New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Indian girls’s hockey workforce captain Savita is assured in her workforce’s preparation and skill to complete on prime of the rostrum on the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, which can happen in September and October of this yr.
In the most recent episode of Hockey Te Charcha, a podcast collection launched by Hockey India, Commonwealth Games (CWG) medallist and star goalkeeper Savita, who lately received the distinguished Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Award for Player of the Year (Women) shared her ideas on the workforce’s progress, her journey because the workforce captain and equal recognition for ladies’s hockey.
Talking concerning the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, Savita stated, “In the last Asian Games, we came close to winning the Gold medal; and losing only by a goal to Japan (1-2) in the Final was heart-breaking. This time we feel that we are more determined than ever before to finish on the top.””Every player in the team knows that we have to win the Gold to earn direct qualification for the Paris Olympics. This is the best scenario for us so that post-Asian Games, we can shift focus on the FIH Pro League and then Paris 2024,” she added.
Having taken over the Captaincy put up Tokyo Olympics, Savita emphasised that she is having fun with the twin position of goalkeeping and management. “There is an extra responsibility when you are leading the team. Even when I was not the Captain, I knew that I had to share the leadership duties and help the team as a goalkeeper. As a senior member on the side, it was my responsibility to help young and less-experienced teammates by sharing my experience with them,” she stated.
She additionally highlighted the workforce’s collaborative spirit, saying, “It’s not just the Captain or Vice-Captain who has the responsibility. Even the younger players are ready to take on responsibility, thanks to our Coach Janneke Schopman for instilling these qualities in the team. I believe that everyone should be able to make their own decisions on the pitch without involving anyone.”The podcast additionally touched upon the expansion and recognition of ladies’s hockey in India within the final decade. Savita expressed her pleasure, saying, “If I compare today’s situation to what it was in 2008 when I joined the team, there’s a massive change and the respect for women’s hockey in the country has grown multifold. Whether it’s about facilities, exposure or recognition, women’s hockey is getting its due.””Even the Hockey India Annual Awards serves as a great motivation for us. When the awards began, honestly, I didn’t even know that a women’s team goalkeeper could be picked over the men’s team goalie for the award. So, I was like, I want to be up there, like PR Sreejesh someday, receiving the award.”Savita additionally shared her pleasure in witnessing the monetary independence of her teammates on account of hockey, stating, “When I started playing hockey, the situation was not that great and I had to wait for nine years to get a job. There were some players who were not even sure of getting two square meals a day. But now, the players are able to build houses for their families. They have regular jobs. And even the youngest member of the team is doing well financially and this shows that the sport is actually moving in the right direction.”(ANI)