Wales senior women welcome schoolchildren to spectate and participate in training at World Cup Qualifiers

Wales senior women’s team welcomed 50 Indian schoolchildren from Victoria Memorial Home and Residential School on Thursday, to watch a training session and take part in some coached activities on the pitch.

The women’s team are in Hyderabad, India, taking part in the World Cup Qualifiers as well as working with Study in Wales to promote study opportunities in Wales and strengthening relations between the two countries.

Established in 1903, Hyderabad-based Victoria Memorial Home and Residential School was founded by the sixth Nizam and named after Queen Victoria.

50 of its students joined Hoci Cymru and our senior women’s side to engage with coached hockey activities on the pitch, as well as watch our ladies preparing to take on Korea in the first of two ranking matches following the Pool stage.

The session took place in collaboration with the British Council, Welsh Government’s International Department and Study in Wales, the latter featuring as front-of-shirt sponsor throughout the ladies’ campaign.

Hoci Cymru was delighted to also donate equipment to the school, generously provided by our partners at Net World Sports, to further inspire the next generation to pick up a stick and continue playing. We are grateful to Destination Sport who paid for baggage to take the kit over to India.

Hoci Cymru CEO, Paul Whapham, stated:

“It was a very special moment when 50 schoolchildren with excited smiles turned up to watch our women’s team in training, before enthusiastically taking to the field themselves!

“Hoci Cymru is passionate about ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience the enjoyment that hockey can bring, and inspiring as many young people as possible to take part.

“Working closely with Study in Wales throughout our time in India has given our senior ladies an amazing opportunity to do just that, and they’ve been fantastic in their ambassadorial roles out here in India.”