New Delhi: For the Indian women’s hockey team, the journey back to the elite has been defined by resilience, tactical evolution, and commitment to unity.
To sharpen their finishing, the squad has introduced targeted unit training. Forward Navneet Kaur has played a pivotal role in this revival. She also scored four goals in the Nations Cup in Auckland. “When the team falls down, everyone starts doubting why is this happening? Why are we losing every match? Upon his return, Marijne prioritised repairing the team’s foundation before tackling tactical overhauls. We have to work as a team. We sit together. We talk to each other. We watch the clips of other teams as a team. “So far, we have done well (this season). We have performed well in both the World Cup Qualifiers as well as the Nations Cup. But no matter how much you do, it is not enough. You always need more from your game. A crucial element of India’s recent strategy has been resolving scoring difficulties that hampered them in previous seasons. The forward line has focused heavily on circle entries, penalty corner (PC) creation, and precise execution in the attacking third. “First, we try to score in the circle. Second, we try to create as many PCs as possible. In the end, it doesn’t matter if we score via field goals or PC,” added Navneet.
Not only was the 30-year-old India’s top scorer at the World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad with four goals, she was also named Player of the Tournament. Team unity has improved a lot,” said Navneet, who has played 211 internationals. “We also train separately as strikers and midfielders so that we can have a good connection.
So, that also makes a difference on team unity,” Navneet told HT, reflecting on the psychological toll of their past slump. “The coach also said that team unity is a must. So, I want to perform well in the upcoming major tournaments as well,” said Navneet, who hails from Shahabad in Haryana. We are still working on our connections, who should lead at what time and where to pass,” said Navneet.
