India women put up a valiant fight against Argentina in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games on Wednesday. They lost 1-2 but there is no shame in that.
Winning and losing are part of the game. What the likes of Rani Rampal, Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu and Gurjit Kaur have achieved is unbelievable. Because of them, women’s hockey in India has got a new dimension. There will now be a lot of interest in the game.
Women’s hockey has its own appeal. I am told that in Argentina, when the men play, around 10,000 fans turn up. But to see the women’s team in action, 25,000 would be at the stands on any given day.
Indian women’s hockey needs backing and this fairy-tale performance will give them just that. Frankly, after watching both the semi-finals — the men’s on Tuesday and women’s a day later — I can proudly say that chief coach Sjoerd Marijne’s girls have performed better.
There is nothing to get disappointed about as we still have a chance to win the bronze medal. On Friday, India play Rio Olympics champions Great Britain who had helped us qualify for the knockouts by beating Ireland on July 31.
India played outstanding hockey in both the knockout games against Australia and Argentina. They were not scared of their more industrious rivals and refused to yield an inch. If they play the same way against Great Britain, we have a very good chance of bagging a medal. In knockout matches, India had taken the lead first. How the team reacts if it concedes would be interesting to see.
On Wednesday, I think India got the goal a bit early. Gurjit once again found her name on the scoresheet — she scored the all-important goal against Australia too — and after that India somehow went into a shell. Argentina won more midfield skirmishes that pegged our defence back. Also, Argentina did not allow India to play short passes, their strength, which forced the latter to play long balls.
The second goal India conceded was unlucky. Maria Barrionuevo’s flick crashed into the board after getting a deflection off Sushila Chanu’s leg. Barrionuevo
had also equalised by converting a penalty corner. Barrionuevo and goalkeeper Maria Belen Succi were the two players who were brilliant for Argentina.
The men’s team chase their first medal in 41 years when they take on Germany in the bronze medal play-off match on Thursday. I hope they find a place on the podium.
A former India captain, Gurbux Singh was a member of the 1964 gold medal-winning hockey team
