After a gap of seven years, vqersatile forward Preeti Dubey, has been recalled in the 33-member National Women’s Hockey Team that is currently training at SAI Bangalore.
The 60-member assessment squad that reported to camp on 1st April was spruced up after selection trials .
Out of 33, one name that stood out was – Preeti Dubey. The 25-year-old from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh made her last appearance for national side in the Hockey World League Semi-Final in 2017, returned in the National setup after impressing the selectors and coaches in the assessment camp.
Her selection comes after she put up an impressive performance in the Senior Women National Championship, held in Pune.
About her inclusion, Preeti said, “It feels amazing to come back in the national setup. But this is just the first step. All my efforts and hard work have paid off. I always believed in myself that the right time would come and I never doubted my abilities and potential to come back into the side”
“I have seen a lot of ups and downs in the past few years but I believe that because of what happened, it has made me mentally strong. When the lockdown happened in 2020, I faced a lot of problems because we couldn’t play Nationals. That one year was the toughest for me.”
” I used to work for eight hours but every day, I used to make time for my fitness and training from 8-9 pm. I made sure that my fitness level never went down.” she said
“My next aim is to make the cut for the 18-member squad, gain my confidence and help my team win medals and accolades on an international circuit. My main focus is now on the 2028 Summer Olympics,” she said
Preeti also recalled how she kept herself motivated each day and how she pushed herself to improve her game and made a comeback to Team.
“My father calls me every day and he says that I have what it takes to make a comeback. All of my coaches have always told me that I have the potential and when so many people put their trust in me, it gives me that extra motivation to do better and it keeps me going even under adverse circumstances.”
Known for her agility, strategic prowess, and commitment to the field, she brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the team.
Having previously represented the nation in several national and international tournaments, including the Olympics and World Cup, her presence is set to inspire the performance of her teammates.
In 2016, Preeti was one of the youngest members of the team that qualified for their maiden Olympic Games in Rio.
She also led the 18-member Junior Team in the U-23 Six Nation Tournament, held in Belgium in 2018