“We’ll be there at LA 2028” – Captain Salima Tete opens up about Indian Women’s Hockey Team's aspirations
Salima Tete has set her sights at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Indian Women's Hockey Team exudes tremendous courage and unity every time they step onto the field. Beneath the surface, there is always a powerful drive and an unrelenting hunger to dream big, excel, and capture the imagination of those watching.
For Tete, it is the pursuit of a collective dream that keeps her team going despite the roadblocks. Failing to make it to the Paris Olympics 2024 was an unbearable setback for this Indian side. However, for Captain Salima, that is all in the past. The road ahead screams one and one thing only — LA Olympics 2028.
Salima Tete opened up during a conversation with Sportskeeda at the recently concluded Senior Women's Inter-Department National Championship, saying:
"It hurts a lot to see your dream come crashing down (missing out on Paris). That feeling of waiting for another four years is gut wrenching. But, we are not going anywhere. The dream lives on. We have taken our lessons, regrouped and now shall march ahead with confidence. We promise you India, we will be there at LA 2028."
At only 22 years of age, Tete is leading the national team with much vigor and maturity. She might be young but the Jharkhand-born player has already got the clarity that usually comes only with experience. Salima is absolutely clear about what she is aiming for and how she wants to take her team forward.
"As captain the result is not what I am chasing. My intention is always to be there for my team and take them along. We’ll win some and we’ll lose some. But, I am there standing as a rock to support my players. We are one team and we take the field as a force. When the Indian women’s team walks out, the opposition should feel our strength and togetherness," she added.
Women's game is now woven into India's emotional bond with hockey, says Salima Tete
Hockey is one sport that India has shared a special bond with over the decades. And, that emotional connection only seems to be strengthening. While it was mainly just the men's game earlier, times have now started to change. Women's hockey is an equal part of that fabric and is now getting the recognition it deserves.
Salima Tete is proud to see the revolution and feels that ever since the Tokyo Olympics 2022, the women's game has 'turned a new leaf.' She said in the same interview:
"We Indians have a very emotional bond with hockey. Women’s hockey is now a part of that emotion. The women’s game has turned a new leaf after the Tokyo Olympics. The love we started getting was something really new for us. Now young girls come up to us and say 'we want to play hockey for India'. That represents growth in the women’s game in India. It is an incredible feeling."
Salima Tete embodies India's rise as a sporting nation in recent times. With her and her teammates inspiring young girls across the country, the future for women in sports looks bright and full of promise.