You can do this only when you play for each other, like a family: Women's hockey coach Mir Ranjan Negi

Rani Rampal. Pic/PTI; (right) Savita Punia

Former hockey goalkeeper and coach Mir Ranjan Negi has said that the Indian women's hockey team's maiden entry into the Olympics semi-finals will go down as the true Chak De! India moment in the country's sporting history.

The 2007 Bollywood superhit film Chak De! India was based on an episode in Negi's life, where the former India goalkeeper was accused of treachery after the national team suffered a humiliating 1-7 defeat to Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games final at Delhi.

Mir Ranjan Negi. Pic/Atul Kamble

Mir Ranjan Negi returned as assistant coach to first guide the Indian men's team to the gold medal at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and then the women's team to the 2003 Afro-Asian Games gold. In the film, Shah Rukh Khan plays the role of a maligned hockey player, who returns as coach to guide a
rag tag women's team to the world title.

"The Indian women's team beating World No. 2 Australia in the Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals is the true Chak De! India moment in Indian sport. To be honest, even I had no expectations from this Indian women's team," Negi told mid-day on Monday, moments after Gurjit Kaur's penalty corner conversion saw skipper Rani Rampal's Team India stun Australia 1-0 at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo. Negi felt that just like in the movie, this Indian team are like family, both on and off the field. "The girls played against Australia like their lives depended on it. And you can do this only when you are playing for each other, like a family. Rani - the skipper and senior player - is binding this group, who are like sisters. That's the USP of this team," added Negi, 63.

The Indian women scored in the first quarter and then defended stoutly throughout, leaving Negi pleasantly surprised. "The defence was outstanding. It's as though the side that played in the league phase and this knockout outfit were two totally different teams. I have no doubt that they will finish on the podium now," Negi signed off.

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