KOLKATA: Even as the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams prepare for the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games, a batch of players outside the national team have signed up for the Australian Hockey One league scheduled to be held in October and November.So far, four Indian players have been officially announced and all of them will represent the Melbourne Cobras. The women’s team includes Kanika Siwach and Udita, while the men’s team includes Gurjant Singh and Mohammed Raheel Mouseen. The club has also roped in former India stars Rupinder Pal Singh and Rani Rampal as ambassadors.The Cobras have been actively promoting the Indian community in Australia and have built a team that is a blend of Indian and Australian talent.Talking about her decision, Kanika, the daughter of former India captain and coach Pritam Siwach, said she wanted to challenge herself by leaving her familiar hometown.“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. At home, I’ve been with the same players for five or six years. Here, I don’t know anyone. I have to adapt to a new culture, new teammates and a completely different environment. I want to test myself, that’s why I’m here.”Kanika, who played in the Junior World Cup last year and scored five goals, has been in Australia for just over a month and is currently playing in the Women’s Super League for Mentone Hockey Club.Reflecting on her experience so far, she said: “Australian Hockey is very different from Indian Hockey. Australian Hockey is more structured and fast-paced. They also place a lot of emphasis on teamwork. In India, we put a lot of emphasis on developing individual skills, whereas here, everything is more structured and team-oriented.”Udita, who has represented India in 138 international matches and last featured for the national team in the Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad earlier this year, is equally excited about the opportunity.“Our Indian Hockey League is relatively short, lasting about 20 to 25 days, while the Australian league lasts almost two months. This means we will be immersed in hockey for a longer period of time and can observe their training habits, routines and overall approach.”Former India drag player Rupinder Pal Singh feels that the experience is priceless for Indian players considering the limited opportunities they get to play in overseas leagues.“Indian players rarely get the opportunity to play in international leagues, so this is a valuable opportunity,” the former India player said. “This will allow our players to experience Australian hockey culture first-hand, observe how they prepare and learn from their training methods.”Rupinder believes that exposure could be priceless as Indian players return home with new ideas, different perspectives and a better understanding of one of the most powerful hockey systems in the world.
