India need to finish in top three at the women’s hockey Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi to book 2024 Paris berth
2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medal match — was it.
India’s Olympics campaign had hit the wall and the team failed to make the final despite a brilliant effort. And the girls, understandably, were inconsolable. The men’s team was giving them a rousing ovation from the stands.
If sport has a cruel side, this was it.
India had exceeded expectations in Tokyo. Yet, it was a tough pill to swallow.
There was a certain numbness, a deep sense of helplessness that was difficult to express in words. For five years, the players had nurtured the dream of standing on the Olympic podium.
And they got very close to fulfilling that dream.
But they were denied. Now, they have another chance of having another crack at the Olympic podium. All they need to do is finish in the top three at the 2024 Olympic qualifiers that started on Saturday in Ranchi to book their tickets to Paris.
“There is no bigger event than this for us right now,” captain Savita Punia said.
“In our team, there are some players who have experience of playing in the Olympics, while some players do not. So, we have to keep that balance in the team.
“The players are looking eager to showcase their potential. We deserve to go to the Olympics after what we have achieved in the last two-three years.
“We have had good preparation. Few days back, we went to Spain and had good matches against Belgium, Spain, Germany, and Ireland.
Performances were good, and now it is a do-or-die situation. We must look to give our best in this tournament,” she added.
Head coach Jannecke Schopman also exuded confidence.
“It’s an important two weeks coming up. We are ready, excited but pressure is there,” Schopman said.
“We had a lot of learnings for the last couple of months.
