Grouped in Pool D, India will begin their campaign on April 2 when they take on Wales.
The Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, which got postponed to 2022 due to the threat of Covid-19, began on Friday, April 1, in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Grouped in Pool D, India will begin their campaign on April 2 when they take on Wales. Their second match will be against Germany on April 3, followed by their last pool stage game against Malaysia on April 5. Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup: Olympic success gives India’s next gen belief of making a mark This will be the junior team’s first international outing since the Chile tour in 2021, where they remained unbeaten. Here’s a quick look at the squad: Bichu Devi Kharibam Age: 21 Position: Goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam’s career has been on a steep ascent since she made her breakthrough with eye-catching displays in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina, a tournament where India clinched an historic Silver medal. In the following year, she was named ‘Goalkeeper of the Tournament’ in the 4 Nations Junior Women Invitational in Dublin and was fast-tracked to the senior set-up. The 20-year-old from Manipur seeks inspiration from her Senior Team training partner Savita, whose guidance has helped Bichu Devi elevate her game to the next level. Bichu Devi is amongst the more experienced members of the squad and will be a leading figure in the team’s dressing room. She recently made her debut for the Senior Women’s National team in the FIH Pro League held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha 2021/22. Khushboo Age: 19 Position: Goalkeeper Khushboo hails from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The young goalkeeper is one of the rare players in the junior setup who has never formally been part of a hockey academy while growing up. Instead, Khushboo played the game at a local level and used competitive matches at the grassroots level as her training routine. Khushboo, who enjoyed playing cricket and badminton as a child, had a fortunate encounter with hockey when a summer camp was conducted in her locality. The initially hesitant player soon found her calling in hockey and made a rapid rise to be selected in her state team within two months of playing the sport for the first time. Khushboo’s father works as an auto-rickshaw driver and her mother is a housewife. Khushboo counts her mother as her strongest pillar of support who has helped her get this far in hockey. Marina Lalramnghaki Age: 20 Position: Defender Marina hails from the town of Kolasib in Mizoram, and is a crucial member of the defensive setup of the team. She began playing hockey at the age of 9, as the sport was popular among her tribe in Kolasib. As her interest grew further in hockey, Marina got enrolled in the SAI hostel in Mizoram; a facility where she continues to train and reside. Marina had to deal with challenges early on in her life as her financial struggles became an obstacle in her dream of playing hockey. She thanks her friends for their support in various forms, as they would often help her out with borrowed playing equipment so she could continue training. Marina looks up to Senior Team player Sushila Chanu as she admires her attitude and the way she carries herself. Marina made her breakthrough in the National Camp after she was adjudged the Best Player in the 2019 Junior National Championships in Kollam. Preeti Age: 19 Position: Defender Preeti hails from the town of Sonepat in Haryana. She began training in Pritam Siwach’s hockey academy in Sonepat in her early years, before graduating to the National Hockey Academy in Delhi. Preeti dealt with an ankle operation at the age of 17 which sidelined her from action for over a year. This was a difficult period for her but still Preeti dreams of playing in the Olympic Games for the Senior Indian Women’s team one day. Priyanka Age: 21 Position: Defender Priyanka hails from the northern state of Haryana. The gritty defender was 11 years old when she began playing hockey. Soon after, Priyanka enrolled in the famed Shahabad Hockey Academy under the tutelage of Dronacharya Awardee Coach Baldev Singh. Priyanka earned her first selection in the National Camp after her impressive performance in the 2017 Junior National Championship in Bhopal. Priyanka lists her transition from the domestic to national circuit and initial experience in the National Camp as one of her most challenging experiences in hockey as she required time to get used to the high level and disciplined regime in the national setup. Ishika Chaudhary (Vice Captain) Age: 21 Position: Defender Named as the Vice Captain and second-in-command of the team, Ishika Chaudhary hails from Madhya Pradesh, where she developed her skills at the MP Women’s Hockey Academy, Gwalior. Having to leave home to join the academy and live in a hostel initially came as a challenge for Ishika, who frequently got homesick in the beginning. However, she eventually overcame this challenge and credits her seniors and peers at the academy for preparing her to be confident and developing the mentality and personality to pursue hockey professionally. Ishika earned her first selection into the National Camp after performing well in back-to-back Junior Nationals in Bhopal in 2016 and 2017. Ishika recently got an opportunity to represent the Senior Women’s National team in the FIH Pro League 2021/22. Akshata Abaso Dhekale Age: 20 Position: Defender Akshata plies her trade as a defender and hails from the western state of Maharashtra. She started playing hockey at the age of 11 at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Academy. Akshata’s earliest inspiration in hockey came when she witnessed the Indian Senior Men’s Hockey Team in training camp in Pune before the 2012 London Olympics.
