Hockey
Janneke Schopman confident of India women qualifying for the Paris Olympics
India will begin the qualifying campaign against the United States on January 13 and go on to face New Zealand on January 14 before their last Pool B clash against Italy on January 16. Pool A comprises Germany, Japan, Chile and the Czech Republic.
Indian women's hockey team coach Janneke Schopman has recently made an emotional outburst about working in India.
With only three weeks until the FIH Olympics Qualifiers 2024, the Indian Women's Hockey Team is preparing to compete in Ranchi, aiming to secure a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“We have some high-calibre teams coming to Ranchi to battle for qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics, but we have a great group of players and an outstanding support staff. So, we are certain that we can finish on the podium and qualify for the Olympics. The aim will be to play each match on our terms, take more responsibility for our actions in-game, be solid at the back, and capitalize on the chances we create,” commented Indian women's team chief coach Janneke Schopman on her team's chances in the qualifiers.
India will begin the campaign against the United States on January 13 and go on to face New Zealand on January 14, before their last Pool B clash against Italy on January 16. Pool A comprises Germany, Japan, Chile, and the Czech Republic.
The team is entering this tournament after playing preparatory matches in Spain. The Indian Women's Hockey Team won the gold medal at the Women's Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi earlier this year and the bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games, both times defeating Japan.
The team is optimistic about the upcoming tour, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of home fans. The team's main goal is to finish in the top three and secure a spot in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Elaborating on the preparations, Janneke Schopman said, “The last few months were crucial, and I am happy with the way the team has responded after missing out on direct qualification from the Asian Games. Our performance in the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 is an example of the team’s potential."
"The next step is to tap into this potential and become a consistently high-performing team. The 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 was important in this regard, as it helped us fine-tune our game and maintain match sharpness before entering a critical juncture in our journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics," she added.
