Captain Rani binds hockey team together: Jaspreet

Indian junior women's hockey team drag flicker Jaspreet Kaur on Thursday said that her captain Rani Rampal plays a major role in binding the team together.

"Our team played brilliantly during the Under-21 Volvo Invitational tournament and we have gained good amount of experience. We played as a unit and our captain Rani played a major role in binding us together. She has good leadership qualities and guides us, both on and off the field," said Jaspreet.

The team finished third in the recently concluded Under-21 Volvo Invitational in the Netherlands. They are currently preparing at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here for the Junior Asia Cup.

"Playing with Rani has helped every member in the team as we get to learn from her experience and her quality of giving that extra surprise to the opponents. The team is working on its penalty corners and our defence chain where closing the gaps is the focus," said defender Jaspreet.

The nine-team Junior Asia Cup will be played at Changzhou, China from September 5 to 13 and it affords an opportunity for direct entry into the 2017 Junior World Cup.