When the mighty USSR broke in the mid 1990s, many of the splinter nations preferred to join Asia for sports: this was how Asian hockey got Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and others in its fold. Their girls added competitive edge to team-starved Asian hockey circuit. Till then, the Asian women’s hockey was just revolving around four teams –India, China, Korea and Japan. Uzbeks and Kazakh girls often rattled the established powers especially India and Japan, creating in its wake what China and Korea did in the men’s domain.
In 199 Asia Cup for instance, the Kazakhs defeated Malaysia twice: and the Malaysians are now aiming podium finish in Jakarta.
As India today whacked them for 21-0 in their second encounter of the Jakarta Asian Games, one cannot but regret the way the Kazakhs in particular had fallen from top pedestal they felt they were in a decade ago.
In the entire match, Kazakhs girls did not enter the circle even once, leaving Indian goalie Savita Punia to take full rest. Like Richard Allen of 1920s in Indian men’s Olympics arena
When India made it to the finals 20 years ago at Bangkok, it was just a 6-1 win over Kazakhs and 2-1 narrow escape at the hands of Uzbeks.
Today at Jakarta, India struck five goals more than theirs tally against absolute minnows Indonesia
What is prerequisite for any team taking part in international hockey insofar as hockey sport is concerned is, just to have two good defenders and even sounder goalkeeper. This we saw in Indonesian team, which could tie top ranked Indian women down in the entire third quarter. In fact it took 23 minutes for India to strike a goal after its 6th goal.
This is what new teams are supposed to do which Kazakhs do not seem to possess.
Its good they availed the qualifying opportunity provided by the AHF, that’s only a beginning. For going ahead and count, much more need to be done.
It is now for the Asian Hockey Federation to develop these teams back to where they belong – top six in Asia.
Its actually the effort of AHF that so many women’s teams are in the fray, normally the field normally doesn’t exceed 4 or 5 teams.
The beginning has been made though momentarily it appears the one-sided matches robs the sheen out of the competition where Olympic spot is at stake.