Caught in a downward spiral of reverses because the historic fourth-place end within the Tokyo Olympics, Indian girls’s hockey group captain Salima Tete on Wednesday attributed it to the shortage of health and psychological toughness. After creating historical past in Tokyo in 2021, the group did not qualify for the Paris Olympics this yr and likewise carried out poorly within the final FIH Professional League. “Sure, after all we have been disenchanted however we will not take into consideration the previous and wish to maneuver ahead. We should always transfer on as a result of if we do not transfer on, we will by no means win a match,” Salima informed PTI in an interview forward of the ladies’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar from November 11 to twenty.
“It was very troublesome for everybody, not only for me however for everybody within the group. However we have now labored on it.” The journey, because the failure to qualify for the Paris Video games, wasn’t straightforward underneath new chief coach Harendra Singh. However Salima stated these setbacks have taught them an enormous lesson.
“We needed to begin from the start. We needed to begin from the scratch. And health was an space that Harendra sir had identified and which wants numerous work,” she stated.
“It was our mistake that we did not work on health. However since sir got here, we have now labored so much on our health. In at this time’s degree, if you do not have health, you’ll be able to’t play hockey as a result of it’s a quick sport and also you want health.” Salima stated the whole squad now realises the significance of health.
“We do work on our energy. I additionally observed that we weren’t in a position to carry a lot weight. The women are actually squatting greater than 100kgs. This exhibits that we’re engaged on our health. This exhibits that we’re getting higher.” Harendra understands the importance of psychological facet of the sport and that was exactly the explanation the Indian girls’s hockey group underwent an intensive psychological strengthening and group constructing camp on the prestigious Indian Naval Academy in Kerala from July 14 to 21 this yr.
“We did not have psychological expertise. So, it (the camp) was superb. We did not know the way it was going to be. It was very laborious however we dealt with it. We weren’t in a position to sit and chill out, we have been very busy,” Salima stated.
“Now we have realized that we cannot get something if we do not work laborious. We can’t have the ability to sustain.” Requested in regards to the different areas that want work, Salima identified: “Our focus is on scoring from contained in the circle and likewise from penalty corners. Now we have labored on this. Now we have labored on small, small issues.” Salima stated it’s a new starting for the Indian girls’s group and its sole focus now’s on ending on the rostrum in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“A brand new season has began for Indian girls’s hockey. The purpose is to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics and end on the rostrum there. That is the view.
“It’s a very large factor for us and we’re working for it from now. We’re ranging from zero. Sir tells us that we have now to go to the Asian Video games, World Cup and the 2028 Olympics,” she stated.
India will enter the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy because the defending champions and the skipper stated they’ll accept nothing lower than gold.
“We wish to win this championship (ACT). We do not take into consideration outcomes, we simply wish to play our sport.
“To win this event we want group effort. Each participant has to indicate her ability, like my energy is velocity, so I’ve to make use of my velocity to assist the group,” she stated.
“Everybody has totally different strengths and we’ll play to our strengths.” Apart from India, Paris Olympics silver medallist China, 2018 Asian Video games champion Japan, Malaysia, two-time Olympic silver winner Korea and Thailand are the opposite taking part groups within the event.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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