The Indian women’s hockey team has had little trouble at the Jharkhand Asian Champions Trophy here so far, but the real challenge would begin on Monday when it takes on recently-crowned Asian Games champion China in what will not just be a grudge match but also a chance for India to reassert its status as the top-ranked side in the competition.
With Sunday being a rest day, the Indians — barring the goalkeepers — preferred to rest and recover, knowing well that with the relatively easier games out of the way, the team will need to step up, both physically and tactically, against the tougher opponents lined up here on.
“We know we can do much better than what we played against China in the Asian Games, now it’s just a matter of doing it. It’s like getting it out of the mind and getting into the field. The big disappointment for me was that we didn’t play our game (in Hangzhou). China is confident, they know they have won the AG, they have had eight months of playing 40-50 matches and that makes all the difference,” coach Janneke Schopman declared ahead of the face-off.
