'We have the potential to do really well,' says Madhya Pradesh coach Vandana

Defending champion Madhya Pradesh will look to repeat its performance from the previous season when it takes on Chhattisgarh in the opening match of the 14th Senior Women's Hockey National Championship which begins on March 13 in Pune.

This year's tournament will give budding players a chance to run shoulders with the senior Indian internationals when their respective states begin their campaign.

While the senior players will look to make the best use of their game time to get an India call-up, the youngsters will look to break through into the national team with solid performances in this tournament.

Speaking about the tournament in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, Vandana Uikey, coach of Madhya Pradesh, said, “Last season was fantastic. It was the first time the video referral system was introduced and it made a massive difference. We had a great experience in Kakinada and were very happy with the way the team performed and won the championship.”

“With the national project coming up, a lot of the players are eying spots. But while individual performances matter, the players are focused on winning the tournament and have prepared for the same accordingly. We have had a good preparatory camp and are ready to face whatever comes our way,” she added.

While Vandana rated Haryana and Jharkhand highly, she said her players have the high calibre and potential to defend the title.

“I think Haryana and Jharkhand are very strong teams and extremely competitive. However, we have prepared ourselves to take on whatever is thrown at us,” Vandana said, speaking about the teams that she believed could prove to be quite challenging.

“We have a great bunch of players with us who are looking to make it to the next level. Everyone on the team is of high calibre and has the potential to do really well and turn a few heads,” she concluded.

Madhya Pradesh has been slotted in Pool A alongside Bihar and Chhatisgarh for the tournament. With one team qualifying from each of the eight pools for the quarter-finals, Madhya Pradesh will want to be at the top of their game right from the get-go.

The topper of Pool A will play the topper of Pool H which consists of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Telangana.

Madhya Pradesh will play its second and final game of the group stage against Bihar on March 14.