The Indian women's hockey team suffered a 0-1 defeat against the USA in their opening match of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Saturday.
The eight teams in the fray include Germany, Japan, Chile and Czech Republic in Pool A while hosts India are clubbed in Pool B with New Zealand, United States and Italy. Only the top 3 teams in the tournament will make the qualification cut.
Chasing a target of 227, Pakistan opener Saim Ayub did wonders for his team as he smashed the first ball of the chase for a boundary before he also hit a six.
Pakistan registered a 3-0 loss to the Aussies in the Test series in Australia. A key highlight of the series was the lack of pace with which Pakistan was bowling. Known to touch 145-150 kmph easily, Pakistani bowlers, including Shaheen, struggled to hit these speeds throughout the series. Sh
Italy women's team coach Andres Mondo talked about the preparation of the team for their campaign opener against New Zealand on January 13 in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024.