Target is to qualify for Asian Games: Orpita Pal

Bangladesh women’s hockey team left for Jakarta in the early hours of Monday for the Women’s Asian Games Qualifiers from April 23 to 29. Orpita Pal is leading the youthful team in their debut appearance at international stage. The Grade-12 student from BSKP spoke to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman about the team’s preparation, goals and challenges in the eight-team competition, from where four top teams will qualify for the tournament proper. Following are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): You previously captained the U-21 team. Now you are leading the senior team in their debut tournament. What is the team’s primary objective and how prepared are you?

Orpita Pal (OP): Our preparation has been quite good. Our team bonding is strong as we are training under a disciplined routine for a long period at BKSP. It would be premature to talk about winning the championship because we don't have much prior experience at this level. Our target is to secure a place for the Asian Games by advancing to the semifinals.

DS: Bangladesh have been grouped with Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Uzbekistan. Do you think you can progress?

OP: Nothing is impossible. If there is willpower, anything can be achieved. Chinese Taipei are a strong side but we have to overcome Hong Kong and Uzbekistan to realise our dream.

DS: How does this team compare to the 2024 U-21 side?

OP: Back in 2024, we were not as matured as we are now because the sense of ‘team feelings’ was slightly lower. Now, our collective mindset has improved, and everyone has a better sense of what is required to represent the country. In terms of technical performance, we previously lacked a clear understanding of skills like slices or overheads, which we have now mastered. Furthermore, we have changed our tactical approach; instead of running individually with the ball, we are learning to let the ball travel. This allows us to organise our play more effectively without exhausting the players.

DS: Where has the team improved most?

OP: I would say our greatest strength is the penalty corner. We have trained PCs extensively, and our scoring ability in this area is high. In 2024, we secured most of our goals through PCs, which boosted our confidence. We have three to four PC specialists.

DS: Your personal goal?

OP: I am not focusing on personal goals rather my primary objective is to lead the team to get good results.

DS: Will lack of exposure hurt?

OP: We will certainly struggle a bit due to the lack of international exposure. If we could play regularly against international sides, we would understand our strengths and weaknesses better and compete with more confidence in AHF-sanctioned tournaments.

DS: Tell us about the Barua twins – Niladri and Himadri.

OP: Our bonding with them is excellent. As a goalkeeper, Himadri is the backbone of our team.  Niladri plays in defence and I feel confident when she is behind me.