Now Reading: Savita Punia backs India to challenge top teams at Hockey World Cup
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Savita Punia backs India to challenge top teams at Hockey World Cup
Goalkeeper Savita Punia says India are confident of matching the world’s best at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup, which runs from August 14 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. India…
The Story in Brief
Goalkeeper Savita Punia says India are confident of matching the world’s best at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup, which runs from August 14 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. India won the FIH Nations Cup in June, beating hosts New Zealand 2-0 in the final. The team, led by captain Salima Tete, is placed in Pool D with China, England and South Africa and will open against China on August 16 at Amstelveen.
India’s best World Cup finish was fourth in 1974. In the last two editions, they finished eighth and ninth. Savita, playing her third World Cup, said the Nations Cup victory and close Pro League matches against sides like Argentina and the Netherlands have lifted morale. Eleven of the 20 players in the squad are World Cup debutants, the National Herald reports.
The Indian Opinion
Savita’s confidence is welcome, but India’s women have not finished in the top four at a World Cup for 50 years. Narratives that hype a Nations Cup win into a podium guarantee ignore that three of the 10 teams in that tournament were not World Cup qualifiers. The real test is not rhetoric but results against England and China in the pool stage. Can this young side, with 11 debutants, handle the pressure when it counts?
Sources (3): indiatvnews.com, hindustantimes.com, nationalheraldindia.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
