New Delhi, Dec 25: Indian Women's Hockey Team forward Jyoti Chhatri believes her experience at the recently concluded 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 has helped her grow as a player.

The 19-year-old has been a key figure in the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team setup for the past year and played across all six games for India at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2023, scoring a goal during the thrilling 3 - 3 (3 - 2 SO) win over New Zealand. She also played a prominent role during India's Gold-medal-winning performance at the Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023.

While Jyoti made her Senior team debut at the 2023 4 Nations Women's Invitational Tournament (Barcelona) earlier this year against England, the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023 was another good chance for her to compete against some of the top teams - Ireland, Germany, Spain, and Belgium.

"I was elated to be considered for the squad for the Valencia tour. It is always a great opportunity to learn when you get to train alongside the senior team. Having competitive matches against such strong oppositions also helped me understand the tenacity and mental strength needed to fight to win at the highest levels," Jyoti said.

The Indian Women's Hockey Team began the tournament with a 2-3 loss to Spain and a 1-2 loss to Belgium in Valencia. After losing 1-3 to Germany in their third game of the competition, India recorded a thrilling 2-1 win over Ireland to finish off the tournament.

Speaking on the results, Jyoti said, "While the results were not in our favour on the tour, we could recognise the important areas where we have to focus on and we were able to improve with each game. It was an important series for us with bigger tournaments coming up next year. We feel we were able to take a lot from the series, which has helped our growth as a team."

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India will be competing in the all-important FIH Hockey Olympics Qualifiers Ranchi 2024, aiming to secure a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Indian Women's Hockey Team will begin the campaign against the United States on January 13 and go on to face New Zealand on January 14, before their last Pool B clash against Italy on January 16. Pool A comprises Germany, Japan, Chile, Czech Republic.

"The preparatory tour in Valencia has boosted my confidence as an individual and I am hopeful to get a chance to be a part of the Indian squad for the FIH Hockey Olympics Qualifiers Ranchi 2024. This past year has really helped me develop as a player and I am eager to grab on to every opportunity that comes my way.

The senior players, coaches, and support staff have been thoroughly supportive and have helped me a lot whenever needed. It is a dream for every player to represent India at the Olympics, and our journey to Paris as a team will hopefully begin in January," Jyoti signed off.

(IANS)

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