The life of a national team hockey player in India can often get pretty lonely. It is a privilege of course, but it entails weeks and months spent in a camp in Bengaluru, the other times travelling as a unit to leagues and tournaments around the world. The return of the Hockey India League, however, has opened up new avenues – training with otherwise unfamiliar overseas stars, new coaching methods and tactics. For India women’s vice captain Navneet Kaur, though, another interesting opportunity fell on her lap.
Ahead of the auction for the second women’s HIL, SG Pipers asked her to be a part of the team selection process. And not just by lifting the paddle on the auction table but being involved in the planning process. “Initially, I didn’t know why I had to sit at the table. But our new coach Sofie Gierts said, ‘Let’s make a team together’. She needed some help from me regarding the Indian players,” Navneet tells The Indian Express. “So when we started planning for it, I really liked it. It was a new experience for me. During the auction, of course I was a bit nervous but it ended up being a lot of fun.”
Often as a player, there is little idea about what coaches and the management are expecting when they are building the team. Navneet was SG Pipers’ captain last year in the inaugural edition of Women’s HIL but still it was an eye-opener to be involved behind the scenes. “We sat together for 2-3 days. We were planning before that too, on the phone etc. It was different and difficult to plan for the auction. As a player, we only know how to play on the ground. But it was completely different from what the players think. It is difficult for teams too to decide which players to pick,” the 29-year-old says.
While Gierts comes in with a wealth of international hockey knowledge, Navneet had her say in suggesting key Indian names. She suggested that they needed experience in defence, after the struggles at the back last year, which is why the team went after Udita, who has played with Navneet in the Indian team for many years now. The other key suggestion was Suman Devi Thoudam, the defender who has recently made her comeback into the national team. “Suman didn’t play in the last edition. She made a comeback recently to the national team. She is capable of playing across the backline in different positions. She is a quality player. And I shared that she can play in the midfield too, so she is versatile,” Navneet recalls.
It isn’t just off the field that Navneet is hoping to unlock new experiences, though. SG Pipers had a forgettable first edition, finishing last in the league phase. The targets have been made clear – from the coaching staff and Team Director PR Sreejesh – that better results are expected. And Navneet is hoping that the environment allows her to show off her natural attacking skills, which were brought to the forefront when playing for India.
“The main thing is that in a league like this, you can play a bit more freely. I want to explore my game more, add more things,” Navneet says. “As a captain, there is a responsibility. But we have Lola (Riera) is a good full-back. Udita has a lot of experience. There is (Kaitlin) Nobbs in the midfield. When there is a good balance in the midfield and defense, you can take more risks in the striker’s line. You can use your skills more. That is a plus point for me. In the last edition, since we were losing matches early on, I had to be a bit more cautious. My game is to take more risks and use my skills.”
Vital cog
Having recently crossed the 200-caps milestone for India during the Asia Cup, Navneet is a vital cog for the senior national team. Arguably the most important outfield player too. Her dodging skills, nurtured by Baldev Singh at the famous Shahabad Markanda nursery in Haryana, have always stood out. But more recently for India – as we saw in the Pro League and Asia Cup – she has been called on to do a lot more defending, partly due to key injuries in defence.
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It is something she has enjoyed adapting to, but in HIL, she’s hoping to unfurl those gifted stick skills. “I came to the team because of my attacking skills. But if I can tackle someone and also attack, what’s better than that? So I think that improvement is necessary for every player. But for someone whose strength is hockey skills, to showcase that one needs freedom. Khulke khel sakthi hoon (I can play openly).”