After 320 international demonstrations and 158 goals spread over 15 years, which saw her irreparable in the Indian women’s hockey team, Vandana Kataria has decided to call it a day.
On Tuesday, speaking at 32 -year -old, speaking at 32 years after announcing his decision to thank his comrades, coaches and supporters of retiring from international hockey through a social media post, its quantity was not lost on 32 years.
Team India practice session during the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy at Astro Turf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi on 23 October 2023. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I have agreed to talk, but honestly, I don’t know what to say. I am not in the field to explain myself both in words and thoughts, both laughing, laughing, happy and unhappy. And I want I to spend some time with my team, people who have been my friends and family in all these years,” he accepted.
There were no tears, but the emptiness on his face was probably very high, as the voice was on the verge of breakdown, but never done, was controlled by the veneer of professionalism, which has marked his career through everyone – so much when he fell down before the tournament started a day before the Paris Olympic qualifier in 2024. This was the exclusion of the only injury to their long cooperation with the national team. It also created a series of ‘What if’ on the broken Paris dreams of India.
“Honestly, a player cannot do anything, it is a team’s attempt. But yes, I must have tried to give more than 100 percent, perform my best for the team, and perhaps I could help, my experience and hard work was bringing something that would be useful for the team. But the past could not be changed,” that is a matter of sorrow.
Invaluable, introverted
As the most female Indian hockey player ever, Vandana has been part of the team’s greatest victory, a workharse that forced herself to not through histronics but to contribute to her sheer appearance, speed and team.
Even as a senior in the team, his lightning falls, his ability to find the interval, the exact angle to score and the ability to install the players, when no place was clear, made it invaluable. Her fist pump on scoring was the only mark of aggression in someone who often tried to move away after the match was over.
He explained that the decision was taken in the last two days and the team and employees had informed on Monday, it was for some time in his mind, not clearly but as an idea. “Players like Savita, Sushila, Navneet, Neha, Nikki, who never left me alone at any time, were standing near me, it was shocking for everyone, but it was also nice when she said good things about me,” she laughed.
Surprisingly, surprisingly, not completely unexpected. Since the change of guards in Indian women’s hockey, the team’s origin is a clear step towards planning for the future with the youth, which begins with the appointment of Salima Tete as the captain. Vandana could control everything but not her age.
His list of achievements is Sterling-Asian Champions Trophy (2016, 2023) and Nations Cup (2022), Silver in Asian Games Silver (2018) and WACT (2013, 2018), Bronze at 2022 Commonwealth Games and gold in the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games. He was awarded the Arjuna Award (2021) and Padma Shri (2022), in 2014, Hockey India Player of the Year and Forward of the Year (2021, 2022).
But all this started back in 2013, when Indian women won bronze for their first Junior World Cup medal. Vandana was the top scorer of the team, while Rani Rampal was nominated as a tournament player, and together he became a linchpin of Indian attacks for the next decade.
But when the queen was struggling with injuries throughout her life, Vandana was the rock that never broke. His work morality during training is mythological, and he has set a benchmark that the youth will find it difficult for violations.
Fighting the ground
This has not been an easy journey, though. In Haridwar, sacrifices had their own part in the struggle to reach the top from Roshanabad, but the worst came when his house and family were targeted with racist slurs and convicted after the Tokyo Olympics. It was a shocker, but the team made a circle, the queen stepped as a captain to slam the misbehavior. A year later, he was awarded the Padma Shri.
It is easy to eliminate the importance of the team’s support, but when someone stays about 300 days away from home, it is with those who play you who become your family.
Asked what she would remember the most, Vandana finally showed signs of breaking up. “Some players like Savita and Sushila always knew when I was unhappy, even without saying anything to me. I would only try hard, but I could not just lie with them and if I did, they will know. It will not be easy to develop such relationships, even families do not have them often. I will remember that support.”
But it was transient, the war-scorch professional was soon under control, as he used to be on the field after every lapse and lost the ball. Back in 2023, when he completed his 300 cap, Vandana said, “Saba Sapna is taken away”.
Now, he has some dreams that are incomplete. “When we missed a medal in Tokyo, we thought we would do it in Paris. It did not happen in future – to achieve a lot in the future – Asian Games Gold, A Medal in the World Cup, La Olympics. La Olympics. I will not be a part of the team, but I want to do all this, and I will be happy for them all the way,” he announced.
Published – 01 April, 2025 07:30 pm IST
