Uunwell captain Salima to miss Argentina tour

Star goalkeeper and former captain Savita Punia will return to the national women’s hockey team after 10 months but indisposed skipper Salima Tete will be missing from action when India takes on Argentina in the first game of the four-match series, here on Monday.

Savita has not competed since June 2025 as she took a break from the game due to personal reasons. Salima, a quality mid-fielder, is still recovering from a bout of chicken pox.

The tour will serve as the ideal preparation for India ahead of FIH Nations Cup, FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, and the Asian Games later this year.

Ahead of the tour, the Indian women’s team trained in Bengaluru before departing for Argentina on Thursday evening.

Having finished runners-up at World Cup Qualifiers 2026 held in Hyderabad, the team will be looking to carry that momentum forward into the tour and the rest of the year.

Experienced forward Navneet Kaur will serve as the captain of the team during the tour in the absence of Salima.