New Zealand on July 7.
India will play all their pool matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands in the event to be held from July 1 to 17.
Soon after the schedule was made public, India women’s team halfback Sushila Chanu said the team won’t be intimidated by any opposition.
“It does not matter against which opponents we start our campaign. We are not afraid as our mentality and our mindset is to take each game as it comes and try and win every match,” Chanu said in a virtual press conference.
“We have faced China recently in Muscat, Oman, in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022, and in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22.
‘‘And so it will be an advantage for us,” she went on to add.
India had earlier played Spain in the double-leg FIH Pro League at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar over the past weekend, where they won the first match 2-1 before suffering a 3-4 defeat in the next game. (PTI)
