‘All players deserve credit for this success,' says Navjot Kaur

NEW DELHI: Skipper Navjot Kaur on Friday said that players deserve credit for India’s historic victory at the inaugural Women's Hockey 5s Asia Cup in Salalah, Oman.

India defeated Thailand 7-2 in the final to lift the trophy and, as a result, qualified for the FIH Women’s Hockey 5s World Cup 2024.

Navjot Kaur led the Indian team to an undefeated finish in the prestigious tournament, which also served as a qualifying event for the FIH Women's Hockey 5s World Cup Oman 2024.

India won their first game 7-2 against Malaysia, then went on to defeat Japan 7-1 in their second game before defeating Thailand 5-4 in their third match. They defeated Malaysia 9-5 in the semifinal and then defeated Thailand 7-2 in the Final.

For their win and excellent performance, Hockey India also announced Rs 2 Lakh to each player of the team, while Rs 1 Lakh each for the support staff.

Captain Navjot Kaur, who scored seven goals in the tournament, expressed her delight at winning the inaugural Women’s Hockey 5s Asia Cup.

“It’s not just the captain or vice-captain who has the responsibility. The younger players are ready to take on responsibility. A special thanks to our Coach Soundarya Yendala for instilling these qualities in the team. I believe that everyone associated with the team should be given the credit for this success,” she said.

“It was a fantastic tournament and playing against quality teams will be a big boost for the players ahead of the all-important FIH Women’s Hockey 5s World Cup Oman 2024. We have learned a lot of things and we will be working on the same going forward. We will not be taking anything for granted. We have good 3-4 months before the FIH Women’s Hockey 5s World Cup Oman 2024, so we have enough time on our hands to work on our weaknesses,” she added.

Meanwhile, vice-captain Jyoti also talked about her experience in Oman.

“Overall, I think it was a good outing. Playing away games against quality sides is always challenging and I feel we lived up to the billing and played exceptional hockey," she said.

"We were aware of what our Coach expects from us as a team and that makes our work a bit easier. However, we still have to keep working hard every day during our training as we know that the more we work hard in the practice sessions, the less we struggle in the crucial tournaments,” she said.