Hockey World Cup far behind, Indian women chase gold at Asian Games

Indian Women’s Hockey Team (ANI Photo) BENGALURU: Barely a week after finishing fifth at the FIH World Cup in Belgium, Salima Tete and her teammates were back at the SAI South Center here preparing for their biggest task of the year – the Asian Games, which begin in Japan on September 19.With little time between the two competitions, the Indian women’s hockey team has barely had a chance to savor or celebrate an impressive World Cup campaign. “I just got a message from a friend asking about the celebrations since we did well in the World Cup. But the celebrations have to wait. We can enjoy ourselves then. Things are moving very fast and we have to move on to the next one,” said head coach Sjoerd Marijne.The Dutchman added that we are now focused on building up our World Cup performance. “We paused and reflected on what we achieved. I told the girls to be very proud of what we did. But we have to go on and do better than at the World Cup. What we did there may not be enough for the Asian Games. They have to stay focused,” he said.Striker Lalremsiami summed up the intensity of the turnaround, revealing that the players have not even had time for a cheat meal since returning to training. “We can’t afford to have a cheat meal day now,” she joked.India won bronze in the previous edition of the Asian Games and had to go through the qualification route to secure a place in the Paris Olympics. This time, with an Olympic berth for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 at stake, nothing less than gold will be the goal.“I know the expectations are higher. We are a very strong contender for the gold. But we need to win more matches before the gold medal. That’s why we have to give our best every day. Of course, you go to the tournament with the goal of achieving the highest reward, and that is the Olympic place,” said Marijne.