Junior women's hockey core probables' camp starts

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, India

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) A preparatory camp for the Indian junior women's hockey core probables will commence at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here from Sunday and will continue till July 11.

The camp is the groundwork for the seventh Junior Women's Asia Cup slated to be held from September 5 to 13 in China. A total of 48 players have been selected for the camp, Hockey India (HI) announced on Sunday.

The probables will be part of the camp where they will be trained under coach N.S. Saini for one week and on June 5, top 33 players will be selected to continue training till July 11.

The camp includes players who made a mark through their consistent performance in the recently culminated fifth Hockey India Junior Women National Championship at Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh.

Among the goalkeepers, Suruj Kisku gets an opportunity to be part of the camp - all because of her great show under the bar during the National Championship.

Among the defenders, the players who have made the cut for the all important camp are Rukhmani Dodray, Rajani Soreng, Aarti, Sitamani Topno, Mahima Chaudray and Lalhlun Mawii Pachuav.

Similarly the new mid-fielders include Navdeep Kaur, Swetha, Rajni Bala, Subhasi Hemron, Nil Projita Manji, H. Lalruatfeli, Lalhmun Mawii Fanai and Udita.

Several talented forwards like Pooja Yadav, Sarita Devi, Pramila Soreng, Alka Dung Dung, Sandhya H P, Neha Goyal, Navneet Kaur and Pratiba Kaur will be seen training and looking at making it for the big platform.

"This year the National Championship was very fruitful for us. We got players who could be further nurtured and taken to the next level," HI high performance director Roelant Oltmans said in a release.

"This camp even includes players who are very skillful and we know they will make it to the international arena very soon," the Dutchman added.