Nikki Pradhan: "Playing in Pro League will help us prepare well for Asian Games" 

Indian women's hockey team defender Nikki Pradhan said the FIH Pro League has given the Indian team an opportunity to play against the best teams in the world.

Nikki Pradhan, who has played in two Olympics, is a vital cog in the Indian team's defense and a part of the core group.

The Indian women's hockey team began their campaign in the FIH Pro League with two big wins against Asian nemesis China in Muscat. They built on this performance with a win and a loss against higher-ranked Spain and are gearing up to face Germany next.

Speaking about the Pro League to Hockey India, Nikki Pradhan said:

"We are really excited to be playing in the Pro League for the first time and this was probably the best thing that could happen to us this year where we play the World Cup and the Asian Games, both very important events for us and these matches against the top teams in the world will hold us in good stead."

Nikki Pradhan ready for German challenge

Nikki Pradhan, the first female hockey player from Jharkhand to represent India at the Olympic Games, said the Indian team is ready to take on the German challenge.

India will meet World No. 5 Germany at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on March 12 and 13.

"Germany are a very good side and their loss against Belgium in their opening matches will only make them more determined to win against us, which is why we don't want to take them lightly. We played them last year before we went to the Olympics and we understand their game and temperament. They are tough opponents and these matches against Germany will be quite physical. But we are ready for the challenge," she said.

Speaking about working under the Indian team's chief coach and former Dutch player Janneke Schopman, Nikki said the details Schopman highlighted make the player's task easier.

"Janneke gets into the smallest details which could make a big difference in our individual performance. We use a lot of video analysis, not just of our opponents, but also of our own individual performances, and she takes us through the pluses and minuses of how we performed. Since, she herself has played at the highest level as a defender, she brings in great expertise. I feel there are still some gaps we need to work on in our defense and we are trying to improve in each match," she said.