Busan(South Korea): We suffered yet another loss but at least we had the satisfaction of holding Japan from making it to the final. They were in need of two-goal margin win to enter the final for the first time but we have effectively denied that. Because, we cannot be the sitting ducks to any team. Anyday, we’d prefer playing Japan again in the match for bronze rather than taking on a team like China. That was our sole objective going into the match and we did it.

We also observed their game. In that way, it was a better game for us than for them despite the 3-2 verdict in their favour. After all, they went all out in hoping to qualify while we held ourselves back a little and prepared ourselves for the next encounter. Our team though is far from its best. I would say it is still playing to only 20 per cent of its capability. It’s sad that it had to happen at the Asian Games here, but we have to accept it. The attack-line is still not doing much, even though we scored two goals against Japan. Suman Bala converted a penalty corner to end our unexpected goal drought and then Jothi Sunita Kullu added the other. It was a field effort.

How much difference form can make. One day you are on top of the world like we were at the Commonwealth Games and the next you are down to mother earth like here ! Anyway, now we have to look positively at our next match. We have to go back with a bronze. That’s the least we can do to redeem ourselves. But seeing the Japanese, who had shocked China earlier in the league, it’s not going to be easy.

Our coach Gurdial Bhangu has told us to go all our for a win. In fact, that’s what we were told before our last match against Japan too. But what can one do when the players are unable to deliver.

Let’s just hope we continue like our second half show against Japan, when we got both our goals. If we play even anywhere close to our best, we can beat Japan. It comes back to one thing_our forward line has to deliver. We’ll also be trying out some new penalty-corner conversions that we have been experimenting with during practice. That’s another thing that gives us hope for our bronze medal match.

After the Japan match our coach Bhangu, a great communicator and a father figure for all of us, advised us to relax, get rid of hockey from mind for a while. He just wants us to forget the past three matches and recharge our mind and body for the task ahead. We took his advise very seriously. We had a fun day throughout though at the back of the mind the defeats refused to fade away. We strolled across the village. For five of us – me, Surajlata Devi, Tingonleima Chanu, Manjinder Kaur and Sita Gusain – it’s third Asian Games. But for others like babe of our team, Saba Anjum the ambience here is exciting and overwhelming. They enjoy every bit.

Now a word for our men’s team. The victory over Pakistan is one of the high-points in recent years. The fact that it is our first win in 36 years over Pakistan in the Asian Games, puts things in the right perspective.

One can take some vicarious pleasure from their win. They’ve made up for our dismal show in the Asian Games. Anything that keeps hockey going in the country is good for us.

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