Tokyo, Aug 2 (PTI) Former India hockey player Nazleen Madraswala feels the women's team's stunning entry into the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics showed that "nothing separates" the side from the best in the world.

A day after the Indian men's team ended a 49-year drought to make the Olympic semifinals, the women's side scripted history by also entering the last-four, ousting three-time champions Australia by a solitary goal here.

"To be honest, it is just sinking in. It is absolutely a historic day for India, because for me, I think we've come a long way from the last Olympics where we were nowhere in the picture to create this absolutely fabulous performance," the 1982 Asian Games gold medallist told 'sportsaction.in' in a talk show titled 'India Hope at Tokyo'.

"I think it is a very, very special day. And I'm really proud to be a hockey player. They came into today's game as the underdogs knowing that it was a situation where it was a do-or-die.

"India has proved itself that we can compete with the best in the world. There is nothing that separates us from the best in the world," Nazleen, who was part of the side that finished fourth at the 1980 Games, added.

In Wednesday's semifinal, the Rani-led side will take on Argentina, a team that had lost to Australia, in its bid to recreate history.

Asked if the Indian women would be at an advantage psychologically, she said: "I think they need to persevere. They need to carry on with the same frame of mind. They need to be positive, and they need to take it to the opposition. The gold medal is two games away."

India's best performance in the Olympics came way back in the 1980 Moscow Games where they had finished fourth out of six teams.

Nazleen, who represented India at the Olympics at an age of 18, was known as the 'Lightning Left Winger' for her dashing speed from the left flank while gripping the stick in her left hand.

"Let's be honest about it. There were only six there. You know, all the teams of the world were not represented. Yes, it was huge, it was the Olympics. We can't take anything away from that," Nazleen said.

"But it was not the same as what these girls have fought through. So while I take great pride in having that opportunity to have been at the Olympic Games, I think we've come a long way," the former player, who mentors youngster in New Zealand now, said.

Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur rose to the occasion when it mattered the most and converted India's lone penalty corner in the 22nd minute to knock out the mighty Aussies.

"What an amazing amount of team work, cohesion... the fact that they were not willing to take no for an answer. They scored pretty early in the game, and then they fought every ball, every ball was challenged, every move. They gave it 100 per cent."

"It's not only the people who are on the show, it is also the management. It is also the support staff. Everybody who was there today had come out and they had come out with determination," she said, hailing the effort of the Sjoerd Marijne-coached side.

India showed amazing resilience after enduring successive defeats against Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, before winning against Ireland and then South Africa to progress into the quarters.

"They put the losses behind it. They were thinking of what was ahead of them, and I think that was what made the difference.

"The Australians obviously would have come out with a bit of confidence, knowing, you know, that they hadn't lost a single game.

"I don't think they were expecting this performance from India. And the fact that our girls came out and they showed what they really were, I think, has put the whole world in disbelief," she signed off.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)