Gold for India in hockey

THE Asia Cup gold medal has the potential to provide a strong fillip to women’s hockey in India. The Indian women beat China 5-4 through a tie-breaker after the final had ended in a 1-1 draw in Kakamigahara, Japan. India’s triumph in the final was the culmination of a very successful campaign during which the team remained unbeaten in the tournament. The national women’s team has been in a state of limbo over the last few years. India won three medals at three Commonwealth Games in a row from 1998 to 2006, including gold in 2002; at the Asian Games, India won gold in 1982 and silver in 1998. But over the last decade or so, several Commonwealth teams have improved significantly and India have not won a Commonwealth medal after 2006. At the Asian level, Japan, China and South Korea have been consistently better — so the most the Indian women could hope for in Asia was a stray bronze here or there.

Before this year’s Asia Cup, India had never beaten China in the Asia Cup. This time around, they did it twice — 4-1 in the group stage and through a tie-breaker in the final. They beat Japan 4-2 in the semifinals. Coach Harendra Singh, who was given the assignment in September, seems to have made the team more resolute. The team also benefited from the emergence of a strong penalty corner specialist, Gurjit Kaur. The 22-year-old scored eight goals with her drag-flicks; Navjot Kaur scored five and Navneet Kaur four field goals. Complementing these three was goalkeeper Savita Punia, who stood like a rock in defence.

India’s gold at Kakamigahara suggests that the team may have turned the corner in Asia and achieved parity or approximation with Japan and China. India would need to work extremely hard to maintain this status. A global medal is beyond India right now — the world’s top-6 play at a much higher level. But winning the continental title after 13 years is a sign that the team is on the rise.