Even the normally stoic MS Dhoni was excited and jubilant on occasions. That’s how tense it was in Ranchi. When the video umpire awarded India the second goal in the penalty shootout, Dhoni was ecstatic. We all were. Few imagined that a valiant effort would end in heartbreak, and India would have to fight another day for the ticket to Paris. But then, that’s sport. Beautiful and cruel at the same time. On Thursday night, it was all too cruel for Savita Punia and her team. They were so close yet, so far. On Friday evening, things could be profoundly different if India play even half as well. Another strong effort should be good enough to get past Japan and get the girls to Paris. That’s what all of India and MS Dhoni would be hoping for on Friday afternoon.
The match against Germany was the best India played in this tournament. Against a team that had looked the best, the girls showed fight. Even when they conceded a goal with just four minutes remaining, they did not give up. And that’s what defined the Indian effort. It was a dogged never-say-die kind of attitude that helped India equalise with just a minute left on the clock. And then twice in the tie-break, they took the lead only to lose 3-4 in sudden death.
Can India make it to Paris? Yes, they can with a win against Japan. And may I say that if they duly recover from last night’s heartbreak and put on the same show that they did against Germany, they should be too good for Japan to hold off. The question then is: can they recover? Can the coach Janneke Schopman get her girls to mentally overcome the German heartbreak and get ready for battle one final time? How physically fit will India be as they take the field 18 hours after the crushing disappointment?
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But then that’s what international sport is all about. India have a second chance and they need to make it count. And by every yardstick, they are ready. As Savitha, the skipper, said, “There is no bigger event than this for us right now. In our team, there are some players who have experienced playing in Olympics while some players do not have that experience. So, we have to keep that balance in the team and those players are looking eager to showcase their potential in the Olympics. We deserve to go to the Olympics after what we have achieved in the last two-three years.”
Sport is that unique platform, which forces performers to fail in full public view. In every other sphere, failure is an acutely personal experience. Sport, however, is different. The loss last night was watched by fans from all over and it was a recorded fact. But again, that’s where sport redeems itself. It is the only platform which allows players the opportunity to come back and win in public. With the help of your team and support unit, you can recuperate and come back and prove to the world who you are and what you are made of. In sum, redeem yourself in full public gaze and make a difference.
That’s what India wants the girls to do against Japan. Take a lesson out of the Germany game and emerge stronger.
The Indian women’s hockey team may not have won a medal in Tokyo. But what they did was earn respect for themselves and for the sport. They were able to fight years of injustice and create a template. That’s what they now need to take forward. The mission isn’t over yet. The elusive medal is still not won, and the story is yet to reach its logical conclusion. The redemption isn’t complete, and all roads now lead to Paris 2024. Friday afternoon’s game will be a tough grind, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And these girls, we have proof, are as tough as we will ever see in sport.
To go back to Savita one more time, “Today, the team we have, we have to be there. We strongly believe that we deserve to be in the top three in this tournament.”
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