Hockey India on Sunday named a 48-member core probables' list for the national camp of the Indian women's team to begin at the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru campus on Monday.
The members will report to chief coach Sjoerd Marijne. The core probables list that includes members from the recent 18th Asian Games Silver medal-winning team, also features top performers from this year's Hockey India National Championships.
The Indian women's team have ended the season on a high note after an inspiring performance at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where they finished fourth, a runners-up finish at the Asian Champions Trophy in Korea, made it to the top eight at the Women's World Cup in London and won a Silver medal the recently-concluded Asian Games in Jakarta.
These memorable feats also helped the Indian women's team surge ahead in the FIH World Ranking to a career best rank eight position.
While the team will approach the next season with an eye on the qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the national camp will be more about finding the depth in the group and the right mix of players for the upcoming international calendar.
"We will be watching each of these players closely during this camp and see how the competition is within the group. We will be seeing how the players, especially the new comers can cope with the expectations of a national camp. The seniors too will have to work hard to earn their place in the core group," chief coach Marijne said.
Team to get TOPS boost
In an encouraging development for the Indian women's hockey team, all the squad members are set to be included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) when the review committee will identify a core group for the government-funded programme, next month.
All the 18 members of the men's hockey team are already covered under TOPS and according to sources the women's team will soon be rewarded for its impressive Silver medal finish at the 18th Asian Games.
"The women's team is already getting funds from the ACTC (Annual Calander for Training and Competitions). It's just about Rs 50,000 monthly allowance that comes under TOPS. They will be included soon," the source said.
An official from the Sports India, erstwhile Sports Authority of India, informed that Hockey India had repeatedly been requesting women's team's inclusion.
"Hockey India has send us the proposal to include the women's team in TOPS. At the moment we are reviewing the proposal and it is likely that they will be included in the next review of the TOPS list," he said.
Hockey India welcomed the move, saying it is better late than never.