FIH Nations Cup will give us valuable playing time: Neha Goyal

India have been drawn in Pool B alongside Canada, Japan and South Africa in the tournament, while Pool A features Ireland, who host Spain, Italy and South Korea.

Neha Goyal in action during the Tokyo Olympics for India. ( CASE)

Indian women’s hockey team midfielder Neha Goyal believes the upcoming FIH Women’s Nations Cup will provide them with valuable playing time to hone their skills.

After finishing fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and then coming back with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, India are looking to become a powerful force in women’s hockey, and the inaugural Nations Cup could be the first step. in that direction.

“The 2022 FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup will see us play against good teams and give us playing time, for which there is no substitute. We have always performed well against the big teams in recent years and in Spain we will aim to do more of the same,” Neha said in a Hockey India statement on Friday.

The tournament will be played from December 11-17 in Valencia, Spain. India have been drawn in Pool B alongside Canada, Japan and South Africa in the tournament, while Pool A features Ireland, who host Spain, Italy and South Korea.

“We cannot take any team lightly. Each team is very dangerous in its own way and we will have to play our best hockey for the team to reach the final rounds. Every match is a new day and past results will have no bearing on the present,” Neha said. India will begin their campaign against Canada, then take on Japan before completing their group stage engagements against South Africa.

“These international matches and the exposure put us in tough situations and we learn to overcome them and grow. It will only help the team to become an even tighter unit and it will definitely help us to future,” Neha said.