Nobody knew how far they would go. Nobody had seen them go this far either. The women’s hockey team at Tokyo looked like a different team altogether. They weren’t afraid of taking the attacking route. They defended when they needed to, and the opponents found it difficult to get past the Indian wall, Savita Punia.
If scoring goals were one thing, the team always had each other’s back. Vandana Katariya scored a hattrick that day. India won. When asked about it, she said, she alone cannot take credit for this as hockey is a team sport.
On the field, Katariya enters with the pre-match chant and uses that energy to send thunderbolts. She succeeds sometimes, sometimes, she fails. Either way, that tiny smile stays right after the shot. Off the field, she has to face millions of troubles and casteist slurs topping all of them. Every time she scores, it is a slap on those faces.
She has the 2nd most number of goals in the current team. Only captain Rampal has more. Now, she didn’t come from an easy background either. Financial troubles were one thing. “She will run around the field wearing a short skirt and bring a bad name to your family,” her parents were told.
From wearing a usual T-shirt to kits with their name, the team did come far. Between Rio to Tokyo, there were changes. The fitness level changed, Yo-Yo test limits were reduced. Technology became a major part of the training. They stand close to par with the men’s team and Odisha’s role here goes without saying.
The changes made the team who they are today. While these changes were easy to welcome, the team had multiple coaches too. It took them time to realize that the coaches will keep changing but the team must stay together to face all the challenges. Sjoerd Marijne came along.
Now, Chak de India is the closest connection the current generation has to women’s hockey or hockey in particular. Thus, the people not only kept mispronouncing his name but Shahrukh Khan appeared more on social media than Sjoerd Marijne. He got past all the ‘Chak de’ references and wanted to create one with this team.
The change in mindset took the team closer to medals on many occasions. They returned with some. Milestones followed while sometimes, it was about bettering the records. Either way, the team kept coming back. They were neither cubs nor lionesses but THE LION.
The fear turned to motivation and the pain didn’t matter anymore so did the opponents. They all had only one goal, to return with a medal. Even if it is battling bandage over four stitches just above the eyes. Navneet Kaur still kept going because that is what a leader would do. A team player would do.
Talking about the leaders, Sushila Chanu is the one, the team can always turn to, especially, when it comes to stopping PCs. She might not be the captain this time but that doesn’t stop her from keeping the team in check whenever they need to. Tackling the PCs alone isn’t her work, after all.
Talking about tackling, Nikki Pradhan has been tackling the odds right from her childhood. Of course, becoming the first woman hockey player from her state gives you the story. Along with Deep Grace Ekka, Udita, and Salima Tete, she is the pillar of the Savita Punia wall. Among them, Udita is the one to who Savita usually turns to, when it comes to keeping nerves under control.
When India won the Bronze medal in the 2013 Junior World Cup, Nikki Pradhan and Neha Goyal were the standbys. The latter had an abusive alcoholic father and the family violence was all out there. Her mother worked in a cycle factory to keep the family running. While she is already a veteran in the Indian team, this Olympics is special to Neha in many ways because she got to play it with her best friend Nisha.
Neha and Nisha grew up together, played the game together, and now has represented India in the Olympics together. The girls’ mothers lived in the same street for years. They had lost contact after their marriage but somehow, got back in touch when the girls were kids. Nisha’s father suffered a paralytic stroke in 2016 and has been unemployed ever since. The family fought everything together and in Tokyo, their fight might have been different but they did it together here as well.
While Neha and Nisha were all about fight and friendship, Lalremsiami is different. She would rather let her stick do the talking, especially during her early days. Nobody has covered the attack line more than her and when Rampal goes off the pitch, one could see the leader in Lalremsiami.
Talking about communication, Harendra Singh had to do some extreme drills just to make Gurjit Kaur talk. From being that person to one of the funniest in the team, Gurjit Kaur did grow. Her game too. The defender and drag-flicker became India’s go-to during the PCs.
Switching to a heavier stick, Sjoerd Marijne helped Kaur become the player she is today. A couple of goals, back to back, against Great Britain to put India back on the map at Tokyo 2020 must tell you why she is called the drag-flick queen.
On the other hand, Deep Grace Ekka never really embraced drag-flick. She goes for the slap whenever PCs came her way. Nobody puts their body under so much tension than her in the team. Defense, of course, is not a joke after all.
Well, Monika Malik might make you think as it is one. This might not make any sense but her work is an art and you can watch her dribble all day. One of the best in the business, Monika’s experience can be told by the way she turns the defense to attack and everything in between.
While Monika’s work is more traditional, Sharmila Devi is all about attack and speed. The teenager is one of the fastest in the field and it is always fun when she comes head to head with the opponent’s defender because she seldom loses.
Salima Tete and Sharmila Devi might be of the same age but they are like two poles when it comes to the game. What Salima does is make other look pretty on the pitch. Gurjit Kaur’s drag-flick might have helped India to equalize against Great Britain at Tokyo 2020 but it was Salima’s steady stickwork that gave Kaur an opportunity to score. She probably got it from her father who also plays hockey and is a farmer at Barki Chhapar village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district. Until recently, the family didn’t even have a television.
The team might have come from different backgrounds, they all had one common goal and of course, they dared to dream. Sometimes, making history isn’t all about medals but it is also about announcing the arrival. Tokyo 2020 is all about the arrival. The first chapter. From the book which the Indian team will be telling us in upcoming years. Let’s sit tight because the story has just begun.
