India will play England, China, and New Zealand who are pooled alongside them in group B in the league stage.
Indian team poses after finishing third at the FIH Hockey Pro League. Photo: Hockey India
India women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia wrote an open letter to Indian fans across the world and specifically to fans in Europe on Friday, asking for their support the way they had shown during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and later.
Punia opened the letter expressing her gratitude to the fans who have supported the national team since the Tokyo Olympics. “Ever since the Tokyo Olympics, we have received overwhelming support from Indian Hockey fans from across the globe.”
She further asked the fans to continue the support and attend the World Cup matches. “We sincerely hope you are able to rally your support for us this time by attending the matches in Amstelveen, Netherlands, and Terrassa, Spain.”
India will play England, China, and New Zealand who are pooled alongside them in group B in the league stage. Finishing on top of the group will give them a place in the quarter-finals straight away. However, finishing second will lead them to crossover matches to qualify for the Quarter-finals
Punia further wrote that the team is determined to create history, winning a medal at the quadrennial event, something that has never happened earlier. “We believe, with your love and support, we will be able to achieve desirable results. The Indian Women’s Hockey Team has never won a medal at the World Cup and it is our mission to make this dream come alive this time.”
The team missed a medal by a whisker as they lost to Great Britain 3-4 in the bronze medal match. And they finished a rank better – third – in the FIH Pro League subsequently. The captain mentioned that their performances at those two tournaments have motivated them to perform better at the World Cup.
“At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we fought with all our heart and came so close to winning a medal. Our performance in Tokyo gave us the belief that we can finish on the podium in global events… We channeled our energy into doing well in the FIH Pro League and finishing third in this prestigious league has given us a boost ahead of the World Cup.”
Punia also made sure to express her gratitude to the support staff and the official authorities in India including the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Hockey India, the Indian Olympic Association, and the Odisha State Government.
She concluded the letter asking for the support of the fans around the globe, while they make history. “On behalf of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team, I seek your best wishes and whole-hearted support for the FIH Women’s World Cup. Even though we may be many miles away from home, we look forward to Indians living in Netherlands and Spain come support us and be witness to history being made.”
The Indian women’s team will begin their campaign on 3 July 2022 in a group match against England.