Recognition by Hockey India will further motivate us: Ritu Rani

Bangalore, 12 March 2016: There are more reasons to cheer for the Indian women’s hockey team. Having qualified for the 2016 Rio Games after a long wait of 36 years since the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when women’s hockey was introduced for the first time, the entire team and support staff will be facilitated. In recognition of this achievement, Hockey India will give a cash prize of Rs 1.00 lakh to the entire team and the support staff at the Hockey India awards to held in Bangalore on 26 March 2016.

“It’s a very big achievement for women’s hockey in India. Till now, the Gold in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was the most celebrated moment for women’s hockey, but by qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, we have managed to push the bar higher. A good performance in the Olympics will help to take women’s hockey in India a long way ahead. This recognition by Hockey India will further motivate us to put up a good show,” said Ritu Rani, skipper of the Indian team that qualified for the biggest sporting event on the planet to be held in Brazil later this year.

Women hockey players from Haryana have been a dominant force in the national women’s hockey team for a while now. A fact that’s well borne out by a cursory glance at the list of players who have been nominated for this year’s Hockey India awards in various categories.

For the Player of the Year (Women) that carries a prize purse of Rs. 25.00 lakh, all four slots of have been locked out by players hailing from the Northern Indian state. The top performers of Indian women’s hockey in 2015 such as Rani, Deepika , Ritu Rani and Savita have been nominated for the top award in Indian hockey. The nomination of Sonika in the Upcoming Player of The Year award category takes the headcount of players from Haryana to five for this year’s facilitation.

The current Indian team marks the coming of age a core group of players.  Rani, who broke into the Indian team at the age of 14 almost six years back, is considered one of the best forwards in the world of women’s hockey. Her 13th minute goal in the crucial match against Japan in the World Hockey League Semi Final that earned the Indian team a fifth place finish ultimately paved the way for the Indian women’s team to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years. With 78 goals from 140 matches, she remains the mainstay of India’s attacking line up.

In the mid-field, Ritu Rani has emerged as a vital cog. With her ability to thread precise passes and vision has lent a sharper edge to the forward line. Under her Captaincy, the Indian women’s team has made marked progress over the past few years, including Bronze in the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and the 2014 Asian Games.

In the backline, Deepika, one of the most experienced players in the current line up with 157 international caps, is one of the key players. A product of Chandigarh Sports Hostel, the Vice-Captain of the Indian team shares a considerable amount of workload with her Captain on the field. Apart from being a reliable defender, Deepika has given the team a few more options in the penalty corner department, which has become one of the most critical goal scoring opportunities in modern hockey.

Goalkeepers are considered the last line of defence. In this respect, Savita has emerged as a very dependable performer under the bar. Her performance against Japan in the World Hockey League is still being talked about. Since her debut in the senior side she has continued to grow in stature.

With the core of the Indian women’s team coming together, and the rigorous preparation since the team qualified for the Rio Olympics, the Indian women’s hockey team is certainly poised to take the next leap of faith.