India's World Cup debutant, Ishika Chaudhary shares her journey of perseverance and the team's ambition to surprise opponents, drawing inspiration from recent major sporting upsets.
Key Points
- India defender Ishika Chaudhary is set to make her Women's Hockey World Cup debut, fulfilling a long-held dream.
- Chaudhary believes the Indian team can cause upsets, citing recent FIFA World Cup surprises as inspiration.
- She overcame injuries and setbacks, crediting patience and trust in her process for her journey to the World Cup.
- Senior players and coaching staff have guided younger team members on managing pressure and focusing on their roles.
- Chaudhary's focus is on maintaining a solid defensive structure and being a reliable player in high-pressure moments.
India defender Ishika Chaudhary, who will make her women's hockey World Cup debut, on Thursday said the recent FIFA World Cup has shown that no team can be written off at the biggest stage, and the same holds true for them at the quadrennial event to be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
She said the team will look to peak at the right time and spring a surprise.
"People have watched the FIFA World Cup recently and you have seen many upsets there. It's the team who peaks at the right time, and you never know. We will try to do that," Ishika told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"This is the biggest tournament, and you never know which team can spring a surprise here. We definitely would love to do that."
India's Ambition To Spring A Surprise
The 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered major surprises, highlighted by debutants Cape Verde holding eventual champions Spain to a 0-0 draw.
For the 26-year-old from Gwalior, who made her senior debut in 2022, the World Cup is realisation of a dream that has demanded patience coupled with injuries, doubts and setbacks.
"It's hard to put in words as it is something I have always dreamt about. It's a great honour to represent over a billion people," she said.
Ishika was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, and the lessons learnt from that experience have stayed with her as she prepares for the biggest tournament of her career.
"There were a few moments, injuries, doubts and setbacks, but I guess being patient and trusting my process kept me going," she said.
Ishika Chaudhary's Journey To World Cup Debut
The defender also credited senior players in the squad for helping the younger members understand the demands of a major tournament.
"The seniors have been incredible. They have been sharing their experiences, how it feels once the tournament begins. So it's good to know that feeling a few nerves is normal," she said.
The message from the coaching staff has been equally clear - understand the role, execute it and do not get overwhelmed by the occasion.
"Coaches say understand your role and stick to that. Don't get pulled into everything. Don't get carried away because of the big stage," Ishika said.
Team Strategy And Mental Preparation
For Ishika, nerves are not something to be feared but rather embraced.
"If you aren't feeling nervous, it seems that you don't care about it. Feeling nervous is good. Once I step on the field, it's all about plans and performance," she said.
As a defender, her immediate priority will be to provide stability at the back and become someone the team can trust when the pressure is at its highest.
"My focus would be keeping the defensive structure solid. I want to be a player on which the team can rely in pressure moments," she said.
Visualisation has also been a part of Ishika's preparation.
"Visualising different match scenarios helps me stay calm and focused, and that helps a lot. Being in the present and taking one step at a time is important," she said.
Focus On Defensive Strength And Team Balance
For now, her philosophy is simple.
"Just being there between the goal and the ball is the most important thing for me at this time," she said.
India, she believes, have the ingredients to challenge the top teams.
"We have a great balance of experience and youth. We will be focusing on one match at a time. If we play to our potential and strength, we have a good chance like anyone else," Ishika said.
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Source: Rediff.com
