New Delhi, May 13: Hockey India has announced that the Indian women’s hockey team will embark on a tour to Australia from May 21 to June 3, in preparation for the FIH Women’s Nations Cup scheduled in New Zealand for the 2025-26 season. The tournament will take place in Auckland from June 15 to 21.
During their time in Australia, the Indian women’s team will compete in four matches against Australia at the Perth Hockey Stadium from May 26 to 30. The first two matches are set for May 26 and 27, followed by the remaining two on May 29 and 30.
Following the Australia tour, the team will head to New Zealand, where they will play practice matches ahead of the Nations Cup.
Earlier this year, the Indian team toured Argentina, where they played four matches, securing victories in two. After this memorable tour, the team is now preparing for their upcoming trip to Australia. The squad has been training rigorously at the SAI Bengaluru National Camp, focusing on addressing their weaknesses before the busy schedule ahead.
With support from the Coca-Cola India Foundation, the team’s drag-flickers will also participate in a special drag-flick training clinic with Dutch legend Taeke Taekema in Perth and Auckland from May 26 to June 21.
Head coach Sjoerd Marijne expressed his excitement, stating, “We are very pleased that this tour is possible thanks to Hockey India. It will help us identify our shortcomings and recognize our improvements after the camp. We have seen what our benchmark was when we played against Argentina, and now we can test how close we are to reaching the level of our last two victories and maintaining that momentum.”
He added that this tour will assist the team in acclimatizing to conditions before heading to New Zealand. Instead of taking a long flight, they have opted for a segmented travel approach to adapt more quickly to the environment. The weather in New Zealand is typically colder, and conditions in Australia (Perth) will be similar.
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