Indian Women's Hockey at Tokyo Olympics: An underdog story to cherish and build upon

Like gold in a furnace! The fourth-place finish of the Indian Women's hockey team in the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics has proven that Sjoerd Marijne's troops are indeed gold, but yet in a furnace. They have been smelted in Tokyo under heat and high pressure, and yet they shine bright.

The goldsmith, Sjoerd Marijne who called quits after guiding the team to their best-ever performance at the Olympics, was cautiously excited before leaving for the Olympics. He found the expectations in India 'very high' and called the country to be 'realistic'. Yet there was a steely determination in his voice when he quickly added," we will show what we can do."

In these eight games, the Indian team has indeed shown the world what they can do. After a disastrous start to the campaign that saw them lose to Netherlands, Great Britain and Germany back-to-back, they were staring at the abyss of failure and the horrific memories of Rio 2016 stormed in once again. Two years back, this team would have buckled under pressure, especially when the chips are down. But this team has undergone a sea change in mentality, fitness, and tactical awareness under Marijne.

They churned out two hard-fought victories against Ireland and South Africa to progress to the knockouts where they were pitched against world no.3 Australia. Those 60 minutes ushered in a new dawn in Indian Women's hockey.

Under the sweltering Tokyo heat, they chased the game and yet showed no signs of slowing down. Instead, at a breakneck pace, they would initiate counter attacks from their circle and try to surprise Katie Allen's girls who would be then scurrying down to defend their goal.

If Savita Punia was phenomenal under the frame with 100 per cent save accuracy, Gurjit Kaur was clinical at the other end, as India converted the solitary penalty corner that they got in the match to shock the former Olympic Champions.

However, against Great Britain in the bronze medal playoff match, a few chinks in their armour got exposed. In the first quarter, the team evidently lacked composure and looked shaky in defense. It became all the more prominent when a veteran defender like Deep Grace Ekka made a meal of a clearance and turned the ball into her own net.

Although they made a roaring comeback into the match, those initial minutes of the match cost them a historic bronze. Going forward, the new coach will surely look to iron out these inconsistencies from their game.

Before Sjoerd Marijne's departure, he mentioned that to progress further India must play more competitive matches and definitely take part in the FIH Pro League. Well, the future is now, albeit without him around!