Indian women's hockey team to play practice games in Netherlands to prepare for HWL semis

The Indian women’s hockey team practising at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium

The Indian women’s hockey team left for Netherlands on Friday to take part in some practice matches as they look to fine-tune their preparations for the FIH Hockey World League (HWL) semifinals slated to be held in June this year.

The women’s team are coming off a training camp which commenced in New Delhi on March 18th.

The Neil Hawgood-coached side would be keen to lend finishing touches to their preparations for the FIH Hockey World League (HWL) semifinals.

It may be worth recalling that India eves are pitted in a tough group in the Hockey World League semifinals, the first of which is slated to be held at Rotterdam, Netherlands from June 13-23.

Although India eves are not in the same group as defending Olympic Champions and world number one Netherlands, they would still have their task cut out.

The 12th ranked Indian hockey eves are placed in Pool B alongside Germany, New Zealand and Belgium.

Pool A features hosts the Netherlands, Korea, Japan and Chile.

The second women’s Hockey World League semifinals will be played at the University of Westminster’s Quintin Hogg Memorial Sports Ground in Chiswick, London from June 22-30.

Hosts England are clubbed in Pool B alongside Australia, South Africa and Spain. Pool B will feature world champions Argentina, China, USA and Italy.

Netherlands, Germany New Zealand and Korea have secured a bye to the Rotterdam semifinals by virtue of being ranked in the top-8.

Similarly, England, Australia, Argentina and China also made it to the London semifinals by virtue of being ranked in the top-8.

The Ritu Rani-led Indian women’s hockey team gave a good account of themselves in the Hockey World League Round 2 tournament held in New Delhi last February.

Indian eves thumped Kazakhstan 8-0 in their opening match. They pulverized Fiji 10-0 in their second tie before accounting for Malaysia 3-0.

India eves lost 1-3 to Japan in penalty shootout after being locked 2-2 in regulation time. They edged out Russia by a solitary goal to wrap up their campaign on a decent note.

It may be mentioned that South Africa eves and Belgium became the first two teams to make it to the semifinals from the first women’s Round 2 tournament held in Cape Town.

India and ninth-ranked Japan qualified from the second women’s Round 2 tournament held in New Delhi.

Italy and Spain made it to the semifinals from the third women’s Hockey World League Round 2 tournament held in Valencia, Spain, while Chile and USA made the semis cut from the fourth and final women’s Hockey World League Round 2 tournament held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.