Bengaluru, Apr 29 (UNI) Having debuted for India in early 2017 against Belarus during a Series in Bhopal, Salima Tete became a young prodigy who was touted to be the next big thing in Indian hockey. But she struggled to impress against Belarus.
"I lacked confidence when I played for the senior team in 2017. I was scared and that reflected on my game. It was not a memorable debut for me," admitted the 19-year-old midfielder, one of the youngest members in the Indian squad.
However, Tete who led the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team during the 3rd Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires in 2018 changed the course of her career where the team won silver not only did she lead and defend but also scored 4 goals, even Prime Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded her efforts on Twitter by stating, "Even at a young age, Salima Tete showed excellent leadership skills to lead the Junior Women's Hockey Team to a silver medal at the Youth Olympics 2018.
Tete who is from a small hamlet in Simdega district, Jharkhand has since proved her potential in the Indian team, with Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne often trusting her with important role in the midfield and in the backline.
"The seniors in the team have really helped me improve my performance. They constantly talk to me and encourage me especially when we play big teams like Australia, Spain or Japan. The year 2019 in specific was extremely good for the women's team and we have been on the right path," says Tete.
"In the next one year, there is a lot of scope to improve and we believe an Olympic Medal is a realistic goal for the team," she emphasised confidently.
UNI NC1531