The veteran striker believes her team will be ready to set foot on the pitch because they’ve been maintaining their fitness levels.
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Hyderabad, India: Ever since making her senior debut in 2007, Indian Women’s Hockey team’s reliable striker Vandana Katariya has kept evolving to ensure she is giving her best for the nation. However, in a career that has spanned more than 13 years, the ace striker has also developed a particular skill — mentoring young players and nurturing their talent for the benefit of the team.
It is a role that the veteran striker enjoys now more than ever. “When I had started at the age of 15, I was always very fearless. I would try to use my skills, retain possession for as long as possible, and then aim for the goal. But with time, I realized that you couldn’t play like that, especially when the sport has evolved so much. I also had to evolve, and I have enjoyed playing for the team and my teammates,” said Vandana in an interview with Hockey India.
Vandana Katariya
“Now, with experience, and with the influx of many young players in the team, especially in the midfield and forward-line, I enjoy the mentoring part. I know, I have the experience which can be helpful to the younger players, and I keep talking to them about different situations that they will face on the field, and what all they can do,” she continued.
“It is not as if I want them to follow what I say, but I try to make them use their vision and think for themselves about what decisions they can make,” the Uttarakhand striker added.
Quick decision making is one skill that Vandana emphasizes. “For instance, when you are inside the circle, even as a striker, it is not always the best thing to shoot at goal, you have a split second to make that decision, and sometimes passing the ball to your fellow player or just winning a Penalty Corner can be a better option,” she explained.
Speaking about the current predicament of not being able to compete, Vandana said her team is focusing on working hard to be sharper than opponents. “The main thing for all of us is always to play hockey on the field, but this time has given us the chance to focus on other key factors which make the team so successful. We haven’t been able to be on the pitch, but our minds are always on the pitch. We are trying to maintain our fitness levels as best as we can so that when we are back, we are sharper than our opponents.”
She went on to say that “another aspect which has been talked about is how we can analyze different teams from around the world. We are watching film footage, and with the help of our coaching staff, we can gain a lot from that.”
The 2013 Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup Bronze Medallist emphasizes the importance of maintaining positivity during the lockdown. “Our chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has been very vocal about having mindfulness, and that has also made us realize a lot of things. We feel we are at a stature where we can end up helping other people, too, which we did through our crowdfunding initiative, and we are, of course, also lucky to have such great facilities at our disposal.”
Vandana understands that it is a privileged position: “Not many people are blessed with this, and therefore it is a chance for us to make full use of what we have.”
