Bengaluru (Karnataka)[India], May 14 (ANI): The Indian Women's Hockey Team left for Adelaide, Australia, on Sunday from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru. The team, led by ace goalkeeper Savita and Vice Captained by Deep Grace Ekka, will play a five-match series against the hosts at the Mate Stadium in a tour that is part of the Indian team's preparations for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. Speaking about this outing, Captain Savita said, "India and Australia have enjoyed a healthy rivalry over the past few years. We beat them at the Tokyo Olympics and they beat us during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year. Playing against a quality side like theirs is always a learning experience and we are quite upbeat ahead of this tour." Savita Punia to Lead As Hockey India Names 20-Member National Women’s Team for Australia Tour.

Under Savita's Captaincy, the Indian team won a historic Bronze Medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year and also won the title at the FIH Nations Cup, which helped them automatically qualify for the next season of FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24. This year, the team has set their target on winning the Gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games and directly qualifying for the Paris Olympics. "We believe this tour will help us understand the level we are at and help us analyze what we need to change or work on in our tactical play ahead of the Asian Games. And of course, when you do well against a team like Australia, it boosts the morale and confidence of the team, particularly some of the youngsters who have got a call-up for this tour," she added. Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023: India Name 18-member Team for The Prestigious Hockey Tournament.

Savita was also elated that these matches will be live telecast and their fans in India can follow their progress. "It's amazing that women's hockey is getting all the support it needs to build the profile of the game. We are all quite thrilled that these matches will be live and all our fans back home can watch and follow our performance," she signed off. (ANI)

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