Boria Majumdar
Indian hockey has been the talking point over the last few days, and not for the right reasons. Both the men’s and women’s teams have failed to make the semi-finals at the ongoing World Cup, and things have not gone down well with fans.
While the men have been below par and need an urgent reset and reboot, the women, however, have had a very decent tournament. Anyone who follows the sport will know that a top-six finish is better than what anyone could have hoped for. Yes, they had a chance against Australia, and a semi-final appearance would have been fantastic. Having said that, it is impossible to ignore the progress made in the last few months under head coach Sjoerd Marijne.
So, what changed? How could things get back on track in a six-month timeframe? How is it that the team is looking different?
The one example I would like to cite to explain the point came in the dying seconds of the match against England. Bichu Devi made a fantastic save to help India make it through to the next round. As she did so, Savita Punia, who was on the sidelines, jumped up in delight and started celebrating. It was completely organic, and that is what team bonding is all about.
This is what I asked Savita when we sat down for a conversation. What had changed and how had it all fallen into place? That was the line of my questioning.
“When Sjoerd came back to take over as head coach, I remember going to him and telling him that while we knew he was a very good coach when it came to things on the field, it was just as important to get things right off the field as well,” said Savita. “Unless the players believed in each other, unless there was team unity and unless we were together as a collective, there was no way we could perform to our potential. Since then, a lot of work has gone into ensuring this. We spend far more time in camp than at home or with family. Unless we have each other’s backs, things will never work out for us.”
Citing her own example, she went on to say: “Take the case of Bichu and me. She is a very good goalkeeper, and I can tell you Indian goalkeeping is in safe hands with her there. Between her and me, we can compete in training. If I need to get better, I need Bichu there and vice versa. Unless we compete and try to outdo each other, we won’t get better. But then, when it comes to a match situation, both of us are playing for India. We have a job to do for the country, and that’s what we will both do to the best of our ability. And unless we are happy at each other’s achievements, the team will never benefit.”
To his credit, Marijne has yet again made the girls into a team. As Shah Rukh Khan said in Chak De! India: “Team banane ke liye takat nahi, niyat chahiye (To build a team, you don’t need strength; you need intent).”
We can see it happening, and that is what gives me hope.
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