Light at the end of tunnel for the Indian girls

Braving three penalty corners that came after the hooter, Indian girls held on to their solitary goal lead at Bangkok in the 2009 Asia Cup semifinal. That dodged defence ensured their ticket for the 2010 World Cup.

Six good years later, now the Indian girls showcased similar latent defensive skills to climb the Rio mountain.

Indian defence, led by veteran Deepika Thakur and Sarita Lakra lent enormous support to in-form goalie Savita Punia for India to repeat Bangkok at Antwerp today in the 5-6th rank decider of the misnomer of a tournament called Hockey World League semifinal.

Today at Antwerp, Japanese were shades better team India. They were all over the places in the last 30 minutes, even earning as many as six of their 8 penalty corners in that spell.
The last one that came 23 sec left in the clock could have clogged otherwise habitually choking India. But today Indian team did not buckle.

This is a great, timely victory that our girls longed for long time

Indian women hockey have thus knocked the doors of Rio Olympics, it is going to open in six months time.
Being there after 35 years – only second time Olympic participation for Indian women in 2016 – is in itself a great mental block that the present team has overcome.

Women hockey is hardly an entity in India unless and of course some sexual harassment kind of news is ferreted out.

Nobody takes note of their presence, success, failures, pains and minor glories here and there.
Indian women hockey won the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. It appeared as a footnote in Mumbai newspapers.

A gold win did not glitter in the media.

“After seeing the small footnote, it struck me why their achievements are so neglected. It led to the story of Chak de India” Sahni, who wrote the story, screenplay and lyrics for the film, said to me when he came for NDTV Annual Awards function.

Women hockey, yes, were a neglected lot. While almost 20 departments recruit men hockey players, only do Indian Railways give jobs for the girls.

Yet, the girls were marching.

Till 2008 did they hardly lose to countries like South Africa, Italy, Ireland against whom now they lose routinely (except at Antwerp). Women hockey’s fortunes nosedived since then as it is caught in a reckless media frenzy fuelled by irresponsible Times Now television & Times of India newspapers.

Indian women were doomed to die in that spell, and two times Commonwealth Games finalist did not reach semifinals at home in the 2010 edition.

It could not score one goal more to reach the semis, but the South African girls won’t allow.
Did not reach final of last two Asia Cups even.

Despite Hockey India’s equal projection in press conferences, Annual Awards, conduct of Nationals etc media by and large remained unmoved.

We were hardy 5,6 people covering the last international outing called HWL R2 in Delhi.
Once the success giving MK Kaushik left the scene, hardly did the girls get a proper coach though many including one Hawgood came and gone.

Even the present coach in Antwerp is an unknown entity till he got the appointment of his lifetime.

Even government of India did not give them due recognition when the question of awarding annual Arjuna and Lifetime labels.

The lone international tournament for women in India, Indira Cup, stopped after 2005.

So, the women hockey was almost construed as a ritual in many ways.

They have now made all of sit and take note of them.

True, India defeated just Poland in the pool, and lost the quarters heavily. But a decent show against Australia, which must have given them enough conviction in their ability, saw India scrapping through Italy via shoot out and them holding on to a solitary gem of a goal struck by Rani Ramphal today have infused fresh life into the women’s hockey in India.

Women Hockey in India has risen like a phoenix from ashes.