FIH Hockey5s Women's World Cup 2024 - Team India to play Poland and the USA on January 24

The Indian Women's Team is gearing up for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s Women's World Cup, scheduled to take place from January 24 to 27, 2024, in Muscat, Oman. The Indian side is placed in Pool C, in which they will be up against the United States of America (USA), Poland, and Namibia. 

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Other pools include the Netherlands, Malaysia, Fiji, and host Oman in Pool A, while Australia, South Africa, Ukraine, and Zambia form Pool B. Group D features New Zealand, Uruguay, Thailand, and Paraguay.

What is Hockey 5s?

For those unfamiliar, Hockey5s is a shorter and faster version of traditional field hockey. In this format, each team has five players. To make it more simple, it is just like what T20 is to cricket, Rugby7s in rugby, and 3x3 basketball in basketball.

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In contrast to conventional field hockey with its 11-player teams, Hockey5s has a maximum of five players on the field, which includes a goalkeeper. The game is played over 20 minutes and split into two halves of 10 minutes each, with a brief two-minute intermission between the halves. 

About Team India:

The leadership of the Indian Team rests in the hands of experienced goalkeeper Rajni Etimarpu, with defender Mahima Chaudhary serving as vice-captain. The squad also includes Bansari Solanki as the second goalkeeper, along with defenders Akshata Abaso Dhekale and Jyoti Chhatri. In the midfield, Mariana Kujur and Mumtaz Khan have been named, while forwards include Ajmina Kujur, Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, and Deepika Soreng.

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Team India's schedule:

The Indian team's schedule includes their first match against Poland on January 24 at 12:50 hrs IST, followed by a game against the USA at 21:10 hrs IST on the same day. Their final group game will be against Namibia on January 25 at 14:30 hrs IST.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for January 26, with the semi-finals and the final set to take place on January 27.

Where can Indian fans watch the games live and stream on OTT?

Indian fans can watch the matches live on Sports18 3 and it will be live-streamed on the Jio Cinema app.