Midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu will captain the 18-member India junior women’s hockey team at the Junior Asia Cup, which will be held in Moqi, China, from August 30 to September 13.The squad recently returned from an exposure tour of the United Kingdom as part of its preparations for the tournament.The match schedule and pool compositions for the Junior Asia Cup will be announced closer to the start of the competition.“I am proud of the commitment and determination these young players have shown in earning their place in the squad for the Junior Asia Cup,” said head coach Tim White, who took charge of the team earlier this year.“Over the past few months, they have worked tirelessly to improve every aspect of their game, and I have seen them grow both as individuals and as a team,” added White.White said the tournament should be seen as a step towards achieving bigger goals.“This tournament is an important opportunity to test ourselves against Asia’s best and continue our journey towards bigger goals.“We will approach every match with confidence and discipline. I am confident this group has the talent and character to make the country proud,” he added.The Squad:Goalkeepers: Nidhi, Engil Harsha Rani MinzDefenders: Puja Sahoo, Supriya, Pooja Malik, Parwati Topno, MadhuMidfielders: Khaidem Shileima Chanu (C), Tanuja Toppo, Binima Dhan, Roshni Aind, Geeta YadavForwards: Lalrinpuii, Purnima Yadav, Sukhveer Kaur, Krishna Sharma, Sanika Chandrakant Mane, Madhu SidarAlternate Players: F Lalbiaksiami, Tanushree Dinesh Kadu.
