When she was a child, Deepika’s father used to take her alongside to the wrestling centre in Hisar, the place her brother skilled. Although from a household of wrestlers, initially from a village close to Rohtak, Deepika’s coronary heart was by no means set on wrestling. At some point, she went out of the centre and occurred to look at hockey. There, hockey coach Azad Singh Malik, who used to coach Savita Punia and Sonika, observed a woman engrossed within the sport.
“The primary day I noticed her, she was sitting attentively and watching us,” Malik instructed The Indian Categorical. “She got here the subsequent day and sat for a very long time, so long as her brother used to practise inside. She was fully engrossed. I instructed the senior women ‘if she comes tomorrow too, then convey her to me. It signifies that she has a number of curiosity in taking part in hockey, junoon sa lag raha hai mere ko.’ After all, she got here. I requested if she wished to play. She stated sure. I gave her a stick and he or she by no means stopped coming to the bottom.”
Quick ahead 12 years. Deepika – now 20 – is lighting up the Ladies’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar. She is creating into India’s major supply of objectives as they enter a brand new Olympic cycle, topping the scorers’ chart with 10 within the pool-stage.
Her love for hockey was on the spot. “I began liking it immediately,” Deepika instructed this day by day. “Nobody in my household performs hockey they usually wished to select up a person sport. However I refused saying I wished to play a staff sport. I didn’t like wrestling. I used to be scared (laughs). I feared my ears would break.”
Uncommon breed
Deepika is a singular case, not simply within the ladies’s model. One of the best drag sparkles are sometimes defenders, as a result of they’re naturally constructed heavier. Power is a precedence over velocity and agility. She is, nevertheless, a ahead who drag flicks. “Across the finish of 2017, coach Azad launched me to pull flicks. I naturally had energy, and India didn’t have many drag sparkles. There was solely Guri di (Gurjit) so he felt I may gain advantage from this long-term. Due to my wrestling background, woh energy toh hamaari khandaan mein hello hain (laughs),” she stated.
Her distinctive abilities gained consideration within the home circuit. When she got here to the camp, Deepika was simply conscious of the drag sparkles within the Indian setup however with assist of former coach Janneke Schopman, she familiarised herself with the likes of Yibbi Jansen of the Netherlands. “Deepika is an excellent drag-flicker and continues to be younger,” Schopman stated earlier than the Olympic qualifiers earlier this 12 months. “Her drag-flick risk is one thing even coaches in Spain and different groups, who will not be right here, are speaking about. Groups know we’ve got a risk.”
The Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi, nevertheless, didn’t go to plan. There was strain on her sturdy however inexperienced shoulders, as she was India’s solely recognised drag flicker. She struggled as India missed their ticket to Paris. Morale was hit, however she credited her teammates and household for propping her again up. “It was a low level however the senior gamers and my dad and mom helped me perceive that I’ve a number of taking part in years forward of me. Life abhi shuru hui hai,” she stated.
“She is nearly to show 21 and he or she generally is a deadly, world-class striker,” coach Harendra Singh stated. “Not solely area objectives, I’m actually engaged on her drag flicks. She is already scoring however he can get higher. I’m not placing any strain, however she has a vibrant future. After the Professional League, I had a one-on-one assembly along with her. I instructed her I’m going to make you among the best strikers, however for that we’ve got to work rather a lot. She is getting a number of confidence from this event.”
Harendra has been engaged on Deepika’s footwork and flicking method. She acknowledged it has improved the ability in her strikes. Whereas she has pure upper-body energy, the assist workers is engaged on enhancing the ability in her legs. Extra importantly, when she was outdoors the staff for a 12 months in 2022-’23, she needed to get higher at defensive work, one thing Vandana Katariya and Schopman helped her with.
In Rajgir, she has turn into a fan favourite. Posters (a pattern: ‘Deepika on fireplace, China ab retire’) are aplenty within the stands, particularly after her five-goal efficiency in opposition to Thailand. “Yeah, I noticed these. I’ve clicked just a few images as nicely with a few of the followers. It feels actually good, you already know? Seeing such issues for the primary time, and it simply offers me a number of confidence and motivation to get higher.”
The dream for Deepika is to repay her dad and mom’ struggles. Tales of woman youngsters being discouraged from taking over sports activities is frequent however her father by no means let it have an effect on her. “He by no means let me see the robust instances,” Deepika recalled. “I used to see how dad introduced us meals and stuff from far-off on his bicycle. Mom additionally struggled rather a lot, simply to feed a feminine athlete like me. My dream is to provide my dad and mom the perfect advantages in life. They’ve seen poverty. I’ll take them to such a stage that they may really feel pleased with me. That’s all I wish to play for.”
