Latest news with #Salima
Hans India
a day ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Women's hockey team to open Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Thailand
New Delhi: The Indian women's hockey team is set to kick off its campaign in the Women's Asia Cup 2025 against Thailand on September 5, 2025, at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Field Hockey Field, the 2022 Asian Games hockey venue, in Hangzhou, China. The Indian team has been placed in Pool B, alongside defending Asia Cup champions Japan, Thailand, and Singapore, while Pool A consists of hosts China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei. The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 5 to 14, 2025. Team India, which claimed the bronze medal in the previous edition, will be eyeing the top podium finish this time. A victory not only brings continental glory but also guarantees a direct qualification to the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup, as the Asia Cup champions earn an automatic berth in the prestigious quadrennial event. Speaking on the tournament, India captain Salima Tete said, 'We are excited to begin our campaign in the Women's Asia Cup. Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. 'However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament. Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup,' she added. Echoing Salima's sentiments, vice-captain Navneet Kaur said, 'It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle. We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud,' she said.
Hans India
2 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Indian women's hockey team to open Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Thailand
New Delhi: The Indian women's hockey team is set to kick off its campaign in the Women's Asia Cup 2025 against Thailand on September 5, 2025, at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Field Hockey Field, the 2022 Asian Games hockey venue, in Hangzhou, China. The Indian team has been placed in Pool B, alongside defending Asia Cup champions Japan, Thailand, and Singapore, while Pool A consists of hosts China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei. The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 5 to 14, 2025. Team India, which claimed the bronze medal in the previous edition, will be eyeing the top podium finish this time. A victory not only brings continental glory but also guarantees a direct qualification to the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup, as the Asia Cup champions earn an automatic berth in the prestigious quadrennial event. Speaking on the tournament, India captain Salima Tete said, 'We are excited to begin our campaign in the Women's Asia Cup. Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. "However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament. Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup,' she added. Echoing Salima's sentiments, vice-captain Navneet Kaur said, 'It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle. We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud,' she said. Notably, the Indian women's hockey team last won the Asia Cup back in 2017, when they defeated China in the final to lift the title. India's schedule for Asia Cup 2025: Sept 5, 2025: India vs Thailand Sept 6, 2025: Japan vs India Sept 8, 2025: India vs Singapore
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Women's Asia Cup 2025 Schedule: India to open campaign against Thailand
The Indian women's hockey team will open its Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on September 5 before taking on defending champion Japan and Singapore, Hockey India announced on Wednesday. The Indian team, which claimed the bronze medal in the previous edition, is placed in Pool B along with Japan, Thailand and Singapore while Pool A consists of host China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei. The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 5 to 14 and the winner will get a direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. India's second match will be against Japan on September 6, followed by its final Pool B contest against Singapore on September 8. 'Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament,' India captain Salima Tete said. 'Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 women's FIH Hockey World Cup.' Echoing Salima's sentiments, vice-captain Navneet Kaur said, 'It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle. We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud.' India had won the Asia Cup back in 2017, when it defeated China in the final. According to the format, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the Super 4s Pool, where each team will play one match against each of the other three teams. The top two teams from the Super 4s Pool will qualify for the final, while the third and fourth placed teams will compete in the 3rd/4th place match. The bottom two teams from Pool A and Pool B will play classification matches to determine the 5th to 8th positions in the tournament.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
India to open Women's Asia Cup campaign against Thailand
New Delhi, The Indian women's hockey team will open its Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on September 5 before taking on defending champions Japan and Singapore, Hockey India announced on Wednesday. The Indian team, which claimed the bronze medal in the previous edition, is placed in Pool B along Japan, Thailand and Singapore while Pool A consists of hosts China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei. The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 5 to 14 and the winner will get a direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. India's second match will be against Japan on September 6, followed by final Pool B contest against Singapore on September 8. "Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament," India captain Salima Tete said. "Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 women's FIH Hockey World Cup." Echoing Salima's sentiments, vice-captain Navneet Kaur said, "It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle." "We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud." India had won the Asia Cup back in 2017, when they defeated China in the final. According to the format, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the Super 4s Pool, where each team will play one match against each of the other three teams. The top two teams from the Super 4s Pool will qualify for the final, while the third and fourth placed teams will compete in the 3rd/4th place match. The bottom two teams from Pool A and Pool B will play classification matches to determine the 5th to 8th positions in the tournament.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Pratima, who was living her dream of playing for India through students like Salima, passes away at 44
Gumla/Kolkata: Pratima Barwa, the childhood coach of Indian women's team captain Salima Tete and many of current stars like Sangita Kumari, Beauty Dungdung and Deepika Soreng, passed away on Sunday. She was just 44 years old. A resident of Tapkara Kocha village in Torpa block of Khunti district, Barwa was undergoing treatment at Paras hospital in Dhurwa, Ranchi, from Thursday where she died of brain haemorrhage at 8:27am on Sunday. Barwa started playing hockey in her childhood but had to stop playing because of an injury. However, that didn't deter her love affair with the game as she shifted to coaching early on. It was at the Residential Girls' Hockey Training Centre in Simdega that she started imparting her knowledge and trained numerous players for 15 years from 2008 to 2024. While seeing her pupils star for the country brought her immense happiness, the proudest moment of her coaching career was when Salima became the captain of the women's team last year. She had then told TOI, "I couldn't fulfil my dream of playing for India, but through my students I have achieved my dreams. What I couldn't do as a player, I have been able to do all that as a coach." Besides training, Barwa, who earned her diploma in coaching in 2007-08 at NIS Patiala, also played a major role as the Training Centre in Simdega got an Astroturf for the first time way back in 2015. It was after her side lost the Nehru Girls Hockey Tournament (U17) final in 2010 by nine goals to Govt. Girls Sr. Sec. School Shahabad, who had Rani Rampal in their team, that they raised the demand for an Astroturf surface. "We then got the go-ahead in 2013 and the field was ready two years later. During this time she used to monitor the progress with us and was beyond happy when it was finally complete," said Hockey Simdega president Manoj Konbegi. Later in 2021, the ground also successfully hosted two national championships — sub-junior women's and junior women's hockey. But sadly for Jharkhand, the host side lost both the finals. But Barwa's students like Deepika, Ropni Kumari and Rajni Kerketta showed what they were capable of as they slowly and steadily made it to the national camp. "With the premature demise of Pratima ji, Jharkhand has lost an invaluable coach. She had the immense credit of churning out the country's top woman hockey players from Jharkhand. She made a huge contribution in the development of hockey in the state," Konbegi added. Barwa, however, had been struggling with her health for a while and had requested for a transfer to Residential Boys Hockey Training Centre in Khunti where she had been training for the past one year. She, however, was present at the inaugural edition of the women's Hockey India League earlier this year and was elated to see her students play alongside the best of the world. Ahead of the Women's HIL final at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, she also shared an emotional moment with Salima who was elated to see her coach at the stands. Sadly, those meet-ups won't happen any more and she will be sorely missed by one and all. Yet, she will continue to live on through her students, who number in the hundreds.
