At a time when most of our countrymen would be glued to the idiot box to see their much-admired cricketers or may I say Demi Gods start their Australian conquest, in the not so distant past another Indian team has made this great nation of ours proud albeit without much mention.
Who am I referring to?
Well, it’s our Indian Women’s Hockey Team, who if one would remember had made headlines many summers back in popular culture with their outstanding reel performance in the much-acclaimed movie Chak De India!
Perhaps over the last few years, reel has taken a back seat and real has marched forward with much glee, as our talented women have been playing a rather admirable brand of hockey with India ascending to their third Asian Champions Trophy title by beating China 1-0 in the final.
Yes, a few days back these women put in their finest performance as the tight knit Chinese defence was trounced by a solitary goal courtesy one of our best young strikers in Deepika Sherawat who soared to becoming the highest goal scorer in the tournament with 11 strikes to her name amid a joy-filled Rajgir stadium in Bihar.
To put things into perspective, the Indian Men’s Team has won this coveted championship on five occasions and the women are mighty close with three accolades to their name, a feat worthy of every praise.
This undoubtedly is testament to the sheer aptitude, resilience, hard work and grit these ladies have been tirelessly working towards in abundant measure which has put them on a pedestal not only for our nation but the entire world to admire.
So as our hearts fill with ecstasy galore, let’s dive into how this team ascended to becoming numero uno as this tournament unfolded:
Team India creates its own destiny with an undefeated streak
Destiny is not bestowed upon an individual but created!
Well Team India created their own destiny with much valour by making winning a habit.
They inculcated this habit through sheer discipline, consistency and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
The women conquered each and every opponent with much confidence and an incessant need to bury them deep right from the group stage to the semifinals and last but not the least, the final.
Ask the likes of Malayasia, Korea, Thailand, Japan and yes China and they will whole heartedly agree as their taste buds were made to feel rather sore with a healthy serving of an appalling dish called as defeat.
What was most heartening to see amongst all of India’s conquests was the complete annihilation of Thailand which stood at a massive scoreline of 13-0.
A feat even our men’s team would undoubtedly be incredibly proud of.
Coach Harendra Singh deserves a mention
A revered name in the annals of Indian hockey along with being a Dronacharya awardee, the ultimate standing for every coach in the country, Harendra Singh is as good as they come.
Having taken the Junior Men’s Team to World Cup glory in 2016, this astute tactician had motivation galore to reach the pinnacle with the women’s side in his new role as their head coach.
And he did just that by fostering a goal-oriented environment amongst the ladies both literally and metaphorically. Apart from this he also refined the tactical aspect of their game and inculcated an attacking mindset which was seen in abundance in every game with constant entries into the D of every opponent.
Having won the Asian Champions Trophy, a bigger challenge now awaits the coach and his chargers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics which possibly would be the highest honour for this team if they qualify and comeback with a medal.
This after the team failed to make it to the Paris edition though the resurrection phase has well taken shape and would only soar as time moves on.
So, as we immerse ourselves in this wave of joy, we can only hope that our Women’s Hockey Team continues to thrive and grow stronger with each passing day.
Afterall, when they shine, the entire nation shines—albeit gradually and yet with unwavering certainty!