Paris Dream Shaken: India’s Women’s Hockey Faces Tough Start with 0-1 Loss to USA

January 13, 2024: In the enchanting streets of Ranchi, where Paris, the City of Love, seems an unusual mention, the FIH Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifiers took a surprising turn as the Indian women’s hockey team faced a setback, losing 0-1 to lower-ranked USA on Saturday at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium.

The defeat, imprinted in bold and large fonts on billboards across the city, poses a significant challenge to India’s route to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The loss threatens the women’s team’s hopes of repeating the memorable fourth-place finish from Tokyo three years ago. To keep their dreams alive, India must avoid another slip-up in their upcoming match against world No.9 New Zealand, who secured a 3-0 victory over Italy in their opener, on Sunday.

Despite being ranked higher (6th) than USA (15th) on paper, India struggled to showcase their prowess both skill-wise and mentally in the encounter. Although they had more scoring opportunities, including shots on goal, circle penetrations, and penalty corners, India failed to convert them into a goal. The team, coached by Janneke Schopman, appeared uncharacteristically absent on the field.

Schopman expressed her surprise at the team’s lack of readiness, stating, “We looked not ready today, for the lack of a better word. That, I didn’t expect, to be honest.”

The match witnessed a scrappy start from both teams, with USA initially having a goal overturned due to a foot infringement. However, a minute into the second quarter, USA managed to score after the Indian defense struggled to clear the ball in the circle. Despite India’s increased attacking efforts and multiple penalty corner opportunities, they failed to find the back of the net.

The third quarter continued in a similar vein, with India dominating in circle entries but lacking the crucial goals. Despite a deafening roar from the crowd, a potential goal was disallowed after a video referral. The final whistle marked the disappointing end to India’s opening match.

With the upcoming challenge against New Zealand, India must regroup and focus on turning their aspirations into reality, not just on paper but on the field. The road to Paris seems challenging, but the women’s team remains determined to bounce back.