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Indian women's hockey team has shown tangible improvement over the last few years and this has been visible in the team's performances on the global stage lately.
Ever since they qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, things have fallen in place for the Indian eves, most of it through hard work and effective execution on the field.
The Savita Punia-led Indian women's hockey team earned a bronze medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games after a narrowly losing a controversial semifinal against Australia.
India won a thrilling contest against New Zealand with a 1-1 (2-1 SO) scoreline at the quadrennial event.
Speaking of the team's experience at the event, ace defender and vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka termed the CWG campaign as an important moment in the team’s journey.
Deep Grace said:
“We would have liked to play the final in Birmingham for sure, but winning bronze was a big achievement for us. Standing on the podium is a moment we will never forget. It’s a big morale booster for the entire team."
That's not it for the team. Carrying forward the winning momentum, Deep Grace and her team are looking forward to the upcoming major hockey tournaments for them.
“We did well in Birmingham, but now that is a closed chapter. We have had a good break and now we have to get back to work. I am sure the chief coach Janneke Schopman will assess our previous performance and plan the upcoming days in camp accordingly.”
Indian women's hockey team return to the national camp
After a short breather, the Indian women's hockey team is back to their full-fledged training routine at the national camp in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus of Bengaluru.
Their next challenge will be the FIH Women’s Hockey Nations Cup in Spain. It's an important tournament for the team as it can provide direct entry into the Women's FIH Hockey Pro League.
Speaking of the same, Deep Grace said:
“We have to do well in Spain in the FIH Women’s Hockey Nations Cup, and for that the preparation begins from today. It won’t be easy but training hard and doing the right things repeatedly during our sessions is the only thing we can do."
The veteran defender of the Indian women's hockey team added:
"Our aim in Spain will be to progress to the FIH Hockey Women's Pro League and for that we have to win the Nations Cup. Our target is in front of us, now it’s up to us to make sure we build in the correct direction."
The Indian Women’s Hockey Team finished third in their debut campaign in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22 season. The Pro League allows teams to face top-quality opposition on a regular basis and hone their skills against them. This is something that the Indian team has missed in the past.
