England presently lead Pool D following their 4-0 win over South Africa, with China and India subsequent within the standings, whereas South Africa are fourth. A win over South Africa can enhance India’s possibilities. As per the event format, for the semifinal race the highest two groups from every pool will probably be divided into two teams (E and F) of 4 groups every. Every staff will play matches towards the opponents they didn’t face within the first spherical.
“We don’t have to fret concerning the different groups’ positions, however we have to keep this momentum within the upcoming matches whereas avoiding complacency,” coach Sjoerd Marijne mentioned after the China recreation. India confirmed loads of promise of their opening match. Drag-flicker Deepika transformed a penalty nook and in addition earned one other, whereas World Cup debutants Sunelita Toppo, Ishika and Shilpi Dabas displayed composure effectively past their expertise. Navneet Kaur, who was named Participant of the Event on the World Cup Qualifiers, has additionally carried her spectacular kind into the event and will probably be certainly one of India’s key attacking threats.
The Indian staff’s finest end on the World Cup got here on the inaugural version in 1974, after they completed fourth beneath captain Ajinder Kaur. Their fourth-place end on the Tokyo Olympics beneath Marijne had raised hopes of one other robust displaying on the worldwide stage.
Making of Navneet Kaur: From a cricket-loving house to India’s World Cup spark
Striker Navneet Kaur is making her third World Cup look. (Photograph: Hockey India)
If Navneet Kaur had grown up wherever aside from Shahbad, she may by no means have change into a hockey participant.
Cricket dominated her house. Her father was an avid follower of the game, and certainly one of her earliest sporting idols was India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur. However rising up in Shahbad — the small Haryana city that has produced an meeting line of worldwide hockey gamers — made a distinct future nearly inevitable.
In Shahbad, hockey isn’t a sport kids uncover. It’s the game that finds them. “My father wished me to play cricket; he likes the game loads. However the place I grew up in Shahbad, everybody performed hockey. I believed, ‘Okay, there’s no cricket right here, however if you wish to go into sports activities, then strive hockey’,” Navneet advised The Indian Categorical from Amsterdam.
She had one other, extra compelling cause: coach Baldev Singh, who was conferred the Padma Shri this 12 months. “He has created many wonderful worldwide gamers. In order that’s why I began taking part in hockey,” she mentioned.
