POONAM Sandhu (forward) of Vancouver is the only South Asian to be selected for the women’s national team for competition in 2014 and into 2015. Field Hockey Canada’s women’s national program this week named 16 players.
This group of athletes is considered ready for international competition.
“The national team has been refined and refocused ahead of our preparation for two key benchmark events in 2014: the Commonwealth Games in July and the World League series in September,” says Canadian women’s national team head coach Ian Rutledge.
“The squad is large enough to continue to build depth and maintain healthy competition for positions, while at the same time allowing us the much needed time to drill down into our team and individual performances.”
While players on the National Team squad will make up the majority of rosters for future competition, members of the senior and junior development squads also will be considered based on their progress in training and competition, and for development opportunities.
A refined roster has also been named for a series of test matches to be played in the United Kingdom versus the England and Wales National Teams from April 27 to May 7.
The roster for the team to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July will be named in June.
2014 Schedule of Competition
April / May: Test Series vs. England and Wales, United Kingdom
July: Irish Four Nations, Belfast, Ireland
July / August: Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland
September: World League 1, Mexico