Tokyo Olympics 2020, Form Guide: Tracking Indian women's hockey team over last two years

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note:  For five years now, Indian athletes have been dreaming to make up for the disappointment of a two-medal haul in Rio. The span has been extraordinary, with COVID-19 having thrown their preparations - and the Olympics itself - off gear. However, in true Olympic spirit, the country’s finest sportspersons have battled form and uncertainty to put their best foot forward in what promises to be a Games like none other. In our latest series, we track the last two years’ performances of our athletes to give you a ready guide to their form leading into the biggest sporting spectacle of the world. The Indian women’s team’s campaign at the Olympic Test Event in August 2019 could not have gotten off to a better start. India beat hosts Japan 2-1 before holding World No 2 Australia 2-2. A goalless draw against China was enough for them to seal entry into the final. In the final, the Indian team faced Japan, who they beat 2-1 to win the Olympic Test Event. In September, India headed to Marlow where they were to face England in five games. The tour ended with one victory apiece for both sides, and three draws. Rani saves India’s Olympic dream To seal qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, the women’s team had to emerge victorious over the USA in a two-legged qualifier in Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium. The Indian women’s team won the first leg easily with a 5-1 margin. But in the next match, they slipped to a 1-4 defeat. They sneaked through to Tokyo Olympics 2020 on aggregate scoreline. For much of the game, the Americans were on top, with the scoreline reading 4-0 in their favour at the end of the third quarter. India’s dream of making it to the Olympics for only the third time in history was rescued by skipper Rani Rampal, who scored in the 48th minute. “I think we are still dazed. It is yet to sink in that we have actually qualified,” women’s team skipper Rani Rampal told Hockey India’s website after the team sealed qualification for Tokyo 2020. Promising tour of New Zealand The team started 2020 with a tour of New Zealand. In their first game, they thrashed the New Zealand developmental side 4-0, with skipper Rani Rampal getting a brace. Playing against the main New Zealand team in their next two games, Indians showed promise but lost both games by a slender one-goal margin. At the start of February, they faced England in a one-off game, and emerged victorious by a 1-0 margin. In the final game of the tour, riding on Navneet Kaur’s brace, the Indian women’s team beat New Zealand 3-0.   “…I am happy we produced three goals against New Zealand (in the last match). This tour gave us a good insight about where we need to improve and one of the things is to create faster play than we do now,” said India coach Sjoerd Marijne taking stock of his team’s performance in New Zealand. “Sometimes we tend to keep the ball too long on the stick and then we create pressure. We need to avoid that by passing faster. In defence, we need to be a bit calmer and need to improve our tackling.” Bootcamp at SAI Bengaluru When the coronavirus pandemic shut down most of the world and forced the postponement of the Olympics, the women’s team stayed put at SAI Bengaluru. The SAI campus was closed for outside visitors, while players continued their training under strict supervision and under all preventive measures. Back in action after a year The women’s team, after spending nearly a year out of competitive action, started 2021 with a tour of Argentina, who were the World No 2 side. “We know what our aim is this year, and we want to make sure that we start the year in the perfect manner, put in some excellent performances, and build some momentum again,” skipper Rani Rampal said before the team departed for Argentina. “However, we also understand and take into consideration that we haven’t played an international match with maximum intensity in these past nine-ten months, and that we might take time to get back into our groove, and that is what this tour is all about.” “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against some strong teams, and also understanding where we stand at the moment,” she added. The women’s team were scheduled to play eight matches in Argentina, but played seven as one had to be cancelled. In the first two games of the series, they played against the Argentinian junior women’s team. Their lack of competitive exposure showed as they were held to draws in both matches. Rani Rampal’s side then played the Argentina B team in two matches, both of which they lost by a one-goal margin. Their final three matches of the series were against the Argentine women’s team, where they suffered two defeats and managed to pull off a draw in the last game of the series. Disappointment in Germany The women’s team next travelled to Germany, where they were slotted to play a four-match series. They lost all four games, scoring just one goal while conceding 10. COVID-19 hits women’s team In April, when the women’s team returned to SAI, Bengaluru after a short break,   seven players and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Skipper Rani Rampal, Savita Punia, Sharmila Devi, Rajani, Navjot Kaur, Navneet Kaur and Sushila had contracted coronavirus while support staff members video analyst Amrutaprakash and scientific advisor Wayne Lombard also tested positive. Rani named skipper for Tokyo-bound team Rani Rampal was named as the captain for the 16-member team bound for Tokyo with defender Deep Grace Ekka and goalkeeper Savita handed the responsibility of being the vice-captains. The squad had as many as eight Olympic debutants including Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nisha, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Lalremsiami, and Salima Tete. Defender Reena Khokhar and midfielder Namita Toppo were later added to the women’s squad as alternates, as per IOC’s rule tweak. Tokyo 2020 will be the Indian women’s hockey team’s third appearance at the Games, the previous two being Moscow 1980 and Rio 2016. Since Rio 2016, the team has won the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Asia Cup, silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, and made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 Women’s World Cup for the first time in history. Click here to check out form guides for the rest of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.