Mumbai: Rutuja Pisal was particularly pleased about one thing at the end of the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL). Even more than being part of the champion team of its inaugural edition.
“It felt nice that in the final, an Indian scored the goals,” she said.
Scoring both the goals for Odisha Warriors in their 2-1 win in the title clash last month, the forward from Maharashtra’s Satara district announced her arrival on the biggest platform yet of her young career.
The 22-year-old would soon also announce her arrival on her senior international debut, producing a fine field goal against England in the just-concluded FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar. Rutuja added another against Spain to sign off the home leg, which India finished with a win over Olympic champions Netherlands on Tuesday, with a couple of field goals.
Field goals are a significant piece in the women’s team puzzle, and failure to fix it was a big reason for their Paris Olympics miss. At the FIH Women’s Olympic Qualifiers last January, India had just four field goals across five matches. The new Olympic cycle has seen an infusion of some fresh faces and forwards under coach Harendra Singh. Rutuja, the 2023 Junior Asia Cup gold medallist and 2024 Hockey5s World Cup silver medallist, is among that young influx.
“I was just looking forward to getting an opportunity to play for the Indian team,” she said.
Rutuja took little time to cash in. She was at the right place inside the D to receive a long ball, control it, find space to her left while turning towards the goal and dodging a couple British bodies, and direct the ball in.
“I was in a sense of shock that I could score on my international debut. In that moment, I just felt that I belonged here,” she said. “The team showed confidence in me, and that rubbed off on me. It felt nice to validate the belief that they had in me, and I had in myself.”
The belief stems from her steady progression since picking up the sport at Pune’s Krida Prabhodhini under coach and former international Ajit Lakra. From competing in the junior nationals, she progressed to playing at the Junior Asia Cup and World Cup in 2023. At the Hockey 5s World Cup last year, the Indian scored seven field goals in six matches. The HIL breakthrough in a team coached by Janneke Schopman — the former India coach had seen Rutuja as a junior — and the national call-up under Harendra’s new roadmap soon came about.
All through and even now in the senior group, improving her skills as a striker continues to drive Rutuja.
“We are working to get better inside the D. I feel like we play well overall, but if we can get better at the final piece, which is scoring goals, that can instil further belief in our group. Phir aur mazaa aayega match khelne mein (It will be more fun playing then),” Rutuja said.
Fun is an integral part of Rutuja’s hockey journey. Growing up in a village in Satara, the kid only got into playing the sport for the first time because “dodge maarna mujhe bahut pasand tha (I loved dodging people)”. What she also loved was watching Chak De! India over and over.
“I never thought watching the movie back then that one day I too will get to play for India,” she said.
And score goals for India. Even though the youngster understands there’s plenty of room for development, she believes she is on the right path.
“I want the team to grow, and also my hockey to grow with it,” she said “I want to play big tournaments for India — World Cup and Olympics. For that, I’ll have to take little steps of improvement.”
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