Inspired by Harmanpreet Kaur and her women’s cricket team, who created history by winning the ODI World Cup last year, veteran striker Navneet Kaur wants the Indian hockey team to script a similar title-winning story at the FIH Women’s World Cup.

India, ranked ninth in the world, began its campaign with a fighting 2-2 draw against Paris Olympic silver medallist and world No. 4 China.

They next face 18th-ranked South Africa on Tuesday. The Indian women’s cricket team’s triumph over South Africa in the final last year, which earned them their maiden ODI World Cup title, has inspired women athletes across the country, Navneet believes.

“Everyone now knows the players of our women’s cricket team, which they didn’t know as much before. As women players, it’s an inspiration for us. If that team can play so well at this level, why can’t we?” Navneet told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“Playing at the world level and winning a title by performing at your best is a huge thing, and we too would like to achieve this feat in hockey,” added the 30-year-old, who has scored 70 goals in 211 appearances for India.

Navneet has been in fine form this year, scoring four goals each in the FIH Nations Cup and the World Cup qualifiers. She believes she is in the best phase of her career and is keen to carry that momentum into the showpiece event.

“I’m confident because I’ve been playing for a long time and the team’s preparation has been good. I have performed well in all the tournaments I’ve played this year and I’d like to maintain that momentum in the World Cup,” she said.

Having made her World Cup debut in London in 2018, Navneet is now one of the senior-most members of the side and sees her role as more than just scoring goals.

“When I joined the team, I was a junior player, and the environment was different. Back then, I constantly tried to learn from the coaches and senior players, but now my role has changed because I’m a senior myself,” she said.

“Now I know how I progressed and how I can help the junior players.” 

 
This is Navneet’s third World Cup, and she feels the experience of playing more than 200 international matches has brought maturity to her game.

“There’s responsibility, but I know how to handle it. This is my third World Cup. When I played my first World Cup, I had no idea what the experience would be like. I performed well in the second, but now, after playing over 200 matches, I’ve matured and know exactly what to do,” she said.

Navneet, who has been part of the senior team since 2017, also stressed the importance of evolving beyond technical skills.

“Initially, I focused solely on hockey skills, but gradually I realised that playing smart hockey and paying attention to fitness are also important. Now, I’m working hard on that,” she said.

With 11 players in the current squad featuring in their first World Cup, Navneet has taken on the role of guiding the newcomers.

“I keep telling them that when we first played, we didn’t know much about the experience or how the teams play. But playing together, we have seen the skills in you that a world-class player should have. Just believe in yourself,” she said.

“There will be pressure because it’s a huge tournament, but you can talk to your seniors or coaches, who will tell you to do only what you’re told. You don’t have to do anything extra,” she added.

Navneet feels the current team and its preparation are different from those of the side that finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, with a greater blend of youth and experience.

“There were a lot of senior players in the team at that time, but this team has a lot of junior players. Regarding preparation, it was a different environment then due to COVID-19. We spent more time together and practised by playing as much as possible among ourselves,” she said.

The Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers have, however, provided the youngsters with valuable exposure ahead of the World Cup.

“They are playing well, and our coordination with them has been excellent, so the performance will be excellent,” she said.

For now, Navneet insists the team’s focus is firmly on the World Cup, with next month’s Asian Games taking a back seat.

“The Asian Games are also important, but right now we are playing the World Cup, so we have to focus on that. This is also a very big tournament and the confidence we gain by playing well here will be taken to the Asian Games,” she said.