The Indian Ladies’s Hockey group just lately returned from Spain, clutching the trophy of the inaugural FIH Nations Cup. Their video of having fun with on the arrival when on the airport has obtained many whistles and cheers, and the achievement makes them really feel that their journey deserves a cinematic documentation. And why not, for this victory has ensured that the group secures a berth on the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Professional League, which is a key occasion forward of subsequent 12 months’s Asian Video games and 2024 Paris Olympics. Two of the group’s senior group members, Sushila Chanu and Vandana Katariya, share how quite a bit has modified since Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Chak De! India’ hit the screens in 2007.
Sushila Chanu: Dynamics inside the group has modified
Most would keep in mind the senior vs junior rivalry within the Bollywood movie, and Chanu says that it has modified over time. “Pehle se higher ho gaya hai. Ab senior-junior kuchh nahi raha. Everybody simply desires to be motivated to win the sport,” she says, including, “Pehle seniors se darr lagta tha. Unka assist nahi milta tha. Ab hum seniors hai toh bahut freedom dete hain [juniors ko].”
The 30-year-old, who has been taking part in since she was 11, additional explains how the dynamics inside the group have modified drastically. “There ought to be extra movies like Chak De! India. They need to make one other one, simply to point out the world how our group works now,” opines the midfielder.
Chanu emphasises how the group as an entire had only one aim, “Bas jeetna hai, yehi soch this humari. Our group had performed three practise matches in opposition to Spain and all of these we misplaced,” recollects Chanu concerning the time earlier than the nail-biting finale the place India defeated Spain on its dwelling turf. Chanu says whereas they did really feel just like the underdogs initially, the group strived onerous to seal the win. “We watched the match movies and analysed them collectively. Within the practise matches, we misplaced due to our personal errors, however labored collectively and our aim trended on social media,” she exclaims.
Their match got here at a time when the world was additionally invested within the excessive stakes matches of the FIFA World Cup. Ask if she thinks the timing divided the eye of viewers away from their victory, and Chanu says their group was ardently watching the FIFA World Cup in sports activities spirit. “Our coach (Janneke Schopman) is from Holland, so we had been additionally watching the matches between practise and video games. Totally different sport hai par get pleasure from toh hum bhi karte hain!”
Vandana Katariya: Har match ko humne last ki tarah khela
The Indian group ranked #8 on the eight-nation match, however Padma Shri Vandana Katariya says what made them sail via was the boldness to play each match as the ultimate. “Hum sab starting se hello focussed thay. Sab mein understanding thi. Hum ek saath India ke liye khel rahe thay,” say Katariya.
Stressing on the significance of studying to deal with pre-match jitters and efficiency strain, the 30-year-old states that Indian group has mastered it now. “Unhe (Bollywood ko) humari group par Chak De! India ka sequel banana chahiye,” she opines, including how their trajectory within the match performed out identical to a movie. “Humne Spain ke in opposition to three apply matches haare par lastly jeet gaye. All it’s because everybody gave their 110%. Match mein sab apni accountability puri karte hain aur baad mein masti karte hain,” provides the ahead participant.
Katariya recollects being shy and quiet round her seniors earlier whereas now she sees a unified group spirit among the many gamers. “Ab darte nahi hain seniors se. Hum sab saath mein rehte hain, hanste-khelte hain aur mehnat karte hain,” she shares, including how regardless of receiving the Padma Shri, the group doesn’t deal with her in another way: “The honour of Padma Shri isn’t just mine, it’s all of ours.”
Writer tweets @KritiKambiri
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