33 players named for junior women's hockey national camp

New Delhi, June 13: Hockey India (HI) on Tuesday named 33 players for the junior women's national camp after intensive selection trials conducted under the watchful eyes of High Performance Director David John.

The move behind organizing the national camp is to develop a core group of players who will aim to qualify for the 2020 Junior Women's World Cup.

The previous team had narrowly missed out on their qualification for the 2016 edition of the Junior Women's World Cup.

The campers will be trained by 1996 and 2000 Olympian Baljeet Singh Saini, coach for the Indian junior women's squad.

Saini has previously worked with the squad in 2016 and under his tutelage, the Under-18 Indian women's team secured a bronze medal at the 2016 U-18 Asia Cup held in December.

"We have analyzed all the 38 players who were at the national camp since May 24, and Hockey India's Selection Committee has further pruned down the core probably to 33 Junior Women athletes who will carry on their training," John said.

"We have long-term goals for this group and with our vision set on the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games and the 2020 Junior World Cup, these 33 core probably will go through a development process that will prepare them for the challenges at the international level."

Core Group of Junior Women:

Goalkeepers: Khushboo (Hockey Bhopal), Devi Kharibam (Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy), Chanchal (Hockey Chandigarh).

Defenders: Priyanka (Hockey Haryana), Salima Tete (Hockey Jharkhand), Asmita Barla (Hockey Odisha), Alka Dung Dung (Sports Authority of India), Umra (Hockey Him), Gagandeep Kaur (Hockey Haryana), Antrim (Hockey Him), Manisha Chauhan (Hockey Uttarakhand), Ishika Choudhary (Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy), Supriya Mundu (Hockey Jharkhand).

Midfielders: Mahima Chaudhary (Hockey Haryana), Suman Devi Thoudam (Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy), Sunita Yadav (Uttar Pradesh Hockey), Mariana Kujur (Hockey Odisha), Jyoti (Association of Indian Universities), Manju (Hockey Him), Baljeet Kaur (Hockey Punjab), Sadhna Senger (Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy), Jiwan Kishori Toppo (Hockey Gangpur-Odisha), Prem Anjali Toppo (Hockey Gangpur-Odisha).

Forwards: Sangita Kumari (Hockey Jharkhand), Lalremsiami (Sports Authority of India), Deepika (Hockey Jharkhand), Mumtaz Khan (Uttar Pradesh Hockey), Lalrindiki (Hockey Mizoram), Amrinder Kaur (Hockey Haryana), Janhabi Pradhan (Hockey Gangpur Odisha), Yogita Bora (Uttar Pradesh Hockey), Amritpal Kaur (Hockey Chandigarh), Reet (Hockey Haryana).