The Indian women's hockey team is on a roll at the Nations Cup in Auckland, securing three consecutive victories and now standing just two wins away from a return to the Pro League. Their path to promotion requires overcoming Chile in the semifinal on Saturday, followed by a potential final against either New Zealand or the USA on Sunday.
Winning Mentality Key
India's campaign has seen them defeat the USA, Japan, and Uruguay, despite conceding goals at critical moments in each match. Coach Sjoerd Marijne attributes this resilience to the team's mentality. "One thing we have spoken about is a winning mentality," Marijne told TOI. "At the end, it’s about winning matches. Sometimes you can do it with beautiful hockey and sometimes you just have to get to the end line and be happy with that."
Room for Improvement
While satisfied with the results, Marijne emphasized the need to convert more chances. "I am happy with the wins, but we need to keep working on executing our chances. We create more than enough but make it difficult for ourselves," added the Dutchman, who took over the team earlier this year.
Comeback Victories
The wins have been hard-fought. Against the USA, India rallied from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2. Japan pushed them to the limit before Lalremsiami's 49th-minute strike secured a 2-1 victory. In the match against Uruguay, India were pegged back in the 55th minute, only for Deepika to restore the lead from a penalty corner a minute later.
Deepika's Brilliant Return
Deepika has been in outstanding form, scoring four goals in three matches since returning from a lengthy injury layoff just before India's tour of Argentina. "Of course, we know she has a good penalty corner, but as a player she is also doing well," Marijne said. "She worked really hard to come back after her long injury lay-off, so this is good encouragement for her. The strength and conditioning and medical teams worked hard with her, and I told her to stay focused on why she was doing all the rehab and to keep the goal in her mind."
Youth Development
Marijne has also praised the contributions of youngsters and newcomers like Sonam, Sakshi Rana, Lalthantluangi, Ishika, Shilpi Dabas, and Deepika Soreng. He wants them to gain experience from these high-pressure matches. For now, though, the coach's focus is on winning the tournament and securing India's place back in the Pro League.
