Vandana Katariya targets Asian Games gold medal to book Paris Olympics ticket 

The Indian women's hockey team has a hectic schedule in the upcoming months with back-to-back continental events in the pipeline. The Women in Blue, who are the silver medallists of the Asian Games 2018, will aim to elevate their medal color in Hangzhou, China, in a bid to secure a direct entry into the Paris Olympics 2024 next year.

Following the conclusion of the Asian Games (September 23 - October 8), India will host the 2023 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Ranchi between October 27 and November 5. India will host the latter event for the first time since it began in 2010.

Senior women's team forward Vandana Katariya is immersed in driving India to its second gold since 1982 when women’s field hockey made its first appearance in the Asian Games.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda in a Hockey India event in Bengaluru, Vandana said:

“I just see the Asian Games is in front of us first and we can directly qualify for the Olympics if we win (gold). That is our target right now. It’s a great feeling to have the Asian Champions Trophy as the boys also finished it. After a long time, there will be a major tournament in India (for women).”

With 290 caps and 87 goals over a decade, Vandana Katariya is the senior-most player in the current hockey team. Throwing light on how to bring the young players together in the mix, the 31-year-old said:

“There is no responsibility as such but now that players from junior teams are there in the camp, they have the training just like me. There is a core group and we have to take everyone together to play as a team.”

Former India women’s captain Rani Rampal, who has more than 250 caps, hasn’t been picked in the 18-member Asia Cup squad. Rani wasn’t even part of India’s tour of Australia in May.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardee was appointed as the coach of the India U-17 women’s team by Hockey India even though the player wishes to make a comeback in the team.

Vandana, who became the first Indian women's player to score a hat-trick in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, will be an integral member of the team’s attacking setup in Rani’s absence. The player, who hails from Uttarakhand’s Roshnabad village in Haridwar district, wants to apply a tinge of pressure to make the best out of her in big events.

“There is no pressure but we should feel it by ourselves. It is good to feel the pressure because we enjoy performing through it. Whenever we train, we do put the pressure on us thinking that when we go abroad for a tournament then how will we handle something like that,” Vandana said.

“Our coach Janneke Schopman has always taught us that there are two kinds of pressures - good and bad. And we have to handle both. I feel pressure is a good thing and we shouldn’t think much about that rather simply focus on training that our coaches work on. Just go with one match at a time,” she added.

India is part of Pool A in the Women’s Hockey event at the Hangzhou Asian Games along with teams like Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Hong Kong. The Savita Punia-led team will begin their campaign on September 27 against Singapore.

Although the Indian women's team have not played considerable matches this year, Vandana Katariya is confident of her team’s preparations in limited outings.

“The matches we have played in recent time like in FIH, Nations Cup and defeated England 3-0. Even the ones with Australia have been quite good and that shows out team is doing remarkably well and the coaching unit is focusing much on the players,” she said.

---

"It’s because of them I am again standing on the ground" - Vandana Katariya on how she made a comeback after her father's death before Tokyo Olympics

Just three months before leaving for Tokyo for the Olympics in 2021, Vandana Katariya received the shocking news of her father Nahar Singh’s demise. She was training at the SAI Bengaluru in the national camp at that time.

The Indian striker admitted that the tragic incident pushed her into depression with no hope of being able to walk back on the field. She thanked her teammates and coaching staff for standing tall with her in the tough moments.

“I couldn’t even go home back then but the staff and team players were right behind me, and didn’t leave me alone even for a minute. I credit the whole Indian women’s team and the staff. It’s because of them I am again standing on the ground,” the Indian forward expressed her gratitude.

“My family at that point told me what has happened won’t come back and because of covid-19 quarantine rules, my brothers told me not to come. They only told me to go ahead and fulfill his dreams,” she concluded.

Vandana Katariya will most likely become the first player from India women to complete 300 international appearances during the Asian Women’s Champions Trophy this year.