Team moving in right direction in preparation for Olympics, says Vandana

One of the most experienced strikers in the Indian women's hockey team, Vandana Katariya has been extremely satisfied with the way the national side has progressed since the team resumed sports activities last month.

The 28-year-old has expressed that the Indian team is working towards moving back to top form in a slow and steady manner.

"Our coaches have told us that we shouldn't rush into anything at the moment. We have a lot of time in our hands, so we are slowly rebuilding our own games. It's been great to see the way the players have responded on the pitch while we carry out our sports activities," said Vandana.

"We are certainly moving in the right direction and we will get back to our top form at the right time as it's very important to peak at a certain time before the Olympics," she added.

The forward, who has played over 200 matches and scored 64 goals for India, also said that the side is very fortunate to be preparing for the Olympics in a safe environment amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It's been a very difficult time for the entire world, but we have still found a way to continue our preparation for the Olympics. We ensured that we maintained our fitness when we were away from the pitch, but it feels great to be back on the pitch to carry out our sports activities now," said the 28-year-old.

"Hockey India and SAI have worked extremely hard to ensure that a safe environment was created for us at the SAI campus in Bengaluru and we are very fortunate to be in a place where we can start rebuilding our game without anything else on our minds."

Vandana added that she feels completely rejuvenated after spending quality time with her family during the team break. The forward is very determined and motivated to take her game to the next level in the upcoming months.

"It was amazing to spend some quality time with my family. We were at the SAI campus for a long time and Hockey India made sure that they waited for the right time to give us a break. I cannot thank them enough for the way they planned our exit from the campus in June and also our entry into the campus once we returned in August," she said.

"Now, I feel completely rejuvenated and I am extremely motivated to become better at my game in the next few months," she added.