India will begin their campaign at the Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier against Malaysia in Salalah, Oman on Friday. India has been placed in the Elite Pool along with Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. While the second, Challengers Pool, consists of Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, and Oman. India will be led by Navjot Kaur, while Jyoti will be her deputy. The Indian team will compete against its Elite counterparts in a bid to finish in the top two spots in the pool and qualify for the semifinals. After Malaysia, India will take on Japan on Saturday followed by Thailand on Sunday. “We cannot wait to get on with the tournament. A lot of effort has gone into the preparation for the Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier. “The aim is to play well throughout the tournament and hopefully reap the benefits of our hard work with winning the Tournament,” India coach Soundarya Yendala said ahead of the team’s departure.
Captain Navjot said, “We have to face some strong teams in our pool but with the amount of work that we have put in to be ready for this tournament I am confident that we will put our best foot forward and return home, medals in hand.”