Striving hard to be back in top form, the Indian women’s hockey team comprises about 45 per cent players from Haryana as the team has been putting up an impressive show in the ongoing Nations Cup being held in Auckland, New Zealand, which kicked off on June 15 and will culminate on June 21.
The women players from Haryana, led by the team’s goalkeeper Savita Punia, who is known as the ‘Wall of India’, have sealed a semifinal spot with an undefeated performance in their pool in the international event. The performance of the Indian team in this event is considered a test of its preparations ahead of the crucial FIH Women’s World Cup scheduled in August and its expected participation in the Asian Games, subject to qualification, later this year.
The state hockey players in the team include Savita Punia (goalkeeper), who is arguably India’s undisputed number one goalkeeper at present, Neha Goyal (midfielder), Jyoti (defender), Sakshi Rana (midfielder), Shilpi Dabas (defender), all from Shahabad Markanda, Kurukshetra, Navneet Kaur (forward), Sonam (forward), Deepika, who is among the most dangerous attacking players and penalty-corner options of the team, and emerging forward Annu.
Azad Singh Malik, a hockey coach in Hisar, said the players from Haryana, especially from the Hisar, Sirsa and Sonepat regions, had been dominating the Indian team for some time. “The present Indian team is a balanced and strong side. I hope that the Indian team will be in its best form after the ongoing Nations Cup, which is like a preparatory event ahead of the World Cup and Asiad later this year,” he said, adding that Savita Punia, a resident of Jodhkan village in Sirsa district who trained mostly in Haryana during her crucial years, was still unreplaceable for the Indian team. Punia has recently been awarded the Padma Shri for her contribution to the Indian team.
Notably, the Indian team is undefeated in Pool A during the ongoing Nations Cup as the team has already defeated Japan and the USA. The victory in this event is crucial for the Indian team as the winner of the FIH Nations Cup will secure promotion to the Hockey Pro League. The Indian women’s hockey team had won the Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2023 and 2024. The best performance of the Indian team came in the 2018 Asian Games when it won the silver medal.
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