New Delhi: Ritu Rani will lead the Senior Women Hockey Team while Chanchan Devi will be her deputy for the FIH Champions Challenge 1 scheduled to be played at Glasgow (Scotland) from 27 April – 4 May 2014.
Hockey India Selectors B P Govinda, Mamta Kharab Dahiya and Surinder Kaur alongwith Roelant Oltmans, Director High Performance, Neil Hawgood, Chief Coach Women Team and Scientific Advisor Matthew Tredrea selected the list of 18 players and 7 standbys on the basis of selection trials conducted at NSNIS Patiala on March 27, 2014.
The 18 member squad will be captained by midfielder Ritu Rani with midfielder Chanchan Devi supporting as Vice-Captain. Navneet Kaur and Neha Goyal will be making their international debut through this tournament and will be guided by the experience of the rest of the players.
India is placed in Pool A with Korea, Belgium and the host Scotland while USA, South Africa, Spain and Ireland are placed in Pool B. India is slotted against Korea in its opening match scheduled for 27 April 2014.
The team will depart for Ireland on 10 April 2014 to play a three match test series against their national side which will help players to acclimatize ahead of the Champions Challenge 1. Post that the team is schedules to reach at Glasgow (Scotland) for the FIH Champions Challenge 1 on 21 April 2014.
The camp of senior women team is currently underway at NSNIS, Patiala which started from 24 March 2014 and will continue till their departure on 10 April 2014.
List of players is as under-
Goalkeepers
1. Yogita Bali (47 caps)
2. Savita (65 caps)
Defenders
3. Deep Grace Ekka (44 caps)
4. Deepika (112 caps)
5. Sunita Lakra (15 caps)
6. Kirandeep Kaur (133 caps)
7. Namita Toppo (32 caps)
8. Monika Malik (9 caps)
Midfielders
9. Sushila Chanu (61 caps)-Vice-Captain
10. Ritu Rani (165 caps)-Captain
11. Lily Chanu (22 caps)
12. Chanchan Devi (97 caps)
13. Soundarya Yendala (87 caps)
Forwards
14. Anuradha Devi (57 caps)
15. Poonam Rani (99 caps)
16. Vandana Katariya (85 caps)
17. Navneet Kaur (0 caps)
18. Neha Goyal (0 caps)