Defender Preeti was Thrusday named captain of the 18-member Indian team for the Women’s Junior World Cup to bre held from 29th November to 10th December in Santiago, Chile.

Mid fielder Rutuja Pisal will be the vice captain of the team which is clubbed with Germany, Belgium and Canada in Pool C.

They will begin their World Cup campaign against Canada on 29th November before taking on the European sides Germany and Belgium on 30th November and 2nd December respectively in their Pool C matches.

The other teams in the fray are the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and Chile in Pool A while Argentina, Spain, Zimbabwe and Korea are grouped in Pool B. I

In Pool D, England, the USA, New Zealand and Japan will vie for a place in the Quarterfinals.

The Quarter-Finals are scheduled for 6th December and Semi-Finals on 8th December while the Final will be played on 10th December.

In the previous edition, India had narrowly missed the Bronze medal, finishing fourth.

The squad includes goalkeepers Khushboo and Madhuri Kindo. Defenders Neelam, Preeti, Jyoti Singh and Ropni Kumari have been named in the squad along with midfielders Mahima Tete, Manju Chorsiya, Jyoti Chhatri, Hina Bano, Sujata Kujur and Rutaja Dadaso Pisal.

The forward line features Sakshi Rana, Mumtaz Khan, Annu, Deepika Soreng, Dipi Monika Toppo and Sunelita Toppo, while defender Thounaojam Nirupama Devi and midfielder Jyothi Edula have been named as replacement players for the marquee event.

Speaking about the team selection, Coach Tushar Khandker, said, “We have an incredible talent pool, it wasn’t easy to select the final squad, but I believe we have chosen the best one for the World Cup and these players have worked very hard in the past couple of months leading up to the event.”

“The players are excited, they have performed really well in the recent past and it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to showcase their talent on the prestigious platform.”

“We will have our training and practice matches in Argentina before heading to Chile, so that will help us in acclimatising to the conditions and setting the tempo for the Junior World Cup,” he added