"We'll take it match by match" - Captain Savita Punia optimistic ahead of Indian women's hockey team's FIH Women's World Cup campaign

India begin their campaign in the FIH Women’s World Cup on Sunday, against England. The Indian eves had reached the quarter-final of the last edition of the event. Having made it to the semis of the Olympics event, the team is expected to improve on its previous effort.

With veteran Rani not being in the team, due to having missed most of the matches since Olympics because of injury, it’s goalkeeper Savita Punia who is in charge of the team. The 31-year-old led the team through the FIH Pro League and helped it claim the third position.

Now, with the World Cup in front of her, she is ready for it. With a team that has some of the most talented players in the world, Savita is confident of her team performing well. However, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, she insisted that her team would take it one match at a time, rather than looking too far forward.

“Yes, we have a goal (for performance in the World Cup) and we want to achieve that. We have to give our best performance as both individuals and as a team.

“What we have learnt in the last few years is that rather than talking too much about the result, we should take it match by match. We know that after Tokyo Olympics, people have a lot of expectations from us. We work for improving ourselves a lot every day. But we’ll take it match by match and try to achieve the goal of our team.”

India captain and goalkeeper Savita has captained India since the Olympics and will do so in the World Cup also

The load of captaincy, which Savita had to carry since the Olympics, and would be with her in the World Cup also, isn’t weighing her down. She described the role as largely formal.

“Captaincy is just a label. Me and Rani had been working together for a long time. Even when Sjoerd (Marijne) sir was there, we were both seen as the leaders. So, I haven’t taken any great burden on myself. Things are moving forward as they were earlier.

“Captaincy mainly entails more social media coverage and more interviews. Apart from that, there are many seniors in the team who work together. Our coach is also taking care of most of the issues. She has assured me that my primary job is goalkeeping and I should stay focused on that.”

The man who managed the Indian team till the Tokyo Olympics, Sjoerd Marijne, moved out after that event and handed over the reins of the team to his deputy at the time, Janneke Schopman. The transition seems to have been seamless, as per Savita, and will help them in the World Cup also.

“We all thanked Sjoerd sir because he had told us in advance that after the Tokyo Olympics, he would be stepping away to spend time with his family. He himself suggested that Janneke should remain with us.

“We had trained with her for one year prior to the Olympics when both (Marijne and Schopman) used to work together, so, our bonding with her has been very good from that time itself. We feel very happy with the fact that Janneke is working with us.”

"This will help us in the upcoming World Cup" - Savita Punia on Indian women's hockey team's participation in FIH Pro League

The experience of playing against many of the top teams in the world in the FIH Pro League 2021-22 is also going to help the side in the World Cup, according to the India captain.

“Not just for me personally but for our entire team, it is really good that we played in the Pro League. We played against the best teams in the world. This will, of course, help us in the upcoming World Cup and then the Commonwealth Games.

“We prepared with the mindset that we have to play against the top teams. We must understand that, when we play against them in big tournaments, we should know what is our strength and where there is room for improvement. So, definitely these matches will help us in the World Cup.”

Regarding her own performance also, Savita thinks the experience of the Pro League, especially of the shootouts, would help her in the World Cup and Commonwealth Games also.

“Definitely this (experience of playing in the shootouts of Pro League) will help me, because, though we prepare for such situations even in training time, but when we are facing our own players, sometimes we know what they can do.

“But when we are up against opponents, and that too good teams, if we win any matches in the shootouts, it is definitely morale-boosting for the goalkeeper. It also boosts the confidence of our strikers. So, of course, that will come in handy in major tournaments.”

A goalkeeper has to make split-second decisions on whether to go forward and tackle the attacker when she is coming into the circle, or stay back at the goal post and try to stop the impending hit. For Savita, the process of decision making is moulded by years of experience.

“This is part of the decision making process and this is something you learn from experience. The more matches you play, the more experience and exposure you get, the more you are able to improve in those areas.

“It’s not that we don’t make mistakes these days, we still do occasionally. But now, the coaching staff, including Janneke, motivate us greatly and give us enough freedom that, if there is a mistake, it is okay.

“In the past, we used to have a lot of pressure that we shouldn’t make a mistake. The more relaxed a mind you have, the better it is. It is all about decision making and knowing, which team has a striker whose skill is very good. You have to take your time with her. A striker who has good speed, you can charge.

“So, before the match, we see the videos of the opponents and understand, whom should I attack and whom should I wait for at the post.”

Savita Punia on helping members of Indian women's hockey team deal with disappointment

Sportspersons have to deal with intense emotions. Savita herself had said in an interview that she felt like retiring after her team lost the 2018 Asian Games final to Japan.

Now that she is the captain and will be so in the World Cup also, she not only has to take care of her emotions, but also of other members of the team, especially the youngsters.

“There are some emotions that you can’t control. Perhaps, these emotions should be there at the time. If we lose a game by a very narrow margin, and we know that we did all we could, in such situations, being sad, crying, getting emotional, is alright to some extent. But we know how to overcome that.

“If a player needs support, we provide that support, and if somebody wants to be alone for some time, that is also fine. But as soon as we go into the room, we have a meeting. In that meeting, we are with each other and we help each other out in whichever way possible.

“The best thing about sports is that it teaches you how to maintain your form if you are successful, and if you face a failure, how to deal with that. Our coaches also understand the Indian culture very well. She (coach Schopman) herself gives a lot of time to the players if such a situation arises.

"Me and other seniors also, we know that we can overcome these disappointments. But it shouldn’t dwell on somebody’s mind, so we take care of the youngsters especially.”

Having gained the attention of the entire nation with their exploits in the Tokyo Olympics and having shown great fight in the FIH Pro League, expectations are high from the Indian team. The World Cup gives Savita an opportunity to lead her side in another memorable campaign. How it pans out, only time will tell.