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Hockey Heroines

By: Chitra Padmanabhan

Where: India

September 12, 2007 : I must confess that I got interested in the Indian women's hockey team after watching the film Chak De! India . But unlike many friends who kept talking about the bright actors in the film thinking they were actually discussing the game of hockey, I did some reading up on the hockey team. To tell you the truth it was as captivating, if not more, than the film.

Since this is a news item, let me give you the 'hard' news first. The Indian women's team played in the Sixth Asia Cup hockey championship in Hong Kong early this month. This tournament is held once every four years and the Indian women had won it in 2003. But several players who had been in the team for a long time have bowed out. This is a young team. they played well but had to be content with the fourth spot.

Look at it this way: India was competing with China, which is ranked fifth in the world; with Japan, ranked sixth in the world; and Korea, ranked eighth in the world. India is ranked 13th. (These rankings were as per the announcements made by the International Hockey Federation on July 30, 2007). The final results: Japan lifted the Cup; Korea took the silver medal, while China beat India to take the bronze. Now India needs to build its young team so that it can perform its best in the Olympics next year. Now that we have the latest news out of the way let's get into the captivating story of Indian women's hockey that I had promised you in the first paragraph. So, here goes...

Birth of a dream team The year was 2002. The Commonwealth Games were on in Manchester, England. A nail-biting hockey final was being played out between the women’s hockey teams of favourites England and underdog India. England had defeated the reigning world and Olympic champions Australia to reach the final. India had come from nowhere to defeat stronger teams like New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea to meet England for the decisive match on England’s home ground.

Picture the scene now. Hosts England play a fast game from the word go – “attacking” game as sportswriters put it. But the first goal is scored by Indian striker Mamta Kharab in the first half. Then Sita Gossain scores one more goal. India is jubilant. However, before the first half ends, a determined England captain Sarah Banks puts in a goal.

As the second half begins, England’s Jene Smith scores a goal. England and India are tied at 2-2 and they remain so till the end of the second half. The match has to go into extra time. The excitement is unbearable.

As extra time starts, England looks very dangerous and it seems will score the goal that will make it the winner of the tournament. One especially forceful shot is saved just in time by the slim built Mamta Kharab in front of the goal.

Then, as the first session of extra time is about to end, India is awarded a penalty corner. Striker Mamta Kharab pushes the ball and Sita Gossain hits it powerfully. England’s goalkeeper dives and stops it. At the same time the ball falls out of her hands and an alert Mamta pushes it in. The Indian women’s hockey team has won its first ever gold medal in the Commonwealth Games with a 3-2 win! For those who have watched Chak De! India does this sound familiar?

In the 2006 Commonwealth Games, reigning champions India lost to hosts Australia and secured a silver medal. But the Indian women’s hockey team had the distinction of being the only team to score against Australia in the entire competition. A team that most competitors refer to as a super race from outer space!

Last month well-known Netherlands coach Herman Kruis travelled to India to coach the Indian women’s hockey team. The team was preparing for the Asia Cup tournament. Kruis was the chief coach of the Dutch national indoor team that won the World Cup in Vienna this year (hockey played indoors in cold countries as opposed to field hockey that we are all familiar with and refer to as simply hockey). Kruis recently watched Chak De! India with the Indian women’s national hockey team which was training in Lucknow.