Indian women’s hockey coach Neil Hawgood has always been straightforward in assessing his wards. “Pathetic“, “just not there“, “learning, but lacking in mental strength…“ are some of the terms he had used to describe their performances in the recent past.

Inevitably though, he would always add, “One medal will change it… change the way they approach the game“.

Last week, when the India Under-21 team finished on the podium, having picked up a bronze in the Junior World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany, Hawgood knew that moment had arrived.

“It showed,“ said Hawgood. “It showed in their body language. Belief can do a lot of things, and these girls have got it now.“

This was India’s first-ever medal at the World Cup in women’s hockey, and the team, who returned from the quadrennial event on Tuesday morning, understood “what they had achieved“.

“Uptil now, we almost always returned with heads bowed and disappointment in our minds,“ said young Sushila Chanu, who led the squad brilliantly . “Today, it is very different. And each one of us will remember it for a long, long time.“

India’s path to the World Cup bronze wasn’t easy. They stunned Spain 4-2 in the last-8 clash before losing to Holland 0-3 in the semifinal. The girls showed nerves of steel beating England 3-2 on penalties in the third-place playoff.

Hawgood’s decision to field goalkeeper Bigan Soy -in what was her first game of the tournament -during the penalty shootout worked.

Said Hawgood, “We regrouped after the loss to Australia, and put in place what needed to be done. The girls responded positively and it showed in the results.“

Star striker Rani Rampal stood out, and was also named the player of the tournament. “We took it step by step, and played according to our strengths. It was important to focus on ourselves rather than worrying about our opponents’ strategies.“

What worked in Rampal’s favour was her many years of international exposure and experience. She made her international debut at the age of 14, the youngest Indian till date to do so. “My father never wanted me to play hockey, he wanted that I should study. But today my parents are very, very proud.

“Reaching the top is easy, but sustaining it takes a lot of effort. I believe hard work and passion can take you far, and this is what we will strive to do,“ said Rampal, who was also named young player of the tournament at the senior women’s World Cup in 2010.

Ponnamma’s dreams come true

Kodava lass Ponnamma’s dreams come true

DC CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: She made a seamless transition from a midfielder to a defender last year and going by her performance at the just-concluded Junior women’s World Cup, Ponnamma Mallamada Narendra’s change of position has turned out to be a masterstroke.

The 21-year-old Kodava lass, who put up an impressive show at the premier event in Germany, has been a national camper since her debut in 2011.

With age on her side, Ponnamma was called into the junior side to add experience to a team which had a healthy blend of seasoned players and raw talent.

Ponnamma, who is now eager to get home and share the joy with her parents at her home town Ponnampet, has not only fulfilled her own wish of winning a medal for the country, but has also realised the dreams of her father Narendra, a former MEG defender.

“I always wanted to play for the country, a wish I could not fulfill. In the initial years, I didn’t think Ponnamma would play for the country, but with age her abilities and talent was seen and groomed by coaches at SAI, Madikeri,”said Narendra, whose wife Kaveriamma also was a hockey player.

On her arrival in New Delhi on Tuesday, an elated Ponnamma said, “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the medal.

Although we went into the competition with a gold medal as the aim, initially the pressure got the better of us. (But) after losing our first match 6-1, we decided we would not come back without a medal. Our coaches too supported us and we gave more than 100 percent to beat New Zealand to make the quarters.” On changing her positional play last year, the Karnataka skipper said, “I enjoyed my role as a midfielder, but when my coaches said I would make a good defender I switched my role. I’m willing to play in any position as long as I can contribute to the team’s success.” What strikes most about the youngster is her confidence.

She missed the World League in Rotterdam earlier in the year due to an ankle injury but she knew her comeback into the team was just a matter of time.

Indeed, the confidence has paid off and Ponnamma believes this is only the beginning of a bigger success story.

REWARDS : Karnataka State Hockey Association to present a cash award of `1 lakh Department of Youth Service and Sports to give a Rs. 1 lakh cash reward?