Paris Olympics 2024: Former Indian captain Pritam Rani confident of Indian men's hockey team clinching gold medal
Former Indian women's hockey team captain Pritam Rani Siwach has expressed confidence in the Indian men's hockey team at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Furthermore, she hopes Team India will clinch a gold medal in the Summer Games in Paris.
Notably, Team India secured its Paris Olympics 2024 spot after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games. They will start their Paris campaign against New Zealand. Later, they will clash against Argentina, Ireland, Belgium and Australia.
“The team has some really talented players who have the capabilities of winning matches. Yes, the pool in which India is placed in is a bit tricky but I am confident that the team will pass this test and hopefully change the color of the medal to gold,” Pritam Rani told Hockey India.
Team India is in Pool B at the quadrennial event with defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland.
“It is an excellent initiative” - Pritam Rani on National Women’s Hockey League
In April 2024, Hockey India announced a ground-breaking initiative, the National Women's Hockey League 2024-25, marking a significant milestone in the nation's sporting landscape.
It is the first domestic women’s league in India, which can help the nation to showcase talent and skill. The tournament is structured into two phases, with the inaugural phase set to take place at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from April 30 to May 9.
The National Women’s Hockey League will feature teams that clinched the top eight spots in Pune's recently concluded 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024.
The eight participating teams in the campaign are Hockey Haryana, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Mizoram, Manipur Hockey, and Hockey Association of Odisha.
Speaking on the initiative by Hockey India, Pritam Rani stated that the tournament will give an ideal platform for youngsters and budding players to showcase their talent and prove their worth in making it to the national team in the future.
“It is an excellent initiative started by Hockey India. The National Women’s Hockey League will provide an opportunity for young players to showcase their skills and techniques and make a name for themselves, thus creating their own pathway to the National team going forward,” Pritam stated.
“Through this, the players will also get to know what areas they need to work on and how they can improve their game. It is also equally important for the coaches as well as they will be more aware of the players and how they can work on them, train them and refine their game,” Pritam Rani concluded.