Hockey India, the governing body of field hockey in India, recently announced a significant change in its selection process for the women’s national team. The upcoming women’s national championship, scheduled to be held from March 13 in Pune, will serve as a selection trial to pick a new group of core probables.

This decision comes in the wake of the national women’s hockey team’s underwhelming performance in recent months, with the team failing to qualify for this year’s Paris Olympics.

Hockey India’s New Selection Strategy

Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey stated, “We will have participation from 28 states and UTs, with members of the Indian team representing their respective states. The selectors will be closely watching the performances of all the players and based on their recommendation, a new core group will be selected”.

Tirkey emphasized that no player can take her place for granted. The national team is currently without a national coach after Dutch woman Janneke Schopman resigned from the post citing a hostile work environment.

Tirkey stressed, “Everyone will need to perform to their best potential to make the cut. We need to now focus on making the qualification for the FIH Women’s World Cup in 2026 and build towards the LA Olympics with optimism. There is plenty of talent in India, the National Championship is an important platform to identify new talent and we need to further strengthen the domestic structure to bring them to the core.”

The National Championship is seen as an important platform to identify new talent and further strengthen the domestic structure to bring them to the core. Hockey India secretary-general Bhola Nath Singh revealed that a domestic league for women hockey players is also in the works.

He said, “We are putting our minds together to introduce a few new tournaments in the domestic calendar, particularly for the development of women’s hockey…we are also working on starting a domestic league for women that could further give opportunity for aspiring players to showcase their talent and make their way into the national program.”

This new approach by Hockey India signifies a shift in focus towards rebuilding and investing in the future. It underscores the importance of nurturing domestic talent and providing them with opportunities to prove their mettle. As the women’s national championship approaches, it will be interesting to see how this new selection strategy unfolds and its impact on the future of women’s hockey in India.

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