New Delhi: Defender Deep Grace Ekka will lead an 18-member junior Indian women's hockey team for a training-cum-competition trip to New Zealand from November 3 to 15.
"Hockey India (HI) on Saturday announced its Indian Junior Women Hockey Team for training and a Test Series scheduled to be held against New Zealand from November 3 to 15. This tour will be in preparations for the Junior Women Asia Cup to be held next year," HI said in a statement.
The 18-member team was selected by Hockey India selectors B P Govinda, Dr. R P Singh and Mamta Kharb along with Director High Performance Roelant Oltmans, coach N S Saini and physiotherapist Chitrangana Modi on the basis of their selection trials conducted at SAI Centre, Bhopal on October 20.
Speaking on the team structure, HI Secretary General, Md. Mushtaque Ahmad said, "The Junior Women Asia Cup is an important tournament as a win there will secure qualification for the 2016 Junior Women World Cup.
"Keeping the importance of the tournament in mind we decided to send the junior team to New Zealand for this test series as they will have expose to play outside the country and in a completely different climatic conditions. The team selected has the right combination and will give a tough time to the opponents."
Scheduled to depart for New Zealand tomorrow, the preparatory camp is already underway at SAI Centre, Bhopal from October 13 and will continue till the departure.
The Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sonal Miz, Inderpreet Kaur; Defenders: Priya, Pooja Rani, Karishma Yadav, Deep Grace Ekka (Captain), Jaspreet Kaur, Manjit Kaur; Midfielders: Sonika, Preeti Dubey, Lilima Minz, Navneet Kaur, Namita Toppo; Forwards: Priyanka, Navpreet Kaur, Navjot Kaur (Vice-Captain), Poonam Barla, Anupa Barla
