Ranchi: The Czech Republic women’s hockey team reached Ranchi on Saturday. The team expressed its eagerness to compete at the highest level and make its mark in this prestigious tournament. Under the leadership of Katerina Lasina and the able guidance of head coach Gareth Grundy, the Czech Republic team is ready for the challenge ahead.
The team aims to secure its first berth in the Olympics by qualifying for the Paris Olympics 2024. Currently the team is ranked 25th globally. The Czech Republic are in Pool A, where they will begin their quest against former Asian Games champions Japan in their opening game on January 13. After this, on January 14, the Czech Republic team will face Chile in the second match of the tournament.
Their final pool match is scheduled for January 16 against Olympic silver medalists Germany. Other teams in the field include hosts India, New Zealand, Italy and the United States in Pool B. The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
Talking about the preparations and strategies for the tournament, Captain Katerina Lasina said that our training program was focused on enhancing our physical ability, which is an important aspect of our game. She said that we have come here to fight and compete. We are confident that we will make it to the Paris Olympics. Lasina said that we are ready to give our best performance against Germany. Anything can happen in a game of hockey and we are ready to take advantage of every opportunity.
Assistant coach Tomas Prochazka said that this tournament is being organized in Ranchi. This is a wonderful opportunity. He said that I am thrilled to be a part of this tournament. Our aim is to give our best performance on the field and take it forward once the tournament starts. Our tactics revolve around strengthening our defense, taking advantage of penalty corners and using counter-attacks. With a young team our primary goal is to gather valuable experience.