Winning against Australia has provided momentum for India's women's hockey team to advance to the finals of the Tokyo Olympics. They will face an in-form Argentina team that will be eager to make it to the final as well. India faces a difficult challenge.
They've already done enough to make the country proud, transforming themselves from outsiders to podium contenders by reaching the semifinals.
The Indian women's hockey players are from all over the country. They are, however, united by a common passion and purpose. “Desh ki liya kuch karna hai,” is the team mantra.
Rani Rampal and her brave girls will look to punch above their weight again when they face world No. 4 Argentina in their last-4 match on Wednesday, just two steps away from their first Olympic medal. Regardless of the odds, they must deliver a knockout punch.
While attempting to rewrite history, the Sjoerd Marijne-coached team must remain focused, as the weight of expectations has increased following their male counterparts' failure to overcome the Belgian challenge in the semifinals on Tuesday.
The Las Leonas will begin as the formbook's favourite. The two-time silver medalists (2000, 2012) are hoping to make a comeback after missing out on a podium spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The two teams met earlier this year when India toured Argentina, where they played seven matches against various teams. Patience is a virtue that they exhibit in abundance to wear the opposition down.
They played three matches against the senior team, splitting points in the first match (1-all) before losing the next two (0-2, 2-3).
The key difference between Australia and Argentina is their approach on the field. While the Australians are all about aggression and speed, Argentina takes a more traditional approach, focusing on the midfield and controlling the pace of the game.
“It will be a difficult match for us, Argentina is a good team. We played them in January and we know that Argentina is a hard team to beat. Their defence is very strong. We have to convert our goal-scoring opportunities like we converted the penalty corner against Australia. It’s all about focusing on the task and staying in the moment,” says, Dutchman Marijne.
