FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024: All you need to know about India's Pool B opponents — New Zealand, USA and Italy

FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024: All you need to know about India's Pool B opponents — New Zealand, USA and Italy

FP Sports January 8, 2024, 21:08:18 IST

India are grouped alongside New Zealand, USA and Italy in Pool B while Tokyo Olympic silver medallists Germany, Japan, Chile and Czech Republic form Pool A.

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After narrowly missing out on a first-ever Olympic medal in Tokyo in 2021, the India women’s hockey team will hope to end the long wait in Paris later this year. They will, however, have to go through a qualification process involving eight teams in which only the top three sides will make the cut. India had failed to confirm their place among the 12 nations that will be competing in the Olympics later this year after suffering a semi-final defeat against hosts China in the Hangzhou Asian Games. The Savita Punia-led side however, still have a solid shot at confirming their ticket to Paris given the qualifiers willl be taking place on home soil in front of crowds that will be cheering for them. The qualifiers that take place in Ranchi will be held between 13 to 19 January, with the hosts grouped alongside USA, Italy and New Zealand in Pool B. Germany, who won silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021, enter the qualifiers as the top-ranked side and are slotted alongside Japan, Chile and Czech Republic in Pool A. Besides hosts France and Asian champions China, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa and Argentina have so far qualified for the Paris Olympics. India’s FIH Women’s Olympic Qualifiers fixtures: India vs USA: 13 January, 7.30 pm India vs New Zealand: 14 January, 7.30 pm India vs Italy: 16 January, 7.30 pm Semi-finals: 16 January Final: 19 January All the matches will take place at the Jaipal Singh Stadium. The Ranchi leg was supposed to originally take place in China, but Hockey India requested FIH to shift the venue given the Chinese team had already qualified. Before the start of the FIH Women’s Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, we take a close look at India’s opponents: New Zealand

FIH ranking: 9 Best Olympic result: 4th (London 2012, Rio de Janiero 2016) Performance in Tokyo Olympics: Round of 16 Squad: Sam Child, Hannah Cotter, Kailtin Cotter, Casey Crowley, Tarryn Davey, Frances Davies, Steph Dickins, Katie Doar, Hannah Gravenall, Megan Hull, Alia Jaques, Julia King, Olivia Merry, Grace O’Hanlon, Hope Ralph, Brooke Roberts, Olivia Shannon, Liz Thompson, Rose Tynan, Anna Willocks USA FIH ranking: 15 Best Olympic result: 3rd (Los Angeles 1984) Performance in Tokyo Olympics: 8th

Squad: Kelsey Bing, Sanne Caarls, Leah Crouse, Brooke DeBerdine, Emma DeBerdine, Amanda Golini, Danielle Grega, Ally Hammel, Ashley Hoffman, Kelee Lepage, Karlie Kisha, Jenny Rizzo, Ashley Sessa, Meredith Sholder, Abigail Tamer, Jillian Wolgemuth, Beth Yeager, Maddie Zimmer Italy FIH ranking: 19 Best Olympic result: Yet to participate Performance in Tokyo Olympics: Did not participate

Squad: Goalkeepers: Lucia Caruso, Agustina D’ascola, Maria del Rosario Aleman, Sofia Laurito, Camila Machin, Sara Puglisi, Electtra Bormida, Teresa Dalla Vittoria, Maria Emilia Garcia Munitis, Maria Emilia Inaudi, Ailin Oviedo, Mercedes Pastor, Ivanna Pessina, Antonella Bruni, Federica Carta, Guadalupe Moras, Lara Oviedo, Antonella Rinaldi. India squad: Savita (captain), Bichu Devi Kharibam, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Monika, Nisha, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Salima Tete, Sonika, Jyoti, Beauty Dungdung, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, Vandana Katariya FIH Women’s Olympic Qualifiers 2024 LIVE streaming and TV broadcast in India: The matches will be live streamed on JioCinema and will be broadcast on Sports18.

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