Bhubaneswar: The Indian women’s hockey team arrived in Bhubaneswar on Sunday to play in the first cluster of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24.
The FIH Hockey Pro League (Women) will kick off at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on February 3. The league matches will be played in Bhubaneswar till February 9. It will shift to Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela where the matches will be played from February 12 to 18.
Besides India, national teams from China, the USA, the Netherlands, and Australia will participate in this leg of the FIH Pro League. The teams will play with each other once in Bhubaneswar and once in Rourkela.
Custodian Savita will lead the Indian women’s team as captain while forward Vandana Katariya, who returns to the squad after recuperating from an injury, will be her deputy.
India will meet reigning Asian Games champion China in their first game on February 3. Then they will take on the Netherlands on February 4, Australia on Feb 7 before playing their last game in Bhubaneswar against the USA on February 9.
It may be noted that Indian women’s hockey team had failed to qualify for the Olympic Games to be held in Paris later this year.
