"Extremely optimistic about our chances at the 2022 Commonwealth Games,' says Indian Hockey ace, Vandana Katariya

Indian Women's Hockey Team ace, Vandana Katariya is eagerly waiting for the start of their Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign in Birmingham against Ghana. Vandana, the top scorer for the Indian Women's Hockey Team at the recently concluded FIH Women's World Cup 2022, where she scored 3 goals in 6 games expressed her thoughts before the match against Ghana.

When Vandana was asked about the team's preparations ahead of their tournament opener against Ghana, she said, "Our preparations have been going great. After the World Cup, we had 2 weeks to prepare for the opener. We have dedicated all our time to working on our strengths and ensuring we can iron out our weaknesses as a team. I think our squad has improved considerably in these 2 weeks."

The star forward added that "Even though our performance at the World Cup was not a display of our full potential, it fills me with hope and joy that we always looked to play our own game. We never gave up which shows the mental fortitude the players in this squad have thereby giving us an edge ahead of our first game at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."

This will be Vandana's third Commonwealth Games, as she featured for the Indian Women's Hockey team at the 2014 and 2018 editions of the quadrennial sporting event. When asked about her performance and form, she said "I feel that I am in great form and the momentum is with me from the World Cup. I am ready and raring to go and cannot wait for the first match to start. I am extremely optimistic about our squad's chances to clinch a medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."