Hockey Madhya Pradesh coach Vandana Uikey confident of defending Senior Women National Championship trophy
Hockey Madhya Pradesh coach Vandana Uikey sounded optimistic about her team’s chances in the 2024 edition of the Senior Women National Championship 2024, which is scheduled to take place from March 13 to 23 in Pune, Maharashtra.
Madhya Pradesh are the defending champions as they won the tournament in 2023 after beating Maharashtra 5-1 in the final in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from showing her delight for Madhya Pradesh, Vandana Uikey also welcomed the introduction of the video referral system and the impact it had on the tournament.
“Last season was fantastic. It was the first time the video referral system was introduced and it made a massive difference. We had a great experience in Kakinada and were very happy with the way the team performed and won the championship,” Vandana Uikey said, as quoted by Hockey India.
Their coach, Vandana, also shed light on the team's preparations before the upcoming edition of the championships. She mentioned that grinding hard in a preparatory camp has helped them immensely.
“With the national project coming up, a lot of the players are eying spots. But while individual performances matter, the players are focused on winning the tournament and have prepared for the same accordingly. We have had a good preparatory camp and are ready to face whatever comes our way,” Vandana said.
"We have prepared ourselves to take on whatever is thrown at us" - Vandana Uikey
Vandana Uikey also named Hockey Haryana and Hockey Jharkhand as the teams that could pose a threat to Madhya Pradesh. However, she said that her team has the required firepower to face any challenges.
“I think Hockey Haryana and Hockey Jharkhand are very strong teams and extremely competitive. However, we have prepared ourselves to take on whatever is thrown at us,” Vandana added.
Madhya Pradesh’s opening match in the Senior Women National Championship 2024 is against Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, March 13.