Rani Rampal left out from 33-member core probable squad for upcoming Asian Games

In what can be called an unfortunate turn of events, Rani Rampal finds her name missing from the core probable group named for the upcoming Asian Games.

On Saturday (June 10), India Hockey revealed a 33-member Indian Women's core probable to compete in the national coaching camp for the upcoming event. However, the veteran Rani Rampal was not lucky enough to get her name.

On the other hand, rising talent Sunelita Toppo belonging to Odisha's hockey hub has been included in the team. It is for sure that the 16-year-old has been in red-hot form in the ongoing Junior Asia Cup in Japan and her hard work has not been ignored by the selectors.

Although Sunelita struck the fiery solitary goal that helped India register a 1-0 win over Japan on Saturday, she was not lucky enough to get her name in the 33-member contingent.

The win on Saturday also confirmed India's place in the FIH World Cup, alongside cementing the slot in the final of the ongoing tournament on Sunday (June 11). India will either face off against China or Korea, depending on whoever reaches the final.

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The women's chief did not make any comment on Rani Rampal's absence from the 33-member core probable for coaching camp

Notably, the coaching camp will last almost for a month and will be executed in SAI, Bengaluru, from Sunday. The core focus of this camp is to boast team coordination and executing tasks.

While addressing the media, the women's chief coach Janneke Schopman did not make any comment on veteran Rani Rampal's absence. However, she urged:

"After establishing our baseline physical output and addressing individual improvements in the previous camp, the focus now shifts to enhancing team structure and tactics."

She further added:

"Our recent tour of Australia, where we played five matches against the hosts, helped us identify the areas that require immediate attention and need to be worked upon to improve as a team."

The chief concluded by saying that:

"With Hangzhou Asian Games approaching fast, we can’t leave any stone unturned if we want to be best prepared and ready in this key tournament."

It should be noted that the newly-elected analytical coach, Anthony Farry, will also be part of the camp. Previously, he was with the Japanese women's team and proved his worth with a gold medal for the team in Asian Games 2018.

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Savita, Rajani Etimarpu, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Bansari Solanki
Defenders	Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Akshata Abaso Dhekale, Jyoti Chhatri, Mahima Chaudhary
Midfielders	Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti Navjot Kaur, Monika, Mariana Kujur, Sonika, Neha, Baljeet Kaur, Reena Khokhar, Vaishnavi Phalke, Ajmina Kujur
Forwards	Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Sharmila Devi, Deepika, Sangita Kumari, Mumtaz Khan, Sunelita Toppo