"Hockey is not very popular where I come from”: Lalremsiami on Arjuna Award

Indian women's hockey team forward Lalremsiami described her inclusion among the Arjuna Award recipients as a "deep honour", saying the recognition has motivated her to work harder and give her best for the country.

The experienced forward, who learnt about the honour on Tuesday morning, is currently with the Indian team for the Women's Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands.

"I am feeling very good. It's a deep honour to receive this recognition. It motivates me to keep working hard and to do my best for my country and my team," Lalremsiami said.

The 26-year-old said she felt "blessed" on hearing about the award, reflecting on a journey that began in her school in Mizoram, where hockey was not a particularly popular sport.

"When I heard about the Arjuna Award this morning, I felt very blessed. Hockey is not that popular where I belong, but I am very happy to be here and to represent my country," she said.

Lalremsiami's journey in the sport began at school before she gradually joined an academy, though she never imagined she would one day represent India and be recognised with one of the country's highest sporting honours.

"We don't play hockey at home. I started playing hockey in school. At the beginning, I didn't believe that I would be able to reach this far. Gradually, I joined the academy and I am very happy," she said.

The journey, however, came with its share of challenges. Her academy was located far from home, making travel difficult, while joining the national academy brought another hurdle as she was unfamiliar with both Hindi and English.

"I have faced a lot of challenges. When I started playing hockey, my academy was very far from my home. It was very difficult for me to go to the academy.

"When I joined the national academy, I didn't know Hindi or English. But gradually, I learned. As a player, it is very difficult, but I am very happy to be here," she said.

With India now competing at the World Cup, Lalremsiami said the team was focused on taking the tournament one match at a time but remained determined to fight for a medal.

"Our team is very good and we are preparing very well. We played very well yesterday and today is our second match. We will focus on match by match and do our best as a team.

"This time, we will win the medal," she said.

As one of the senior members of the squad, Lalremsiami said experience comes with the responsibility of ensuring the players push and support one another during the campaign.

"As a senior and experienced player, I think we should give our best as a team. We have to push each other," she added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)