Xtra Time Web Desk: The Women’s Asia Cup is a great opportunity to make a mark in the senior hockey side, feels talented young forward Mariana Kujur who hails from the hockey belt Sundargarh in Odisha.
Mariana a member of Panposh Academy, idolised her senior hockey players, Deep Grace Ekka, Lilima Minz and Namita Toppo who are products of Odisha’s rich hockey culture.
“I am grateful for this opportunity. The Women’s Asia Cup is a very prestigious tournament in the international calendar and I really want to use this opportunity to perform the role I’ve been assigned and live up to the team’s expectations,” said Kujur in an official release.
“The past few weeks in the camp in Bengaluru was good for me as I worked on understanding the level at which the Senior team plays and I believe I have developed good on-field communication with the players particularly in the forwardline and the midfield,” Mariana expressed.
Mariana further said, “After arriving in Muscat, we had a few good sessions of hockey. The weather is quite pleasant and we are getting used to the pitch at the Sultan Quboos Sports Complex. It is a beautiful venue and the team is quite excited ahead of the first match.
While speaking about being a part of the same team which counted one of her idols Deep Grace Ekka leading the team as the Vice-Captain, Mariana stated, “Deep Grace is such a cool-headed player. She never lets the opponents get the better of her even in pressure situations. There is a lot that I can learn from her and she’s been quite supportive all along. She always advices me to play my natural game and not feel the pressure of playing for the Senior side. I think that way, all the players have been quite supportive and I am really looking forward to having a good outing here.”