Indian Women’s Hockey team forward Lalremsiami was delighted when she saw her name in the 16 member squad for the Tokyo Olympics. This was her first Olympics and she stated how many sacrifices she has made to reach this level. She also assured the fans that the Women’s hockey team will try their best to win a medal in Tokyo.
“We won’t waste the hard work and sacrifices we all have made at the camp (SAI Bengaluru). We will give our best in Tokyo. We have been getting wonderful support from the fans, and I hope we make them proud by winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics,” expressed Lalremsiami, who is one of the eight debutants named in the squad.
The 21-year-old forward created history as she became the first athlete from the state of Mizoram to feature at the Olympics. Sharing her hockey journey Lalremsiani said, “I was introduced to hockey in a playground near my house, and as soon as my school hockey Coach saw me playing, he selected me for the school team. When I was 10, I played my first inter-school tournament, and won the Best Hockey Player award, along with a ₹500 cash prize. So, that’s how my love affair with this beautiful game started.”
She shared how she made sacrifices to leave away from her family and how her father supported her in this journey. “I spent five years of my life training in Thenzawl before I moved to Delhi in 2016. When I was leaving my home, I told my dad that I will represent India one day, and here I am today! I did face a lot of challenges during my early days. The only source of income for my family was farming, but it was my dad who supported me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.”
Lalremsiami made her national team debut in 2017 during a test series against Belarus. She climbed up the ranks with consistent performances at major events which also included the 2018 Asian Games and the FIH Women’s Series Finals Hiroshima 2019. But sadly the 21-year-old lost her father during the tournament but she decided to play on and that proved her mental fortitude. her aim now is to win a medal at the Summer Games.
“That was the toughest moment of my life. Instead of going back, I decided to stay back and help the team win the knockout game to reach the Final of the tournament. That’s what my dad wanted for me, to represent India and to win a medal at the Olympics, and those matches were very important for us, in order to qualify for the marquee event. I wanted to make him proud, and I am pretty sure he would be proud of me today. But, the job isn’t done yet because I am yet to win a medal,” she concluded.
