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On a revival, India women have to overcome China again
They have to build on the creditable fifth at the World Cup after holding their big rivals to a draw
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Mumbai: The cross came in from the right. Navneet Kaur, the intended target, got her stick to it, but the trap was heavy. The ball went to her backhand side and rolled invitingly into an empty area in Australia’s shooting circle. There was a clear shot from that position with no defender in the way.
This was early in the fourth quarter of the women’s FIH World Cup second group game against Australia. India needed a win and Australia a draw to move into the semi-final. And then came the moment that decided the match.
Navneet, a reliable goal-scorer for India, was the one everyone thought would go for the hit. But the ball rolled closer to Lalremsiami, who was backpedalling to give her senior teammate more room for the shot. Neither went for it.
That moment of indecision cost them. It was the last great move India created in that match, which ended in a goalless draw.
By now, the Indian women’s hockey team is used to battling the odds. And here they were just one sweet connection of the ball away from punching their way to the semi-finals, an unfamiliar territory for Indian women’s hockey.
Only once before had India reached the semi-final of the World Cup—in the inaugural edition in 1974. Last month in the Netherlands, they finished a commendable fifth. And yet, there has been no time to savour their efforts. The Asian Games beckon, after all.
“(It was) straight to business,” women’s team head coach Sjoerd Marijne told HT. “It’s the way it is at the moment. Normally you want to enjoy longer from an historical achievement like this, but we need to move on.”
This was the second big resurgence of the team within the past decade. During Marijne’s first stint with the squad, he led them to an unprecedented fourth place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, after the bronze playoff loss to Great Britain.
That crest in Tokyo, however, was followed by a deep trough. When it was expected of the team to build on the momentum in Japan, a period of transition and infighting led to the failed qualification campaign for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This came after the 2023 Asian Games, where India finished with bronze. Then there was the relegation from the top-tier FIH Pro League.
However, from June, there has been another upward shift in form. They won the Nations Cup to secure a spot in the 2026-27 Pro League season. And followed it up with the commendable performance at the World Cup when few had expected the team to stand up in the global competition.
Asked what was the biggest takeaway from the campaign in the Netherlands, Marijne put it simply: “The unity of the team.”
Indeed, they played for each other in the squad, which is now a blend of experience and youth. That renewed bonding was evident from their first match against China where they held the Paris Games silver medallists 2-2.
In a team of hard-workers, there are the seasoned work-horses Sushila Chanu and Nikki Pradhan to marshal the defence and midfield, respectively, and switch play from defence to attack.
The goalkeepers are 36-year-old Savita Punia (with over 300 caps) and the impressive 25-year-old Bichu Kharibam.
Also in defence is the hardy Ishika Chaudhary, while captain Salima Tete and Lalremsiami are pacy midfielders who chip in with tackles in defence and provide options in attack.
The spearhead remains Navneet with Deepika Sehrawat—a bonafide drag-flicker—adding to the strike force.
The forward line though that was found wanting at the World Cup. India showed they could defend well, but for all the chances created, the finishing touch was missing.
They will need to find the answers at the Asian Games where an Olympic quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be awarded to the gold medallists. At Aichi-Nagoya, Paris Olympics silver-medallists China, the defending Asian Games champions, are India’s biggest challenge.
At the World Cup, after India held them to a draw, China slipped to finish eighth.
That was, however, just one match. India will have to do it all over again, and better, when they meet in Japan, with the spot for Los Angeles the big incentive.
