A challenging but special year for women’s hockey

But the Indian sports authorities and Hockey India made things easier for us. They made sure we ate healthy, stayed well, and stayed
motivated through closing time. April-May, when the second wave was at its peak, was a stressful time. We knew we were safe with SAI, but we were worried about our parents. The coaching staff talked to us constantly to make sure everything was fine and that we were mentally and emotionally well. Hockey India ensured that our coaching staff checked our well-being on a regular basis.

Although the year 2021 ended without us standing on the podium, the affection we received from across India after returning from the Olympics has been overwhelming. I have to admit that finishing fourth gave us a sense of satisfaction, especially when we were last in 2016. The love we received gives us great confidence to succeed in the years to come.

There have been many first events in the last year and a half. We learn a new thing called Zoom. When we were first told that our meetings would take place through this app, we didn’t even know what the word “virtual” meant. We didn’t know what my quarantine was or what the Zoom meetings were. We had no idea about the biocup.

Getting used to the virtual world was very difficult, especially during the closing months, because you are so used to the physical presence of your coach and face-to-face communication is very much affected. But the coaching staff was great in their role and talked to each of us individually and as a team. They made us feel safe. Everything we needed, they did.

Tokyo was very special. When so much happened in their country with Covid, our hosts, especially the volunteers and the people of Japan, made things easy for us. The panic was not zero; When someone gave a positive test, he had a plan. The Olympic Village had a wonderful environment. The testing was done incredibly well and the food serving area was never crowded.

One day as we were leaving the village for the stadium, one person was holding a sign that read, “Whether you win a medal or not, you are still a champion for us. Just be happy. ”It made me realize how passionate the Japanese people are – saying that they always love and respect athletes, whether they win or lose, is important to us. This passion was evident in the volunteers who did their best to help us with everything we needed.

We didn’t celebrate the victory of the last two matches against South Africa and Ireland in the round Robin League because our fate in reaching the quarterfinals depended on the Ireland vs. UK match. If Ireland lost, we would go for quarters to play against Australia. I remember not watching that match because of the excitement. I did stretching exercises while the match was going on. Someone came and announced that we were over.

Our coach Sjoerd Marijne invited us to the meeting and instilled confidence in us. He asked us to start as if it were a new tournament. We started from the beginning and won the Australian quarterfinals. My heart is still warmed by the fact that many at home woke up early to see how we play that match.

But something that always hurts me more than losing a bronze match is our loss to Argentina in the semi-finals. The match was tight and we could have won it. In the last moments, the Gurjit got bent on the racket, but passed the pole an inch. That match would have changed our lives if we had won.

This column first appeared in the printed version on January 1, 2022, entitled “Play in Hard Times.” Rampal served as captain of the Indian women’s hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics