Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia will miss India’s upcoming Women’s Asian Champions Trophy campaign in Bhopal after being rested for the tournament. Bansari Solanki has been brought into the squad as her replacement, with head coach Sjoerd Marijne also set to use the competition to experiment with the players and use them in different roles.
Hockey India announced the 18-member squad on Tuesday ahead of the November 19-28 tournament, which will be staged at the newly constructed International Sports Complex in Nathu Barkheda, Bhopal. India will head into the competition as defending champions, having lifted the trophy in 2016, 2023 and 2024.
Salima Tete will continue as captain as the Indian women’s team returns to international action for the first time since its memorable gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games in Japan last month.
Bansari, 25, is no stranger to the national setup. She was part of the Indian team that clinched the Asia Cup title last year. Bichu Devi Kharibam will be the other goalkeeper in the squad.
Marijne has also made some interesting positional changes as he looks to explore different combinations. Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, who featured in the forward line during the Asian Games, has been included among the midfielders. Nikki Pradhan, traditionally a midfielder, will take up a defensive role, while Ishika Chaudhary moves in the opposite direction from defence to midfield.
“This is the moment I want to give other players the chance to showcase their talent on the international stage. Some players will be playing in different positions than they normally do, so that I can see how they perform in a different role,” said Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne. “We are excited to play in front of the home crowd and finish the year well.”
Six teams will compete for the title, with India joined by China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. The Koreans will be aiming for a fourth crown, having won the tournament on three occasions, matching India’s record.
The competition will begin with a round-robin league involving all six sides. Each team will play five matches, with the four best-placed teams advancing to the semi-finals.
China, currently the highest-ranked team in Asia, will face Thailand in the opening fixture. India will take on Malaysia later in the day after the opening ceremony to begin their title defence.
The hosts will then face South Korea on November 21, Thailand on November 22, China on November 24 and Japan on November 25.
The semi-finals are scheduled for November 27, with the third-place playoff and final taking place on November 28.
INDIA SQUAD FOR WOMEN’S ACT
GOALKEEPERS
Bansari Solanki
Bichu Devi Kharibam
DEFENDERS
Nikki Pradhan
Jyoti
Jyoti Singh
Sushila Chanu
Lalthantluangi
Pooja Sahoo
MIDFIELDERS
Rutuja Dadaso Pisal
Sunelita Toppo
Salima Tete (c)
Neha
Sakshi Rana
Baljeet Kaur
Ishaka
FORWARDS
Navneet Kaur
Deepika
Beauty Dungdung
Lalremsiami
Mumtaz Khan
– Ends
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