Amstelveen (Netherlands), July 1 (Representative) Emphasizing the importance of doing well in each of the group stage matches at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup in Spain and Netherlands, experienced striker Vandana Katariya said that each match in the group stage will be “crucial” and the team can’t take any opponent lightly. India will take on England on July 3 in their campaign opener in pool B. In their second match they will play China on July 5 followed by a match against New Zealand on July 7 in Amstelveen. “The most important aspect for us is to be consistent in every single quarter and be the best we can without worrying too much about the opponent.
This is something we have learnt over the years and it has really worked for us.” “We have played practice matches against Chile and Ireland. Both were very good as we were able to practice some tactical moves for the upcoming games and were able to get used to the field which is always easier when you train on it,” Vandana said. With just one day left before the team plays their first game, the excitement among players is palpable. “We have one more training session on Friday and we are ready to go. It will be a very interesting and intense World Cup and I anticipate matches to be quite close as almost five to six teams on par with each other,” she added.
With the marquee event’s first match being played on Friday between Spain and Canada, Vandana appealed to the fans to follow the matches and rally their support for the Indian Team. She said, “When we were playing the Tokyo Olympics 2020, we were unaware of the kind of support we were getting from home in India where people were glued to their TV sets. “We got so much love and appreciation after we returned, and that meant a lot for us and it motivated us further to attain greater achievements. I hope the fans show us similar support and watch the matches live. We want to win a medal for the fans, for the country and end the wait for a medal in a prestigious global event,” she said.