Indian women's hockey team have one last chance for a berth in Paris Olympics 2024

India Women are ranked 6th while Japan is placed 12th. (Photo via X/@TheHockeyIndia)

Life ends and begins inside the striking circle in hockey. The ember of a move may start from outside, from any point on the pitch, yet the culmination, a goal, the success, or failure of it, happens inside that arc, also referred to as the ‘D.’

Against Germany, a match that swayed like a boat on high seas, except for a period in the 3rd quarter where Savita Punia kept India in the hunt for that pressure-laden 4th quarter, India always kept themselves in the reckoning for an Olympic spot. Such matches are decided not by prolonged sessions of possession. But by clear thinking, being in the present, almost akin to pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

High pressure matches thrive on small failures which eventually becomes the deciding factor on why one team picks up the Olympic spot and the other needs to get into a team huddle, rework strategy, get those tired muscles, a depleted mind working for that final assault of a 3rd/4th match to claim that final spot now available to be able to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games. India takes on Japan in the 3rd/4th match, today, January 19, afternoon in Ranchi. Japan lost to the USA after taking the lead in the 3rd quarter and then watching the Americans score twice in three minutes in the 4th Q.

India clearly had the chances and so did Germany to finish the match in regulation time. For India, their defence stood firm, Indian captain Punia in goal bringing off some smart saves. In fact, in the 4th Q, with four minutes played, Neha released what was a dream through ball for Deepika. German goalkeeper Julia Sonntag was in front, though on the angle. Deepika decided on a lob, a shot that needs space apart from amazing precision. Sonntag saved. A hard shot to the small gap on Sonntag’s right was a risk worth taking. At worst, the German goalkeeper could have saved it, or India could have had a rebound.

With three minutes to go, Germany pounced on an Indian defensive error: same angle, Punia in front, Stapenhorst Charlotte, unleashed a hard shot that hit Punia’s pads and got deflected into goal. Germany led 2-1 before India struck back with a minute, 26 seconds left in the match to take it to the shoot-out.

The shoot-out is termed a lottery. Yet, it needs precision, clear thinking and a player in control of the situation, be it the goalkeeper or the one taking the shot. India led 2-1 when Punia saved Anne Schroder’s shot. Navneet Kaur’s first shot was asked to be re-taken but Navneet failed again and that opportunity of taking a 3-1 lead went up in smoke. Though when Lisa Nolte made it 3-2, Lalremsiami did keep India in the hunt making it 3-3.

Sudden death is treacherous. It’s like standing on thin ice, never knowing when it will give away. Sangita missed. Then Sonja Zimmermann’s shot was deemed a foul. Sonika missed. It was still 3-3. Then that moment of pure audacity from Nolte, a moment where impudence and fearlessness melt into one. With her back to the goal, not even looking at Punia, the Indian goalkeeper thinking a move would come from Nolte moving left or right, the German forward nut megged Punia, the ball going through her pads; Nolte might as well have scored with an eye mask on.

Late afternoon, India will be back at the Jaipal Singh hockey pitch. It’s the last roll of the dice for India and Japan; sixty minutes divide both teams before one is guaranteed a ticket to Paris. High stakes and the one team that understands that space, the striking circle, the ‘D,’ will be the one celebrating in the end.

There are no guarantees of winning against Japan and let’s not go down the ranking route where India is 6th while Japan is placed 12th. Indian coach Janneke Schopman agrees. “We need to keep fighting and then maybe our quality will shine through. We don't have a guarantee. Japan also wants to win. Japan also wants to go to Paris. We have to show up well enough to take that qualification.”

Schopman is not looking at the past. Only recently India beat Japan for the bronze medal at the Asian Games and then again at the Asian Champions Trophy. “You can look at it in a 100 million ways and maybe people say, oh, you've beat them all the time,” explains Schopman. “For me, it's just a separate game. What happened in the past happened in the past. Japan is here. We're here.”

It’s back to that striking circle. That arc of hope, despair, and ultimate triumph. It’s that semi-circle of doubt, the melting pot of all emotions that you can see and experience in a game of hockey. For India Vs Japan, today afternoon, dreams will die, be resurrected as one team will go down on its knees while the other celebrates.