Indian women's hockey - Hope of deliverance

The bronze medal of the junior women’s hockey team in the just concluded Hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach, Germany has come as a fresh breeze of air in an otherwise sad scenario for the sport in our country.

This is the first title for the women’s hockey team at any international tournament at any level. All the girls lived up to the task and scripted a medal for another ‘Chak de India’. They have always been ranked outside the top ten and been considered a pushover in the group stages, until now. The victory will prove to be a much desired catalyst to the team, and give them the confidence to play among the best.

The route was not easy. They were badly bruised in the opening encounter against Australia, conceded half a dozen goals and scored just one. Up to that mark, it looked like yet another familiar World Cup failure. But then the picture changed. They qualified with much improved performances in subsequent matches, surprising many.

They beat Russia 10-1 and New Zealand 2-0 for a spot in the QF. Things got better when they shocked the Spanish team 4-2 to move into the SF for the first time. They lost to eventual champions Holland in the semis, but set foot on the podium for the first time by defeating a much stronger English side in the bronze medal play-off.

The victory is not a flash in the pan. The team, no doubt, has passed through some very rough patches in the past. They faced problems which were not their own.

Sexual allegations on M K Kaushik has tarnished the image of the sport. The Dronacharya Award winning coach was removed from the position. He had laboured hard with the girls and groomed them for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Sponsors went away. The team players were not paid, or insufficiently paid, and protested against the situations.

The scenes became so ugly that for an extended period of time, they played without any sort of financial backing, wearing black arm bands at every game. Facing such hardships and obtaining this result is a matter of pride, and a eye opener for the administration.

The success mantra is to be discussed. Previously, the team had been dominated by Shahbad Hocky Academy of Haryana and Jharkhand. Now, the talent pool is widely spread, as girls are coming from all corners of India, north-south-center-west and as a happy surprise, from the east!

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy at Bhopal is working as a new launch pad for girls not only from MP, but also from other parts of the country. The academy has state of the art facilities like Astroturf, gymnasium, physical trainers, dieticians and even floodlights.

The team is not depending on a few stars like Rani Rampal, but working as a cohesive unit. The risk of giving exposure to junior girls at the senior level has paid rich dividends now. The talent pool has never been bigger than this.

How good a foreign coach is for the Indian team, has always been a debate with no concrete end. This medal winning squad has been coached by Australian Neil Hawgood, though his fellow countryman Michael Nobbs faced a different fate. It has worked for the better here.

Things might change now and victory at junior level may affect the senior level. It might bring about a ‘hope of deliverance’.