Field Hockey

“Our main aim is to win gold at the Asian Games and directly qualify for Paris Olympics,” says Indian Women’s hockey defender Udita Duhan

 

Just like the Indian men’s hockey team, the women’s team also earned several plaudits for their relentless effort and hard work during the Tokyo Olympics. While they missed the bronze only by a whisker they will look to build on this fourth position and eventually earn a place on the podium.

Star defender Udita Duhan who was also a part of the women’s team in Tokyo expressed how staying in the present helped the Indian eves to overcome challenges at the Summer Games despite many setbacks early on. “I think staying in the present moment was the biggest reason why we could bounce back after facing three losses in the opening matches. It also helped us beat a strong team like Australia (in the Quarter Final) and eventually script history in Tokyo. We stopped thinking about the results and kept things simple, which helped us play our natural game,” Udita said.

The 23-year-old defender then opened up on how playing at the Olympics was a dream come true moment for her as a youngster. She added, “I had always dreamt of playing against top teams at marquee events like the Olympics, and making my Olympic debut against the Netherlands was truly a dream come true. It was also my career’s first match against the Dutch side, so it was a special feeling, though we lost that match. However, we went on to script history, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Udita highlighted how the Olympics was a learning curve for her as he got to deal with the pressure and yet perform against the top teams. “As a youngster, we have learned so much from this historic campaign. We got to learn how to deal with massive pressure at the biggest of stages, and we also learned how staying in the present moment can help you do wonders,” the 23-year-old defender added.

The youngster is a part of the 25-member senior women’s group for the national coaching camp in SAI, Bengaluru. She explained how the team is delighted to be back on the training grounds as they aim to look forward to a new season.

“We are super excited to be back at the camp, and can’t wait to start our new season. Our first target will be to work on fitness because we haven’t done anything since coming back from Tokyo. We will also analyse our Olympics performance in detail and work on accordingly,” said Udita.

“We have a crucial year ahead of us, with the all-important Asian Games, our goal will be to win the Gold medal there, and qualify directly for the Paris Olympics,” she concluded.

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024