Asian Games a teaser to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: India Women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar

India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar on Thursday termed the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games a “teaser” for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where women’s cricket will make its debut, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur echoing the sentiment and saying the team will carry the same winning mindset into the global showpiece as it does at the Asian Games.

Defending champions India begin their campaign against hosts Japan here on Friday, with all eight teams eyeing a place in the semifinals. Fresh from their Women’s T20 Asia Cup triumph and having gone from one tournament to another, travelling from Dubai to Nagoya, India will look to maintain their momentum and clinch a second Asian Games gold.

“I think this (Asian Games) is a great teaser towards the Olympic quest for the Indian women’s team. We are getting used to certain things in the Asian Games. Just touring a different part of the cricketing world, which is Japan... never before been in this country,” said Muzumdar.

“The same would probably be true for most of us in LA. So, I guess the players would have a different kind of experience.  I think it (Asian Games) is a great learning experience for everyone of us and I’m really looking forward to this Asian Games,” added Muzumdar.

Harmanpreet said the team is looking forward to playing good cricket at the Asian Games and carrying those learnings into the Olympics.

“I’m sure how we enjoyed the last time in China (2022 Hangzhou Asian Games), the same way we are going to enjoy here (in Nagoya). As a team, we are looking forward to the Olympics, and hopefully going with the same mindset and the same approach... these two tournaments (Asian Games and Olympics), especially as a cricketer, we are really looking forward to,” added Harmanpreet.

She said playing at Japan and Los Angeles, which are not traditional cricket hubs, would be an interesting and valuable learning experience for the team.

“The countries like Japan and LA, we haven’t seen much cricket, but as cricketers, we are going to experience something totally different. We are not used to the conditions; we are not used to the grounds. It’s a completely different feeling,” she added.

Muzumdar said the players had literally lived out of their suitcases in recent weeks, travelling from Dubai for the Asia Cup to Delhi for just a night, before flying to Tokyo and then Nagoya for the Asian Games.

“We spent a night in Delhi and from Delhi we have come here to Tokyo and then to Nagoya. It’s been a long journey. There has been a time difference in the three countries that I was in the last three days. But really happy and delighted to be here,” said Muzumdar.

He added that the women’s team had faced hardly any hiccups on its journey to Nagoya, with the hotel arrangements and overall stay proving seamless, unlike several other Indian contingents who have faced delays and hours-long waits for accommodation.

“I don’t think there are any complaints from our end. The check-in and everything was absolutely spotless and we were pretty happy about it. In fact, we came in two contingents. The first one was taken care of by the officials right here in the hotel and the second one, I think the players arrived 4-5 hours later, and I think it was as smooth as camping,” said Muzumdar.

Muzumdar said India would settle for nothing less than gold, with the team always striving to compete hard and play for the top prize.

“We start from zero (here) and whenever India plays, the goal is always to compete for the gold.”

Harmanpreet said her first experience of playing cricket at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games was vastly different from ICC events or bilateral series, and added that the Aichi-Nagoya Games were proving equally memorable so far.

“My experience last time when we came to play the Asian Games was a totally different experience, unlike what we usually see in ICC events or the bilateral series. (Asian Games) is a different feeling, different atmosphere... last time also we had so much fun and hopefully this time also in Japan because many of us have come for the first time,” she added.

Harmanpreet recalled how, as a schoolgirl, she would marvel at Indian athletics legend PT Usha and wonder if she too could one day compete at events such as the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

“When I was in school, we used to read about her (Usha) in books and that time cricket was not something which was very famous.  I saw athletes training for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and all I knew was that if I want to represent my country, I have to take up some other sport...

“... cricket was never part of those multi-discipline sporting events I watched growing up. I used to pray that one day, if I played cricket for my country and got a chance to compete at such events, it would be a great, great, great achievement. I am very grateful that today cricket is part of the Asian Games and the Olympics, which is something I dreamed of when I was growing up.”