Tokyo 2020: Even as female athletes deliver for India, women’s sport struggles for equal footing

The Indian women’s hockey team’s campaign at the Tokyo Olympics ended in tears as they lost the bronze medal bout against Great Britain. They missed out on a medal by a whisker.

While nothing can make up for the tangible rewards of a podium finish, the Indian team’s efforts in Tokyo weren’t futile. Coach Sjoerd Marijne, having managed the team for one last time, put it perfectly.

“We didn’t win the medal, but I think we achieved something bigger, and it’s inspiring a country and make the country proud. I think the world has seen another Indian team, and I’m really proud of that,” he said.

The questions for him in the post-game conference too were different. Journalists were keen to know about the future of the team, what is needed to bridge the gap to go from being a fourth-place team to being medallists. Earlier, these press conferences rarely had such a hopeful tone.

Ranked ninth at the start of the tournament, India defied the rankings to put up a commendable show not just of grit and determination but also of craft and quality. It may seem like a great underdog story but it probably wasn’t one. India put their best foot forward and…

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