Consistency is paramount for progress, says hockey coach Janneke Schopman ahead of World Cup

The quadrennial event will be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Spain from July 1 to 17. India's best-ever result at the World Cup is a fourth-place finish in the inaugural edition in 1974. In 2018, India finished eighth.

"If we truly play to our potential, we play the way we know we can consistently, anything is possible. Women hockey at this moment is very tight, anyone can beat anyone," Schopman told PTI in an interview. "(But) consistency is a big point of attention.

If we can play consistently well, top-4, and who knows a podium in the World Cup is a possibility." "At the same time if we don't perform we can miss the quarterfinals." The coach said the players need to understand their potential and deliver on the field in order to achieve consistency. "I think we have great potential and if we actually play to our potential we are a tough team to beat," the 45-year-old said. Schopman, a double Olympic medallist defender from the Netherlands, said players will have to shoulder responsibility to achieve success in the World Cup.

"If anything I need to see is players taking up ownership on the field and believe that they can perform. "Realistically, I think we are up there. We are in the top 6.

Our performance against Argentina (recently in Pro League) showed that we can compete against any country." The former Dutch player said besides on-field performance, taking care of the mental side of players also contributes to a team's success. "Being in the present moment and not letting mistakes trouble you is important. So it is important to spend a lot of time discussing the mental side of the game.