Kanika Siwach (left) and Udita
KOLKATA: Even as the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams prepare for the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games, a group of players from outside the current national squad have signed up to play in the Australian Hockey League, scheduled for October-November.So far, four Indian players have officially announced their participation, all of whom will represent the Melbourne Cobras franchise. The women’s squad consists of Kanika Siwach and Udita, while Gurjant Singh and Mohammad Raheel Musin will participate in the men’s team. The club also appointed former India stars Rupinder Pal Singh and Rani Rampal as ambassadors.The Cobras are actively promoting the Indian community in Australia and have built a team that mixes Indian and Australian talent.Speaking about her decision, Kanika, daughter of former India captain and coach Pritam Siwatch, said she wanted to challenge herself by moving away from the familiarity of home.“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. In my home country, I was with the same players for five or six years. Here, I didn’t know anyone. I had to adapt to a new culture, new teammates and a completely different environment. I wanted to test myself, that’s why I came.”
Kanika, who played in the Junior World Cup last year and scored five goals, has already spent more than a month in Australia and is currently playing in the Women’s Premier League for Menton Hockey Club.Commenting on the experience so far, she said: “Australian hockey is very different from Indian hockey. It requires a lot more physicality and pace. It also places a lot of emphasis on teamwork. In India, we focus a lot on developing individual skills, whereas here everything is more structured and team-oriented.”Udita, who has represented India in 138 ODIs and last played for the national team in the Women’s World Cup qualifier 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 Hockey League lasts for about two months. This means that we will be immersed in hockey for a longer period and will be able to observe their training habits, routines and general approach.”Former India player Rupinder Pal Singh believes the assignment will be invaluable for Indian players, given the limited opportunities they get to feature in overseas leagues.“Indian players don’t often get the opportunity to play in international leagues, so this is a valuable opportunity,” the former Indian player said. “It will allow our players to experience Australian hockey culture first-hand, observe how they prepare, and learn from their training methods.”Rupinder believes that this exposure can be invaluable when Indian players return home with new ideas, different perspectives and a better understanding of one of the world’s strongest hockey systems.
