Bengaluru: Navneet Kaur says she was shy as a child, but elite sport has little time for timidity. She was naive too, she admits, and naivety is seldom indulged on or off the pitch.
The now 30-year-old also grappled with self-doubt, a mindset that can undermine performance.
Athletes sharpening their skillsets is tangible. But beating shyness to become confident, turning naivety into smartness and shedding self-doubt to master self-belief are invisible labour sportspersons endure constantly. And the seasoned Navneet, who made her senior India debut in 2014, confesses that she has been on that journey of elevating her mental fortitude.
“Yeah, I was shy. But once you start playing hockey, we have to learn to talk and be expressive,” Navneet tells DH.
“Khul ke bath nahi kar saktithi (I could not express myself freely). That did show on the field too. As if I was holding myself back. But I sat down, thought deeply about what was stopping me from being the best version of myself and decided to let go. It was a lot of work and it took time. Thankfully, I don’t have that baggage now. I play freely,” she elaborates.
The shift from the Navneet of the old to the new is evident, especially in the last 10-12 months. If her game was associated with “has so much more potential” or “can go all out” description, she is now the “miss dependable” for her team and the player to be wary of to her opponents.
After scoring six goals during India’s silver medal-winning campaign at the Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China, last year, the forward was adjudged the ‘player of the tournament’ in the Hockey India League where she captained the triumphant SG Pipers. In the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad, Navneet struck four times en route to India’s second-place finish while sealing their spot for the quadrennial tournament to be hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium in August. Recently, she scored six goals at the Nations Cup in New Zealand, a title the Indian side won to get back to the FIH Pro League for the 2027 season.
“In Shahabad (Haryana), from where I come, the atmosphere around me growing up was about being perfect. So inevitably, I always thought I had to do everything myself and took more responsibilities that I could practically manage. In chasing perfection in everything, my mind was scattered everywhere doing too much. This was working against me too.
“Then I realised that I don’t have to be the best in everything or all the time. I just have to focus on doing my best in the role I have been trusted with. One thing at a time. That changed things for me. Now I play freely. The faith my coach and team-mates have on me makes me believe in myself more and the urge to not just do well for myself but for everyone else keeps getting stronger,” offers Navneet.
By travelling to the nooks and corners of her mind, the senior India player with 211 international caps and 70 goals appears to have cleared some clogs to feel lighter and recognise her own untapped potential. And this is good news for India ahead of the World Cup and the Asian Games in September where a gold medal will be automatic qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.