Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey: Salima Tete named captain, Navneet Kaur named vice-captain of 18-member Indian hockey squad

Hyderabad: Experienced midfielder Salima Tete will lead an 18-member Indian women’s hockey squad for the upcoming Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024. The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy will be played at the newly-developed Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Rajgir, Bihar, from November 11 to November 2o, 2024.

Navneet Kaur has been named as Salima Tete’s deputy for the tournament. The tournament will also see Sushila and Beauty Dungdung make a comeback into the Indian team after recovering from injuries.

A total of six teams – India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand – will take part in the tournament. India will start their title defence against Malaysia on November 11 and will play Korea the next day.

India will then play Thailand on November 14, China on November 16 and their last league match will be against Japan on November 17.

Experienced goalkeeper Savita Punia, along with upcoming talent Bichu Devi Kharibam, will take charge of the goalkeeping duties while Udita, Jyoti, Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke will be a part of a strong defensive line-up.

Captain Salima Tete will be a vital cog in the midfield and she will be assisted by Neha, Sharmila Devi, Manisha Chauhan, Sunelita Toppo and Lalremsiami. The midfield is fluid and dynamic with players known to attack from the flanks too.

Vice-captain Navneet Kaur, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, Preeti Dubey and Beauty Dungdung will be a part of an electrifying forward line.

India are the defending champions of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy. The team won the 2023 edition, beating Japan 4-0 in the final. It was India’s second Asian Champions Trophy title. The first title came in 2016.

Skipper Salima Tete was bullish on a good show and added that the team is on the back of a rigorous training routine. “It’s an incredible feeling to lead the team into another major tournament, especially as defending champions. We’ve trained rigorously and have a strong unit with both experienced players and young talent. Our goal is to defend our title and play with the same passion and determination we showed last year,” she said.

Vice-captain Navneet Kaur concurred with her captain and said: “We are confident in our preparation and the chemistry we’ve built within the team. Playing in front of our home crowd is a huge boost, and we are ready to face tough competition from the best teams in Asia. Working alongside Salima has been great, and we are determined to make this tournament a memorable one.”

Indian team for Women’s Asian Champions Trophy: Savita Punia, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Udita, Jyoti, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Neha Goyal, Salima Tete, Sharmila Devi, Manisha Chauhan, Sunelita Toppo, Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Preeti Dubey, Sangita Kumari, Deepika and Beauty Dungdung.