At 31, she is the second oldest participant within the staff and taking part in her three hundredth international match on October 31, Vandana Katariya will probably be in an exclusive club of 1 as the best capped Indian ladies’s hockey participant.
From the 2013 Junior World Cup the place she performed a essential function in India profitable its solely medal (bronze) within the match up to now to being the one Indian participant to have an Olympic hat-trick, Vandana has been indispensable to Indian ladies’s hockey for greater than a decade. October 31 would solely be a fruits of a lengthy journey that began within the bylanes of Haridwar.
“There were a lot of ups and downs in this journey, a lot of struggle. But everyone goes through that, it’s not unique to me. It feels great to reach here but I wasn’t alone. I have two families – the hockey family here that has given me a lot of support and strengths though all the low periods and it would have been impossible to do it without them, and my family back home which has supported me unconditionally – who have backed me all along,” Vandana mentioned on her milestone.
‘Team’ and ‘family’ are two phrases she brings into each sentence and in spite of everything these years, she admits the 2 are interspersed. Spending greater than 300 days in an common 12 months in camps and tournaments, hockey invariably turns into her power and refuge. Like the time some louts derided her household with casteist slurs after India’s loss to Argentina in 2020 at Tokyo. The Indian staff rallied as one and captain Rani took little time to return out with a assertion of assist and criticism.
“We put all our hard work to play for India, struggle and sacrifice so much to represent our country and when we see what is happening – what happened to Vandana’s family – I want to say to people please stop this discrimination, religious division and casteism. This should never happen to any athlete, or a normal person,” she informed the media.
It might need been unnerving however for somebody who grew up with fixed questioning of her option to play hockey, it solely gave added motivation to maintain performing. At a stage when most senior gamers shift to extra playmaking roles leaving the flashiness of scoring to kids, Vandana continues to get her title on the scoresheet with an impeccable sense of timing and place contained in the circle that usually sees her shake off her marker with a sudden motion and discover area to shoot.
When Sjoerd Marijne took cost of the staff, he did shift her to a extra supportive function because the creator of targets relatively than a finisher and though Vandana was sensible there too, the continually missed probabilities upfront was irritating to these watching from the surface. Her transfer again upfront and the liberty to take photographs when in place immediately introduced in a sharpness to the assault.
Her obligations transcend scoring. As the senior-most participant within the facet, she admits guaranteeing a consolation degree with the kids was essential. “My responsibility is only to take everyone together and have a bonding on and off the field between the youngest and the oldest players. On field the team plays as a unit and we support each other. Everyone makes mistakes during the run of the play but it is up to the others to cover it up and ensure there is no let-up in the game. That goes for everyone and myself,” Vandana mentioned.
Her motivation to get up on a regular basis and preserve pushing herself is easy – if I’m within the staff, my presence ought to add one thing to it, deliver one thing additional to the facet on area. “My father used to say only one thing – he wanted to see the women’s team at the top, at least once, because he had seen all the hard work from up close. In my mind, what he said is always there – be honest to my work and the game and help the team.”
There are many desires entwined with hers. “Papa ka, family ka, team ka, hockey fans ka, uske baad apna – sabka sapna leke chalna hai. There is pressure but I feel pressure is a good thing. Pressure helps turn coal to diamond, it leads you to do better,” she smiled with a shrug.
Unlike most forwards and scorers throughout sports activities, she has by no means been snug within the highlight. Her fist pumps after scoring on area are sometimes accompanied by a huge roar and she or he is animated throughout a sport however off the turf, she prefers the huddle to the solo flight. On Tuesday, nonetheless, the highlight, deservedly, can be all hers.
