New Delhi: There is a quiet confidence around the Indian women’s hockey team these days. Not because they lifted the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand, and were promoted to the FIH Pro League, but because the team believes they have found success in youth, talent and structure.Captain Salima Tete and Sunelita Toppo are two faces of this change. For Salim, who took over the captaincy in 2023, leadership has been a journey of growth rather than authority. He admits that the job was scary at first, especially as one of the younger players who has been given the responsibility of leading a team full of international experts.“At first it was difficult because I didn’t know how to do anything. I learned from being with seniors like Savita, Nikki, and others, to ask questions, and to understand how to lead. Before, I didn’t speak. Now I know that communication is one of the main responsibilities of a captain,” said Salima.That openness has helped create a dressing room where every player is encouraged to contribute. According to the middleman, leadership is shared rather than enforced.“It’s not the captain who does everything. Every player takes responsibility. Young people also speak now, and this is very important for us.”This culture was evident when the Indian team won the Nations Cup, when the team acted with calmness, courage, and wisdom. But Salima has insisted that the celebrations have already been put aside.“This victory is a beautiful memory, but now our focus is on the World Cup. We have analyzed our performance, watched the videos, and see where we can improve. We’re just getting started.”India’s preparations are focused on sharpening the basics and building on the physical improvements that have become evident over the past few years. Salima credited the team’s support for improving the team’s skills, saying that the changes in speed, strength, and recovery have helped the players adapt to the pace of international hockey.“If we focus on what we do, play with confidence, and be consistent, we can get good results. “Each player has his own quality, speed, skill, or approach and if everyone does well, we can compete with the best,” said Salima.Among those benefiting from the environment created by the great players is Sunelita Toppo, whose journey reflects the rapid rise of Indian women’s hockey. The young striker, who scored in the Nations Cup Final against New Zealand, said the moment was a reward for the countless hours he spent practicing for the game.“We prepared the same thing before the game. When the ball came to me, I settled down and did what we did. I’m happy that I helped the team win,” he said.Sunelita’s rise was not straightforward. Growing up in Odisha, he started playing hockey with a bamboo stick because his family could not afford the proper equipment. Even the first hockey stick he got from the coach broke.These humble beginnings, however, make him appreciate how much hockey infrastructure has changed in the state.“When I started, we played on mud. Now young players only start on sand. There is a sand place even near my village, so I can continue playing every time I go home. This has changed a lot.”He also highlighted the role of senior players in helping the youth settle in the country.“The teachers teach us the plan, but the adults explain the situations from their experiences. They don’t make us feel small. They always guide us, and this has helped me a lot, said Sunelita.”Both players believe that India’s biggest leap since the Tokyo Olympics is its understanding of structure and fitness. Although the hunger to win has always been there, Sunelita feels that the team’s technical maturity has grown significantly under the current coaching staff.With the Hockey World Cup and Asian Games approaching, India is aware of the challenges that are expected to face the world’s elite. But if the Nations Cup was about purpose, the conversations inside the Indian camp reveal something more important, a team that has stopped measuring itself by its past and is beginning to believe it is the best.The next few months will determine if that belief can be translated into medals. Meanwhile, India is moving towards the biggest part of the cycle which is not only increasing power, but also a new sense of purpose.
