Need to stay calm to think clearly: Hockey forward Navneet

Bengaluru, The Indian women’s hockey team needs to stay calm in crunch situations in order to think clearly during the Olympics, says forward Navneet Kaur, who has played 79 matches for the country.

“We all have the skills and talent to take on the best in the world. However, making key decisions on the pitch is a crucial factor for any side. Therefore, it will be very important for us to stay calm during crunch situations and make decisions to the best of our abilities. Even one wrong pass could hurt us deeply.

“We have to ensure that we are thinking clearly and not making too many unforced errors on the pitch during the Olympics,” said Navneet.

The 25-year-old added that the Indian players should be clear about their roles on the pitch.

“It’s very important for all of us to be clear about our roles on the pitch. There should be no confusion on game day. The coaches and captain have been ensuring that everyone knows their role and how they can execute their plans so that we coordinate well on the pitch. The Olympics is going to be a big challenge for us, and we have to play at our absolute best,” said Navneet, who is training at the national camp at the Sports Authority of India centre here.

On the Indian team’s training sessions, Navneet said, “We are carrying out high-intensity training at the moment. We try to simulate match situations during practice. We are very confident about our abilities and it’s just about executing our plans properly on game day. If we play to our potential, we will do very well in Tokyo.”