BENGALURU: Fresh off their historic maiden title at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023, the Indian junior women’s hockey team is poised for a strong showing at the upcoming FIH Women’s Junior World Cup, to be held in Santiago, Chile between Nov 29 and Dec 10. The team’s preparation at Sports Authority of India (SAI) for the World Cup has been rigorous, involving not just physical training but also mental conditioning.
“We’re doing a lot of prep, so far it’s been good. Apart from practising, we have also been doing a lot of conditioning, and mental training,” shares Preeti, captain of the Indian squad. “The only objective we have is to get the medal for India and so far we’ve been training our hardest to be able to deliver our best and achieve the dream.”
Announced earlier this month, the World Cup squad features goalkeepers Khushboo, and Madhuri Kindo; defenders Neelam, Preeti, Jyoti Singh, Ropni Kumari; midfielders Mahima Tete, Manju Chorsiya, Jyoti Chhatri, Hina Bano, Sujata Kujur, Rutuja Pisal; and forwards Sakshi Rana,Mumtaz Khan, Annu, Deepika Soreng, Dipi Monika Toppo, Sunelita Toppo. Positioned in Pool C alongside Germany, Belgium, and Canada, the Indian team is gearing up for some challenging matches.
“While hockey is a very physical game, it also needs a lot of mental preparation. Going against some of the best teams from around the world requires us to adapt quickly. But we have a strong rapport amongst ourselves in the team. I just hope that whatever we are learning now, we’ll be able to successfully apply during the tournament,” Preeti adds.
Despite the high stakes, their impressive campaign at the Asia Cup earlier this year has buoyed the team’s spirits, as well as provided them with key insights into their strengths and weaknesses. “The (Asia Cup) final (against South Korea) was incredibly emotional for every one of us, especially given how the match played. During the final minutes, we were under enormous pressure to protect our lead and make sure we didn’t make any mistakes. And when the countdown ended, the sense of relief and triumph was just incredible,” shares vice-captain Rutuja Pisal. “Going into the World Cup, we are focussing on our strengths and weaknesses that were highlighted during the Asia Cup. The key thing is to never give up and always support each other in the team.”
According to Preeti, one of the things that they need to be careful about heading into the campaign in Chile is to not be complacent. “Winning the Asia Cup was obviously a historic moment for us. It was also a very emotional moment. All of us were happy, especially since we were able to beat a strong team like South Korea four times during the course of the tournament, including at the final,” she says, adding, “We had performed well at the last World Cup, but we could only finish fourth. The only thing that I would like us to learn from the experience is that we don’t become complacent and let our guard down until the very end of a match. There have been instances where such a mindset has cost us.”
Ahead of their departure for the 2023 Women’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup from B’luru – which kicks off next week in Chile – players from Team India share the lessons they are taking from their title-winning Asia Cup campaign