5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023: Indian women go down fighting against hosts Spain in season opener

The Spain Women's Hockey Team edged the Indian Women's Hockey Team 3-2 in the opening match of the women's hockey event at the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 on Friday (December 15).

The Indian team's starting lineup consisted of goalkeeper and captain Savita, Ishika Chaudhary, Udita, Monika, Nisha, Sonika, Jyoti, Navneet Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Beauty Dungdung, and Deepika.

The substitutes for India were Bichu Devi, Gurjit Kaur, Jyoti Chhatri, Baljeet Kaur, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Sangita Kumari, and Vandana Katariya.

The Indian team was off to a good start, taking a 2-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. Gurjit Kaur and Sangita Kumari came off the bench to score a goal each for India to hand them a comfortable lead in the game.

However, Spain equalized in the second quarter to finish the first half, with the scores leveled at 2-2. Both teams failed to find the back of the net in the third quarter, making the game an exciting one.

Both teams were looking to start their 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 campaign on a positive note. However, it was the hosts Spain who had the last laugh as they found the back of the net in the final quarter to win the match by a slender margin.

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5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023: All You Need to Know

The 5 Nations Tournament 2023 will take place in Valencia, Spain, from December 15 to 22.

The Indian Women's Hockey Team will compete alongside hosts Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Belgium in the preparatory event ahead of the upcoming FIH Women's Pro League.

India will take on Belgium in their second match of the 5 Nations Tournament 2023 on December 16. They will then square off against Germany and Ireland on December 19 and December 21, respectively.

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