Inspiring stories of Indian hockey players at the Under-21 World Cup

Indian sport is no stranger to inspirational rags to riches stories. There are numerous instances wherein players have risen from the ashes to make a name for themselves and their country. We take a look at a few players in the current Hockey Under 21 Men's team whose background and stories are inspirational, to say the least.

Shardanand Tiwari

Hailing from the capital of UP, Tiwari is the son of a security guard and picked up hockey while playing with his friends. Given that his father was the only income earner in the family, Tiwari utilized his vacations to work in a grocery store and earn extra money to fund his requirements for hockey. He has time and again mentioned that Hockey was a way out for him from the financial struggles he face in his family. Tiwari made his debut at the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2019 and won a silver medal.

Uttam Singh

Karampur in UP has produced numerous players given that it also has its very own astroturf pitch. Uttam Singh hails from this hockey hub and credits the late hockey coach Tej Bahadur Singh with helping him reach where he is. Tej Bahadur Singh set up the astroturf pitch in Karampur and helped give the necessary funds and training to several aspiring players including Uttam Singh. Uttam Singh's father is a farmer who struggled to provide the necessary equipment for his son and it was Tej Bahadur who helped give necessary funds for the same.

Vivek Sagar Prasad

The youngest player at the Olympics and the captain of the under 21 team. Vivek Sagar Prasad hails from Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, where he first picked up the hockey stick at a very young age. His father was initially against him playing due to the monetary and employment aspect of it. Vivek was picked up famous Indian player Ashok Kumar who scouted him and brought him to the Bhopal Academy. Over time Vivek established himself as a mainstay in the state side despite his height. He overcame a life-threatening injury when his left collar bone was hit during a local match and his lungs were subsequently affected badly. Despite that, he took time to make a comeback and made it to the national team within a few years.