Bengaluru, (Samajweekly) Indian women’s hockey team forward Jyoti is making sure she gets to learn all that she can, both on and off the field, from the experienced players who are part of the ongoing national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility here.
Having made her debut for the Indian team in April 2019 during the Malaysia tour, where the side won four matches and one match was drawn, Jyoti is a player for the future. At the age of 20, the forward is one of the prospects of the side, and believes that consistently playing, living and training with experienced players has taught her a lot.
“I am delighted to be a part of this wonderful group of women. I think with the amount of experienced players we have, it has certainly benefited me. I am always looking forward to gaining what I can from these players, both on the field and off it,” said the youngster.
“It is a brilliant time to be a women’s team player in India, because of the kind of exposure we are getting due to Hockey India’s support and vision for us, and also because of what we are trying to build here under chief coach Sjoerd Marijne,’ she added.
Having played 12 matches for the national side so far, Jyoti is a talented forward who likes to make in runs into the opposition circle, and is often seen on either flank. The player, who represents the Railways Sports Promotion Board in the national competitions, is keen to learn from stalwarts like Vandana Katariya and captain Rani.
“I believe it is a fantastic opportunity for me to grow and grow quickly because I’ve got so many world-class forwards in my team here. With Vandana, Rani, Navjot, Navneet, I have a strong group of players who believe in my abilities and always help in all aspects of my play. When I step onto the field, I know that with the kind of players I’m playing with, we will be able to create a lot of chances and also convert them, even against the world ranked top teams,” said Jyoti.
