Hockey India names 20-member junior women’s team for matches against France

New Delhi: Hockey India on Wednesday named the Indian Junior Women’s Hockey team for the upcoming matches against France to be held in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, beginning February 8.

The team is slated to play a total of four matches. The first two will take place at Padma Shri Mohammad Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium in Lucknow on February 8 and 9 respectively. While the third match is scheduled to be played at the Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College in Gorakhpur on February 11.
India and France will return to Lucknow for the fourth and last match, which will be played on February 13.

“The upcoming matches against the French Women’s National team will be helpful for our team in gaining match-fitness and experience different match situations,” Coach Baljeet Singh said.

“We will be up against a group of players who have played together for a considerably long time, and I feel our team’s combination for the matches is such that it will give all the players an opportunity to contribute with their efforts on the field,” said Singh.

“Our players will get a much-needed exposure and this challenge will help us in developing these players for bigger challenges that the team is going to face in the future including the 8th Women’s Junior Asia Cup,” the Coach added.

Following is the 20-member Junior Women’s Team:

Goalkeepers–Bichu Devi Kharibam, Khushboo
Defenders–Philicia Toppo, Gagandeep Kaur, Salima Tete, Priyanka, Suman Devi Thoudam, Ishika Chaudhary
Midfielders–Mahima Choudhary, Prabhleen Kaur, Mariana Kujur, Reet, Baljeet Kaur, Preeti
Forwards–Lalremsiami, Sharmila Devi, Mumtaz Khan, Jiwan Kishori Toppo, Ajmina Kujur, Jyoti.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]