Tete sisters, Salima & Mahima, set to take field for India Down Under

Kolkata: It will be a special tour for India captain Salima Tete as she will get a chance to play with her younger sister Mahima for the senior national team after the 20-year-old got a maiden call-up to the side for India's tour to Australia from April 26 to May 4.
It won't be the first time that ‘sisters' will be playing together for the Indian team. In 1970, the Saini sisters — Rupa, Krishna and Prema — played for India against Japan.
Earlier in 1964, the Britto sisters — Elvera, Rita and Mae — together came out for the senior national team during a five-Test series, which was also against Japan. Later in 1967, Elvera and Rita played against Australia.
Nonetheless, it will be quite a memorable moment for the Tete family when it happens and Salima's father Sulakshan, who trained the two girls in their childhood, will be more than pleased to see them play side by side in the midfield Down Under.
As for Mahima, this is a huge moment for her and she has been enjoying training with her elder sister. In a statement a few days back, she said, "I have always wanted to walk in my sister's footsteps and do well for my country. So now that I am also here, training with her, I feel really good. When I do something wrong, she comes to me and guides me to improve. Didi supports me a lot."
Mahima was interested in studies and had stopped playing during her youth. But with persuasion from her parents and sister, she took up the game and went on to play for the Indian junior team at the Junior Asia Cup and Junior World Cup in 2023.
But playing against Australia will be a huge test for her and she is well aware of it. "It's a different combination than I am used to. I am very happy that I am in the senior team right now but I will have to work very hard and improve to get to the level I need to be," she had said.
Besides Mahima, Jyoti Singh, Sujata Kujur, Ajmina Kujur and Pooja Yadav are the four new players to be named in the 26-member India squad that will play the five-match series at the Perth Hockey Stadium. They will take on Australia A in the first two games, followed by three matches against the senior Australian team.
The squad: Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam; Defenders: Jyoti Singh, Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu, Sujata Kujur, Suman Devi Thoudam, Jyoti, Ajmina Kujur, Sakshi Rana; Midfielders: Salima Tete, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Neha, Sharmila Devi, Manisha Chauhan, Sunelita Toppo, Mahima Tete, Pooja Yadav, Lalremsiami; Forwards: Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, Mumtaz Khan, Baljeet Kaur, Deepika Soreng, Beauty Dungdung.
Standby: Bansari Solanki (goalkeeper), Anjana Dundung, Lalthantluangi (defenders), Sakshi Shukla, Khaidem Shileima Chanu (midfielders), Dipi Monika Toppo, Sonam (forwards).