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Indian hockey has been on the losing side more often than not in the last few decades. However, the good form of the hockey teams prior to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics had reinstated the belief of the fans in Indian hockey. That belief manifested into trust and hopes sky rocketed in Japan this summer.
Indian hockey has had to endure decades of negligence Their last Olympic medal came in 1980. On Thursday, the Indian hockey team ended their 41-year old wait to earn a podium finish at the Summer Games. The men's team beat Germany 5-4 in a thrilling encounter to earn the bronze medal.
The Indian women’s hockey team faltered at the final hurdle but what it did do was open up a barrage of emotions. Scenes at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo would break the strongest of Indian hearts – forget the 16 valiant women on the field bearing the brunt of it all.
Read: India vs Great Britain hockey: Indian women lose bronze medal, finish fourth in Olympics
Savita Punia, who had been a rock in front of the goal and gave it her all, broke down inconsolably even as the analytical coach put her arms around her to calm her down.
Rani Rampal was shocked and was unable to move for a couple of minutes while Deep Grace Ekka sank to the ground. Vandana Katariya stood shell-shocked trying to digest the final result.
The Indian women’s hockey team had given it their all. While Rani Rampal led from the front with grace, her teammates stood up for her at every point. Savita Punia didn’t let many go past her and was like a rock in front of the goal. Vandana Katariya made daring runs into the opponents’ circle and scored whenever given the opportunity.
Gurjit Kaur was ferocious with her drag-flicks, and each time she lined up to take it, India were up to something special. Lalremsiami and Salima Tete made menacing runs and assisted the forwards while Neha Goyal, Deep Grace Ekka and others in the backline thwarted attempts from the opposition.
After three losses on the trot, the Indian women’s hockey team picked themselves up in emphatic fashion to qualify for the knock-outs. The Indian women’s hockey team plugged all gaps – including scoring and defending set-pieces. Their performance in Tokyo has given everyone a new reason to believe in women's hockey in India.
Indian hockey at a different level than before
Coach Sjoerd Marijne was understandably distraught after losing the bronze medal. He said although they had lost the medal, he was proud of the way his team have played throughout the tournament. Speaking to journalists at the Oi Hockey Stadium after the match, Marijne said:
“The team did really, really well and I'm proud of them. I told them; I can't take away your tears as we didn't win a medal. But I think we want something bigger, and what we want is the heart of the people of India and to make the people of India proud."
"They have waited so long for this and we are blessed to have been here and able to do this and I'm overwhelmed with reactions. There will be more (winning) with the girls and will realize it and I hope the country will embrace them and keep them in their hearts.”
The teams had to take a hydration break in the middle of every quarter and coach Marijne said there isn’t much to read into it.
“The climate is the same for Great Britain too. It's hot. But that is no excuse. I think the weather was not a big influence on the game but that is not the reason we lost.”
Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur said they drew a lot of confidence after scoring the first goal. She added:
“We were 0-2 down and we got confidence from that first goal. We did put in a complete effort and gave 100%. It was hard luck today. None of us slacked and we all gave it our all.”
The senior player said the Tokyo Olympics 2021 has been a learning curve for all Indian players. She explained:
“We have improved day by day and match by match and we have a lot of learning from the Olympics. We will keep learning and plug the gaps in the future. I cannot pick up a moment from the game (where we lost). We were equally matched and playing in a third-place match is never easy.”
