Indian women have shown improvements in their performance in the last two World Cups they played – and if that is any indications the present venture at Argentina should raise ones hopes, though what happened a fortnight ago – a player accusing chief coach of misconduct, and subsequent resignation of him — will definitely affect the team’s morale and confidence. .

As the Women’s World cup starts today, it is therefore worthwhile and interesting to look back at how it all transpired at the premier competitive avenues.

For many years, World Cup for India had been a day dream. Many times in the past the camp for the World Cup qualifiers had been announced, but equally as many times as the Federations ventured out, government came in the way. Often government won’t approve of women’ team expenses, so the ever-dependent Federation let the women sport down.

Against odds, India came very close to qualifying for the 1994 Dublin number, losing out to USA in the penalty shoot out at the Philadelphia qualifier. Of all the persons, the senior most in the team and captain Rajbir Rai missed her quota of stroke. Kaushik was the coach then, who genuinely felt his team deserved a World Cup berth. The team then had a great goalie in Sybil D’Mellow, midfielder in Donita D’Mellow, left winger Alleyamma Matthews and colts Sita Gussein, Pritham, Sandeep Kaur and Manjinder Kaur.

The qualifier USA proved its worth subsequently, finishing third at the Dublin World Cup.

At last in 1997, a year after yet another poor show in the Asian Games preceding that year, some how the wisdom dawned, the government started loosening its purse. After two qualifiers, one in Trinidad and Tobago, and the other at Milton Keynes, Indian ladies qualified for the 1998 number.

It was Indian women’s entry into the big stage – India was in the World Championships of 1974, 1978 and 1983 previously — and they were genuinely at odds company. India finished last; as usual the empty-headed media cried coarse, then Sports Minister Margaret Alva wanting to go for an inquiry even.

For them, the no-nonsense coach Olympian Col. Balbir Singh came up with one of the best quotes I ever heard; “I did not bring women last in the World Cup, brought them from nowhere to world’s 12th”.

Colonel was a sincere and honest coach, had the temerity (?) to disburse the monies saved from the World Cup tour among the players. Federations would not tolerate it and was waiting for a chance to tame him, the last finish just came in handy for them to do the same.

“I don’t care”, Col Balbir, who had to miss out getting promoted to Lieutenant in the Army due to women hockey assignment, thundered and bade adieu. A bad day for women hockey.

Two players from the same 1998 squad, Pritam and Sandeep, both from Haryana, are now in Argentina as coaches.

India should have never missed the 2002 number. It was five minutes away from qualification when it led Korea 2-1 in the 1999 Asia Cup final. Korea equalized, then went on to post golden goal to win the Cup and also the lone world cup berth that went with it.

What happened in the subsequent World Cup Qualifying process is a long history of
manipulations of higher order that India had to be at the wits end.

Under coach AK Bansal, India finished seventh at the Paris qualifier and had to therefore play a three-match test series against United States – who could not come to the Qualifier because of 9/11 – who came to Delhi only to go hurriedly go back due to a so-called tourist advisory. The Series then shifted to Manchester, and the Indians there were done in.

I was there in Perth (Australia) for the Women’s World Cup, I felt genuinely India deserved to be there, seeing the quality of others who were there. So be it.

Coach Kaushik was back in 2003, within six months India won the Asia Cup in Delhi, and thus made it to the Madrid number.

The atmosphere in Madrid was quite simple, nothing appeared a venue that is hosting a world cup the least.

In the sport village that lies at one corner of the great city, where present coach Brasa was the Stadia administrator, the world cup held. India went almost ten days before the event started.

The team had food arrangements in a Pakistani hotel named Taj India Hotel!

I was in the team bus when Indian girls, after a prayer, set off for the first match.

Asst. coach and manager in charge Anurita Saini wanted the national anthem to be played as the bus moved, but the player won’t work that day. A mood of gloom enveloped the team, and it was an avoidable calm, tension filled atmosphere, the players engaged world champions Netherlands in the opener.

Clearly the Indians were nervous. Their game in the first 20 minutes was anything but Kaushik’s team. Everything looked pedestrian. An officer from the Indian embassy who sat next to me said you people should not have come here at all, if this is our standard. I only told him that am also surprised at that.

India conceded two goals in the first ten minutes and then one more at the fag end of the first half.

We were resigned for a rout in the second half, but the reverse occurred. India was totally a transformed side in the second half, substitute defender, Binita Toppo – the find of the tour – coming out with a stellar performance. Asunta Lakra at the pivot doing best of distribution, hawkish Surinder, standing half the height of any of the Dutch player, scored a brace, both in melees, coming close to snatch a point. Not many people witnessed the classic fight back, but at least the Embassy official was frank enough to admit, I am sorry for the comment I made. I will come daily to watch your team”.

He meant that I saw him for all the matches, he also organized a party for the team on one of the break days.

India lost to Netherlands by a goal, same with Germany in the next, ageing Natasha Keller scoring through a close scoop which, according to coach Kaushik, was preventable by the goalie.

The third match was the best one, India putting a goal on the board before breaking for the lemon drink, but only to see the scoreboard reading nil when returned for the second session. Still India drew England 1-1. The link given below will illustrate the whole story of the day.

The change of fortune for India occurred in the fourth match against the hosts Spain, not a great side. India, now playing as potential as any other top team, had no business to concede the winning goal in an one to one situation. This we discussed in our Helen Marry story last fortnight. Forward Jothi Sunita Kullu was on her best.

Unfortunately in the same match, the joint top-scorer of the meet Surinder got an injury, like of which she gets normally in, say, Inter-Railways and still continue to play. Any selfish coach would have played her further in the world cup, risked her, but the man in charge in those times did not.

Without Surinder’s goal scoring prowess, India suffered subsequently. It had to settle for 11th place. After India defeated Africa in the last match, the African manager came to Indian bench and said, “You deserved to be in the top six bracket”.

Words are in the memory, but the scores and rank it ultimately obtained are in the books.

The same team could have been continued, but Kaushik was not willing to continue. For almost an year the women team was without a coach. At the fag end of next year, due to untiring efforts of IWHF, Kaushik was brought back after IWHF President Vidya Stokes applied pressure through Chief Minister of Haryana BS Hooda.

The rest is history now.

Indian girls defeated Korea in a nerve-wrecking semifinals in the Asia Cup last year in October, by virtue of reaching the final, India majestically made it to the Rosario Number. Jasjeet and Rani scored great goals that day.

Even now the bright spot of India is its forwards, but poor defence and goalkeeping might come in their way.