Goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam will hope to continue her good show as India take on Korea in the quarterfinals of the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa, on Friday.
The custodian from Manipur has had a brilliant tournament so far as India have won all their three matches in the group stages to qualify for the knockouts as Group D toppers. In the opener they beat Wales 5-1, then they shocked Germany 2-1 and in their last game beat Malaysia 4-0 with ease.
While she wasn’t tested much against Wales, it was during the match against Germany that she put on a performance for all to remember. Despite the rain, which made her kit even heavier, she made as many as a dozen saves and also kept out a penalty stroke to help the Indian team register a memorable victory against the European powerhouse.
What was more fascinating was the way she celebrated the crucial saves, without holding back her emotions and enjoying her moments in the sun. However, Germany finally did score one in the 57th minute after they threw in the sink, but it was not enough in the end as Bichu Devi along with the defenders held the fort after that.
While the 20-year-old has tasted a lot of success before, including a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics, she believes her debut for the senior team during the Pro League really prepared her for the World Cup.
“After making my debut in the Pro League, my confidence has increased manifold and I’ve not felt any pressure since coming here. During my debut in the Pro League, I did feel some pressure but in the World Cup I’m playing with a free mind,” Bichu Devi said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Speaking of her celebrations, the India custodian said, “We really wanted to win that match and top the group. So, I felt something special from the inside during the game. And then when I made the saves, I just got very excited and did what I did. When I saw it later though, it looked quite strange.”
While many have been floored by her performance, India senior women’s goalkeeper Savita sounded proud of what Bichu Devi has accomplished.
“Bichu has been training with the senior team for the last three years and that has made it easier for her when she is playing for the junior team. She is a good goalkeeper and easily picks up things. And as a goalkeeper myself, it feels great when the team is doing well because of a goalkeeper,” said Savita during a virtual press conference on Thursday.
Not only Bichu Devi, India’s other goalkeeper Khusboo has also done well in the tournament so far and has made some good saves especially in the match against Malaysia, and the two of them help each other to keep getting better.
“We share a good bond and during training we help each other out and motivate ourselves as much as possible. If I make some mistakes, she always tells me what to do or what not to do and I do the same for her,” added the youngster.
