CHANDIGARH, AUG 23 : A 22-member Indian women’s team will tour China ahead of the Incheon Asian Games next month. The team was announced by national head coach Tarun Roy.
The initial list of 31 players has been pruned down to 22 who would be travelling to China for the 15-day exposure tour from August 25 till September 9. They will move to Incheon directly from China.
The twice SAFF champions are expected to play three practice matches against top teams of the Chinese Women’s Super League Jiangsu Huatai and Shanghai SVT. The teams are currently placed second and third respectively in the League table. Either of the two teams will play India twice.
The probable dates of the three matches are August 29, September 2/3 and September 5/6.
India are in Group A along with last Games’ bronze medalists South Korea, Thailand and Maldives. Three teams from groups of four and two for the three-team group will advance to the quarter-finals of the 17th Games. India women last played in the Games back in 1998 where they failed to qualify from their group. This will be only their second appearance.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Okram Roshni Devi, Aditi Chauhan, Pushpa Tirkey.
Defenders: Ashem Romi Devi, Ashalata Devi, Tuli Goon, Radharani Devi, Suprava Samal, Upamati Devi
Midfielders: Premi Devi, Amoolya Kamal, Mandakini Devi, Oinam Bembem Devi, Kamala Devi, Supriya Routray, Indumati Kathiresan