I had promised my late father that I would play in Olympics: Lalremsiami

After making it to the 16-member Indian women’s hockey team for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, young striker Lalremsiami, who is going to play the first Olympics of her career, is hopeful of winning a medal in Tokyo. He said that the team has worked hard and made many sacrifices for the Olympics due to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Lalremsiami, one of the eight debutants in the squad for Tokyo, said, “We will not waste the hard work and sacrifices made at the camp (Sai ​​Bangalore). We will give our best in Tokyo.

We are getting amazing support from fans, and I hope we make them proud by winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 21-year-old striker, who hails from Kolasib in Mizoram, created history when she became the first woman athlete from the state to make it to the Olympics.

Speaking about his hockey journey, the young striker said, I was introduced to hockey at a playground near my home. And as soon as my school hockey coach saw me play, he selected me for the school team. When I was 10 years old, I played my first inter-school tournament, and won the best hockey player award with a cash prize of Rs 500. So, this is how my love affair with this beautiful game began.

He added, “I spent five years of my life training in Thenzawl before coming to Delhi in 2016. When I was leaving my house, I told my father that I would one day represent India, and I am here today. There were challenges in my initial days. Farming was the only source of income for my family, but it was my father who supported me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.

Before entering the senior team, Lalremsiami represented India’s under-18 team in the Asian Youth Olympic Games qualifiers held in Bangkok, where he scored seven goals to help the team clinch a silver medal. She was also an important part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics.

Lalremsiami, who made her debut in a Test series against Belarus in 2017, has climbed the ranks in the senior team after solid performances at major events including the 2018 Asian Games and the FIH Women’s Series Final Hiroshima 2019.

After setting an example in the hockey world, the Mizoram striker became the first woman player from the country to win the FIH Rising Star of the Year 2019 award.

When asked about the achievement, he was quick to give credit to his teammates. Lalremsiami said, “I won the award because of the support I got from the entire team, so this award belongs to them as much as mine.”