Savita, the captain of the Indian girls’s hockey staff, says the Tokyo Video games continues to remind it of its unaccomplished mission - a podium end within the Olympics.
India completed fourth on the Tokyo Video games final 12 months.
“We nonetheless really feel the ache of lacking an Olympic medal by a whisker and it reminds us each second that our mission of successful an Olympic medal for the nation remains to be incomplete. We won't relaxation till then. Everybody mentioned that we received hearts in Tokyo however a medal is a medal in any case. Solely we will really feel the ache of not successful a medal regardless of coming so close to. That ache nonetheless hurts us,” Savita instructed PTI from Bengaluru.
The Indian staff is all equipped for the World Cup to be held in Spain and the Netherlands from July 1.
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Earlier than that, the Indians will play away matches in opposition to Belgium, Argentina, the Netherlands and USA within the FIH Professional League.
Savita mentioned her staff will depart no stone unturned to complete on the rostrum within the World Cup. India is clubbed alongside England, China and New Zealand in Pool B. “Nearly all of the groups have that performed within the Olympics will likely be a part of the World Cup. We are going to attempt to end on the rostrum, which will likely be a morale booster for us earlier than 2024 Paris Olympics,” the goalkeeper mentioned.
‘An awesome platform’
She feels FIH Professional League matches in opposition to high quality groups will likely be a great preparation for India forward of the World Cup.
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“European groups hold enjoying in opposition to one another however for us FIH Professional League is one nice alternative to play a number of the prime groups earlier than the World Cup. It will likely be an excellent platform to evaluate ourselves in opposition to the very best groups,” Savita mentioned.
The fourth-place end in Tokyo has introduced girls’s hockey into limelight, feels Savita. “....individuals's angle in direction of girls’s hockey has modified. They now look forward to our matches and recognize our performances. A brand new stage of confidence, angle and keenness could be seen among the many gamers too,” she mentioned.
“Each participant is now conscious of her position within the staff. Coach Janneke Schopman has been an Olympian herself and has set excessive requirements for us. She expects the very best from everybody. She says that errors are sure to occur however we should not quit.”
The Indian staff has attained career-best sixth spot within the recently-released world rankings and Savita says it proves the sport goes in the precise route within the nation. “No matter we're at present is due to this recreation. We are going to hold working arduous to take care of the usual. We can not take any staff frivolously within the World Cup and work arduous to do our greatest,” mentioned Savita, who considers males’s staff custodian P. R. Sreejesh as her idol.
