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Despite India's loss at the 2022 FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup, goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam was the star of the tournament for her relentless efforts at the goalpost.
The Indian junior women's hockey team went down 0-3 in a shootout against England on Tuesday (April 12). The result marked the end of a spectacular run with a fourth-place finish in the Junior World Cup campaign in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Bichu, recalling the bronze medal match, said:
"We were all very upset after that match and some of us could not stop crying. We were so close to standing on the podium and it was quite hard to accept the defeat."
She added:
"We also received so much love after we came back and many hockey fans messaged us personally and told us how we have to keep our chins up. It is very overwhelming to receive this kind of reaction despite losing the medal. This motivates us more to do well."
Bichu Devi, Ishika Chaudhary, Akshata Abaso Dhekale, and Sangita Kumari, who were a part of the Junior Women's World Cup squad, will now join the senior team for the upcoming FIH Pro League away matches in Europe. They will then participate in FIH Hockey Women's World Cup in the Netherlands and Spain.
The Indian senior women's hockey team is currently placed at the top of the FIH Pro League 2021/22 table with 22 points.
Speaking about the upcoming competitions, Bichu Devi Kharibam said:
"We are looking at this as a new beginning and want to learn from this exposure with the senior camp. We have begun our preparations for the upcoming Pro League matches and the World Cup and my focus is on executing as per what is expected of me. And I want to prove myself, work hard to find a place in the team."
FIH Pro League 2022: Indian women's team's upcoming fixtures
The Indian women's hockey team will take on Belgium in a two-legged tie in the FIH Pro League at the Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, Belgium in June.
Match 1: Belgium vs India
Date: June 11, 2022 Timings: 5:30 pm IST
Match 2: Belgium vs India
Date: June 12, 2022 Timings: 5:30 pm IST
Streaming details:
All FIH Pro League 2022 matches will be telecast live on Star Sports Select 2 and Star Sports Select 2 HD channels. Matches will also be available for live streaming on the Hotstar app.
