FIH Women's World Cup: Salima Tete Backs Confident India To Make Strong Statement After Nations Cup Triumph | FPJ Exclusive

Mumbai: Fresh from India's triumphant FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup campaign, Indian women's hockey team captain Salima Tete believes the team's renewed confidence, unity and disciplined approach can help it make a strong impression at next month's FIH Hockey Women's World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, the 24-year-old from Simdega in southwestern Jharkhand said the squad is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations for the biggest assignment of the year.

"Our preparations are going very well and everyone is excited. The World Cup is a special tournament and we do not get the opportunity to play it every year. We want to create memories and achieve something different this time," Salima stated.

The midfielder revealed that while India impressed during the Nations Cup, the team is working on fine-tuning key areas, particularly penalty-corner conversions, to become more clinical against stronger opposition.

"We performed well in the Nations Cup but we know we can do even better. We are working hard on our penalty-corner conversions and focusing on the areas where we need to improve," she said.

India's Nations Cup title has injected fresh belief into the squad, according to Salima, who credited the team's success to sticking to its strengths instead of overcomplicating its game.

"The victory has given us tremendous confidence. We realised that we don't need to do anything extraordinary. We have pace, good passing combinations and strong teamwork. If we execute the basics well, we can compete with any team," she said.

Salima also reserved special praise for drag-flicker Deepika, who finished as one of India's standout performers in the Nations Cup with six goals.

"Deepika is an outstanding player with speed, skill and the ability to score goals. She gives the team confidence because we know she can convert penalty corners. We always encourage her to play to her strengths, and she motivates the rest of the team with her positive attitude," Salima said.

The captain also highlighted the importance of maintaining a positive atmosphere within the squad, especially when younger players make mistakes.

"As senior players, we tell the juniors to trust their strengths. Mistakes are part of the game but the reaction afterwards is what matters. Our unity and positivity have become our biggest strengths. Every player supports one another and our support staff constantly encourages us to improve," she said.

Salima said representing India continues to be the team's greatest motivation.

"When we step onto the field and hear the national anthem, it fills us with pride. Every second on the pitch matters because we are playing for our country. Our goal is to fight for every ball and every moment," she said.

India have been drawn alongside England, China and South Africa in the group stage, with their opening match against Olympic silver medallists China.

"Every team is a challenge. Our immediate focus is China because that is our first match. They are a quality side, but we want to surprise them. Then we have England. If we play our simple game and perform well against both teams, we can achieve our target of reaching the quarter-finals," Salima said.

She added that the team would continue relying on its speed, quick passing and disciplined structure rather than trying anything flashy.

The India captain said the team's improvement in penalty-corner conversion has been encouraging after a difficult phase over the past two years, but stressed that defensive penalty corners remain another key area of focus.

"We have improved our penalty-corner attack and want to continue that progress. At the same time, we are working hard on our penalty-corner defence because we do not want to repeat mistakes from previous tournaments," she said.

Reflecting on the coaching group's influence, Salima said the environment has remained positive and player-focused.

"Every coach has a different approach, but the mindset remains the same. They motivate us to keep improving and challenge every opponent. We never step onto the field expecting to lose. We believe we can compete with every team and that confidence is important going into the World Cup," she signed off.