Mamta Kharab, looking ahead to the big-stage leap

Since the Rohtak girl made her debut for India in 1999 in the four-nation tournament held in the US, it has been a habit for Mamta. “I take it everywhere, I think it gives me luck as it reminds me of my parents,” she explains.

During a chat with The Indian Express, Kharab talked about her latest plans, India’s preparations for the Olympic qualifiers to be played in Auckland in 2008 and the emergence of young players in the Indian team.

After leading India in the Asia Cup held in Hong Kong where the team lost to China in the bronze medal match, Mamta is now eyeing a good performance in the four-nation tournament in November. “We were in good form early in the Asia Cup, but unfortunately the team lost in the bronze medal match against China. Most of the girls in the team are young and the team is getting along well and we hope to do well in New Zealand,” says Kharab, who is nicknamed Chipkali for her energetic moves on the turf.

But with the Beijing Olympics firmly on her mind, Kharab, who was little known until she guided India to gold in the Manchester Games in 2002, is careful not to boast too early.

“The team needs to perform well and the junior players need to take up responsibility. Conditions in New Zealand are different and a good finish here will help us improve our performance in qualifiers,” says Kharab. Talking about the experience of coaching under Herman Kruis, Kharab says most of the players benefited a lot from the 15-day stint.

“The team desperately needed an expert coach before the pre- Olympic qualifiers and the 15- day stint helped us a lot,” says the Indian captain.