India, Aug. 29 -- India's women's hockey team has found a new belief in itself, veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia said after the side finished fifth at the ongoing World Cup, their best result in more than five decades.

The result marked a strong turnaround for India, who had failed to make the cut for the Paris Olympics 2024 and also had a tearful exit from the semi-final race at the recently concluded World Cup here.

The experienced Savita, who has 319 international caps, in an interview with PTI, says the biggest change is not merely in the results but in the atmosphere inside the dressing room.

"After the arrival of coach Sjoerd Marijne and all the new support staff, we decided to have fun, laugh, talk and chat off the field. It wasn...