Double date with history
After men’s team, Indian women make semis with gritty win over fancied opponents Australia
Unshakeable self-belief dissipated the air of disbelief at the Oi Hockey stadium in Tokyo on Monday. When the final hooter sounded, the Indian women’s hockey team were through to their first Olympics semi-final, beating three-time champions Australia, a team they had beaten just once in seven previous encounters in the last five years.
Every player in blue ran wildly across the turf; they hugged and they collapsed on the turf. They screamed in joy at the sky. Their coach cried.
This was a team that lost all its matches in Rio 2016, including a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Australia. A team that qualified for the Olympics only once before Rio and now Tokyo — in 1980, when women’s hockey was first introduced. A team that started their Tokyo campaign with three losses, before mounting gritty comeback wins in the next two matches to make the quarterfinals. A team that was supposed to be brushed aside by the mighty Aussies.
What made the victory sweeter was that it captured the story of Indian hockey’s dramatic turnaround. Less than 24 hours earlier, the men’s hockey team made it to their first semi-final in 49 years. They play world champions Belgium on Tuesday. The heroics from the women’s team may be just the boost they needed.
“For Indian hockey, this is a proud moment. Both men and women’s teams are in the semi-final,” women’s team captain Rani Rampal said. “I believe when team sports do well it brings the country together.” Monday’s result shattered statistics, and a reputation.
The Indian team played with calm, even when they were under siege from the Aussies, who had nine penalty corners in the match. Each of those was saved.
Australia also had a shot, through Ambrosia Malone, that hit the post in the second minute of the match. India too hit the frame, four minutes later, when Vandana Katariya hoicked a pass across the face of goal that Rampal tried to tap in at the far post.
India got just one penalty corner, and Gurjit Kaur shrugged off her indifferent form to score perhaps the most important goal in Indian women’s hockey thus far, with a drag-flick in the 22nd minute.