Jharkhand Team Would Benefit If We Have More Than One Coach: Sangita Kumari

FIH Pro League: Emerging Indian women's team forward Sangita Kumari, in highlighting the remarkable strides of hockey development in Jharkhand, advocates for an enhancement in the state's hockey infrastructure and suggests that it would be better if the state team get not just one, but multiple coaches to elevate their performance to greater heights.

Additionally, she underscores the necessity for physiotherapists to ensure the holistic well-being of the players.

"Many advancements have been made, yet we only have one coach presently. It would greatly benefit if we could acquire one or two more coaches, along with the addition of a physiotherapist to the team. With these enhancements, we can anticipate the emergence of more talented hockey players from Jharkhand," Sangita told IANS in a telephonic interview.

Sangita, who hails from the village of Karangaguri in Jharkhand, is a fast-rising forward in the Indian senior women's team. She represented India at the Under-18, Under-21, and Under-22 levels before making her senior-team debut during season three of the FIH Pro League, in India's home match against Spain.

Talking about government support in the development of the sport in the state, the 22-year-old forward said, "So far, we have received considerable support from the government, including the organisation of matches, which has been greatly appreciated. Sustained support of this nature would be highly beneficial for us going forward," she said.

She further noted that the establishment of additional excellence centres "would greatly benefit senior players. If these initiatives come to fruition, it would further enhance the landscape of hockey in Jharkhand."

Sangita was recently part of the Jharkhand team in the senior women's national championships, where her team lost to eventual-winner Haryana in the semifinals.

Many budding players have found themselves in the mix with experienced Indian international players during the national tournament, Sangita said, "As juniors played against or alongside senior players, they learned a lot, including how to play attacking hockey and various other skills".

Since her senior debut, Sangita has scored 23 goals in 51 international matches she has played so far, cementing her place in the Indian women's team, where some promising attackers like Vandana Katariya, Navneet Kaur and Salima Tete have established themselves in the senior set-up.