"FIH Hockey Pro League Camp too short to recover from Olympic Qualifiers, but team is prepared" - Udita weighs in on India’s upcoming campaign

The disappointment of not qualifying for the Paris Olympics is not something the Indian women's hockey team can dwell on at length as the FIH Hockey Pro League matches are set to begin at the Kalinga Stadium on February 3.

Just over two weeks after going down fighting to Germany and Japan in the Olympic Qualifiers, the Indians face a formidable task with world-class sides such as the Netherlands, Australia, USA, and China set to battle it out in Bhubaneswar.

Udita, who is now a key member of the Indian squad, told Sportskeeda during an exclusive interaction that although the Pro League camp was too short to recover from the jolt of not making it to Paris, the 'team is prepared'.

"The FIH Hockey Pro League camp is too short to recover from the Olympic Qualifiers, but the team is prepared. We are looking forward to the matches and we will do our best in the competition," she stated amid a training session.

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"I enjoy both roles just as much" - Udita on switching from midfield to defense while also helping out in attack

Udita excels in defence and attack but is presently relishing her role as a defender

Udita, who played in midfield under the tutelage of Sjoerd Marijne, is now relishing her role guarding the backlines in the company of yet another midfielder-turned-defender Monika Malik.

The 26-year-old, who shone for the Indians at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2018 Women's World Cup in London, pointed out that she also likes to join the strikers whenever she gets a chance.

"I used to be a midfielder and a striker before taking on the role of a defender. I do enjoy my time as a defender but whenever I have to chance, I like to attack as well. I enjoy both roles just as much," Udita stated.

Not content with her contributions in offense and defense, Udita also scored three vital penalty corner goals combined against Italy and New Zealand in the Olympic Qualifiers last month. The player from Hisar is far from satisfied with the effort and asserted that she needs to do much more for the team during the India leg of the Hockey Pro League.

"I think I can do more and I will do more in the coming FIH Hockey Pro League tournament," said Udita who now has over 100 international caps to her name.

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"We are confident and we will give it our all" - Udita on mood in the camp ahead of FIH Hockey Pro League games

Sporting the No. 18 jersey with pride, Udita has been a key performer for the Indians in recent times

The Indians will take on Asian Games gold-medalists China in their Hockey Pro League opener before squaring off against the Netherlands, who have for long been the top-ranked team in the world of women's hockey.

Playing against two tough sides in the space of two days will undoubtedly test the resolve of the Indian camp in front of a mammoth home crowd. Udita maintained that the team is confident ahead of the big matches.

"Yes, we are confident and we will give it our all," said Udita who switched from handball to hockey as a youngster.

Sports can be cruel at times, as was evident in India's game against Germany in the Olympic Qualifiers. The Savita Punia-led side missed out narrowly on an Olympic berth after losing to the Germans in sudden death.

So, are shootouts more about skill, or do the results depend on luck?

"We were really close to winning against Germany. I believe it's a bit of both - luck and skills. We can improve our skills even more and let's see who luck favours next time," said the Indian defender striking a philosophical note.

The five-nation FIH Hockey Pro League mini-tournament will shift to Rourkela's Birsa Munda Stadium for the second leg, which begins on February 12. The winner of the 2023-24 edition of the overall competition featuring nine teams will earn a direct ticket to the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.