The passing of baton in the Indian women’s hockey team seems officially on course with youngster Salima Tete handed captaincy for the upcoming Europe leg of the FIH Pro League 2023-24 and Navneet Kaur named her deputy as the 24-member squad was announced on Thursday.
Interestingly, long-serving captain Savita and seniors like Vandana Katariya, Monika and Neha Goyal are part of the squad, clearly indicating that Hockey India (HI) and coach Harendra Singh are looking forward to long-term leadership while retaining experience in the ranks.
India will play against Argentina, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain and Germany twice each across Belgium and England, starting May 22 and ending on June 9. The Indian women are currently sixth in the nine-team competition with eight points from eight matches. India is also the only team in the fray to not qualify for the Paris Olympics.
“I am happy that I have been appointed to lead the team. It is a big responsibility and I am looking forward to this new role. We have a strong squad and it’s a mix of experienced and young players. In the upcoming Belgium and England legs of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-2024, we look to put our strong foot forward,” the 22-year old Salima said.
Coach Harendra is yet to make an official statement or comment since his appointment last month while HI too hasn’t made any formal announcement of the same so far.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam.
Defenders: Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Monika, Jyoti Chhatri, Mahima Chaudhary.
Midfielders: Salima Tete (capt.), Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Jyoti, Baljeet Kaur, Manisha Chauhan, Lalremsiami.
Forwards: Mumtaz Khan, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, Sharmila Devi, Preeti Dubey, Vandana Katariya, Sunelita Toppo, Deepika Soreng.
