Navneet Kaur looking forward to new challenge of captaincy and playing alongside Emma Puvrez

Navneet Kaur likes to visit coffee shops when she is not playing Hockey.

Indian women’s hockey team vice-captain Navneet Kaur will lead the Delhi SG Pipers side in the upcoming Hockey India League. Navneet is the most experienced Indian player in the squad with over 150 international caps. The 28-year-old Haryana forward was signed for Rs. 19 lakhs by Delhi SG Pipers at the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League auction.

Known for her attacking skills, Navneet’s inclusion in the team will strengthen the attack of Delhi SG Pipers and her experience will certainly help the junior players learn some valuable lessons. Navneet was part of the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games squad and finished as India’s second-highest goalscorer at the 2022 Asian Games, where the team won the bronze medal.

Part of the Tokyo Olympics squad, Navneet played her 100th international match against the Netherlands in the 2021-2022 FIH Pro League.

Khel Now got a chance to interview the Delhi SG Pipers Captain ahead of the first-ever Women’s Hockey India League. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Also Read: Women’s Hockey India League 2025: Updated schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details

Q) What do you think will be your biggest challenge as the captain of Delhi SG Pipers?

Navneet Kaur: Although I am the vice-captain of the Indian team, captaining Delhi SG Pipers will be a different challenge, like dealing with the foreign players, who have joined the team. I understand Indian players, how they think, and how to communicate with them, but interacting with foreign players might be a bit challenging.

Q) How excited are you playing under Dave Smolenaars?

Navneet Kaur: Dev is an assistant coach with the Indian women’s team, so I am familiar with him. We have practised under him for six to seven months now. Of course, this is the first time we’ll play with him as the chief coach. There will be some new things like his playing style, but the rest is good as I know him from before.

I had a good conversation with him so those things will be useful for me, and it will also be a little easier for me to build an understanding with him, given the familiarity.

Q) Any overseas players you are excited to play with?

Navneet Kaur: We don’t talk much with the players from outside but of course, Emma Puvrez from Belgium. She is also the vice-captain of her national team and is a defender Since I am a striker, we can talk about what kind of combination can be formed.

Q) You are the most experienced Indian player in the Delhi SG Pipers team. Will that add any extra pressure, or work as a motivation for you?

Navneet Kaur: You cannot cut the pressure but of course, it becomes a responsibility. When you are the most senior Indian player in the team, then the responsibility of performing well falls on you so that other players also get inspired after seeing you. I think it’s also a good thing to have that motivation somewhere, knowing that you are a senior player and the juniors are following you.

Q) What are the changes in the structure you are seeing under Harendra Singh?

The previous coach, Janneke Schopman, was a foreign coach, but now we have an Indian coach. This brings a slight language difference, as players sometimes face challenges in understanding other languages. However, there’s also a shared love for the country and the motivation comes from within which helps the player.

Additionally, their style of play is slightly different from what we were used to earlier. These are some of the key differences between having a foreign coach and an Indian coach.

Q) How do you maintain your fitness level and your game composure?

Most of our camps focus on fitness, where we spend time in the gym or running, and we also undergo a Yo-Yo test to assess our fitness levels. Even when we return home, we are given workout plans to follow, especially during longer breaks. There’s always pressure when it comes to the game, no matter how much you’ve played. But the key is how you handle that pressure.

Once you learn to manage it, it becomes easier to perform on the field. A little pressure is important, it keeps you sharp and motivated. Without it, good performance might not come. What helps is reminding yourself that you’ve prepared well.

You’ve practiced, played matches before, and often faced the same teams. If you did well in those moments, you can do well again. The key to handling pressure is believing in yourself and trusting your practice, it’s what translates into success during matches.

Q) How do you spend your time when you’re not playing hockey or practicing?

Mostly we go out somewhere, to coffee shops. I like visiting coffee shops a lot, so I go there and listen to music and drink coffee.

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