Indian Women's Hockey Team Set for Australia Tour Ahead of Nations Cup
Indian Women's Hockey Team's Upcoming Tour
Photo: @Virgil07302227/X
New Delhi, May 13: Hockey India has confirmed that the Indian women's hockey team will embark on a tour to Australia from May 21 to June 3. This tour is part of their preparations for the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup scheduled for June 15 to 21 in Auckland, New Zealand.
During their time in Australia, the team will compete in four matches against the Australian side at the Perth Hockey Stadium, with games set for May 26, 27, 29, and 30.
After concluding their Australian tour, the team will head to New Zealand for additional practice matches in preparation for the Nations Cup.
The Indian women's team is coming off a successful tour in Argentina earlier this year, where they secured two victories in four matches. Since returning, the players have been engaged in rigorous training at the national camp in SAI Bengaluru, focusing on enhancing their skills ahead of a busy international schedule.
With support from Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, the team’s drag-flick specialists will participate in a specialized training clinic led by Dutch hockey legend Taeke Taekema from May 26 to June 21 in both Perth and Auckland.
Chief coach Sjoerd Marijne emphasized the significance of this tour, stating, "I am very pleased that Hockey India has facilitated this tour, as these matches will allow us to pinpoint our weaknesses and track our progress since our training camps. After our experience in Argentina, we can now assess how close we are to achieving the level of our recent victories and maintain that momentum.”
He also noted that the tour will aid the team in acclimatizing to the conditions they will face in New Zealand. “By breaking up the travel, we can adapt more quickly to the colder weather in New Zealand, as the conditions in Perth will be more similar,” he added.