Vandana Katariya ruled out of FIH Women's Olympic Hockey qualifiers

Experienced Indian forward and vice-captain of women's hockey team Vandana Katariya was ruled out of the FIH Women's Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi.

Vandana will be replaced by youngster Baljeet Kaur who has shown great promise in India’s recent outings, meanwhile, local star Nikki Pradhan has been named as the Vice Captain. Notably, Nikki was the first women's hockey player from Jharkhand to represent India at the Olympic Games in 2016.

“It’s unfortunate that Vandana won’t be part of the tournament. She sustained a fracture in her cheekbone during a training session, and she has been advised to rest. While we will miss the experience of Vandana, Baljeet Kaur who has been doing well for the team will step in for her senior compatriot, and Nikki, also a very experienced player for India will shoulder the responsibility of Vice Captain,” stated Chief Coach Janneke Schopman.

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