India aims to put on a show in Rajgir during Asian Champions Trophy: Salima Tete

With the Women's Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 just around the corner, Indian Captain Salima Tete and Vice-Captain Navneet Kaur express their excitement and readiness. Tete said India will aim to put on a show at the tournament as they aim to defend their crown.

In Short

• Tete wants India to play good hockey and retain their crown
• India come into the tournament as defending champions
• India will start their campaign against Malaysia on November 11

With just ten days to go until the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024, Indian Women’s Hockey Captain Salima Tete and Vice-Captain Navneet Kaur shared their enthusiasm and insights on the team's preparations for the tournament, set for November 11-20 at Rajgir Hockey Stadium.

Building on the success of last year’s Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi, Hockey India is set to create another spectacular event in Rajgir, Bihar, aiming to further grow the sport across India. The tournament will see top Asian teams, including Paris 2024 silver medalist China, alongside Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand, competing in the historic town.

India’s Captain, Salima Tete, expressed her excitement about the upcoming competition and the new venue, stating, "The anticipation and excitement for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy is in equal measure as we will be playing at a new venue in a beautiful town Rajgir. We played an exhibition match here in August and received a great response from the crowd. We’re looking forward to returning to Rajgir and playing our best hockey."

Vice-Captain Navneet Kaur echoed this sentiment, adding, "We were in Rajgir in August and received a warm reception from the crowd. Now, they’ll have the opportunity to witness top Asian teams play right in their town. Bihar is also the birthplace of our Chief Coach, Harendra Sir, so this makes even more special occasion. We’re looking forward to putting on a great show for the people of Rajgir and Bihar."

As defending champions, the Indian team is prepared to meet the high expectations set by their fans. Tete reflected on their previous triumph, saying, "Last year, we had a memorable outing in Ranchi, where we clinched the Women's Asian Champions Trophy title. We know our fans have even higher expectations this time, and we’re ready to take on the challenge to defend the title."

Regarding their preparations, she shared, "We have gone about some intense training sessions at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru. We are prepared for the tournament and are looking forward to some thrilling days of hockey in Bihar."

Kaur also emphasized the team’s focus and their journey in this new Olympic cycle, noting, "Excitement aside, we are focused on our goal. We are in the new Olympic cycle, we start afresh and we have to improve and grow step by step to achieve our ultimate goals."

India will start their campaign against Malaysia on November 11.