From small towns to world stage: The fearless young brigade of Indian Hockey

Chennai: A cherished inheritance, a platform to fetch a job or quite simply a leap of faith -- every member of India's World Cup bronze-winning junior men's hockey team has a different take to offer on what the sport means to them.

But what binds this under-21 bunch together is the dream of an Olympic medal for the country.

And that ambition has grown manifold after they fought their way to a podium finish at the World Cup ending India's nine-year wait for a medal at the showpiece.

In the process, they assured hockey watchers that the inevitable and upcoming transition period in the senior team would not be as turbulent as is being anticipated.

Every player comes from a different world and is shaped by adversity which is unique to his story of grit and hope.

For 21-year-old captain Rohit from Dabra village in Haryana, even eating a simple meal was once a battle. A facial fracture during a practice game against the senior team last year left him nearly immobile for months, enough to make him wonder if he would ever play again.

"Those few months were so difficult that even eating and drinking became painful," Rohit told 'PTI Bhasha' on the sidelines of the Junior World Cup here.

"At one point, I thought I wouldn't be able to play again. But once I returned to hockey, I felt I couldn't stop. I wasn't afraid anymore. Now I want to play for the senior team and win World Cup and Olympic medals. We hope this bronze inspires more boys to take up hockey."

In Sundargarh, Odisha, which was once India's hockey nursery, 19-year-old Anmol Ekka was born in a village of barely 3,000 people.

After losing his mother early, he was raised by his maternal grandparents, and it was in their village that he found the sport that changed his life.

"Everyone in my village played football. But when I moved in with my grandparents, I started playing Hockey which was very popular there. After shifting to a hostel, I realised I could work hard and play for the country," said the full-back, who is a Birendra Lakra fan.

His performance in the bronze medal match against Argentina marked him as one of the standout players of the tournament.

Another product of Sundargarh, 21-year-old mid-fielder Roshan Kujur, grew up playing on grass fields before stepping on astro turf. His inspiration is Olympian Manpreet Singh, the man he hopes to emulate at the senior level.

"There are many grassroots tournaments in my village and we used to play on grass. I became a mid-fielder watching Manpreet Singh from childhood, however I never imagined playing for India," he added.

In Pathankot, Punjab, goalkeeper Princedeep Singh found his calling after leaving football behind.

He trained at the Cheema Academy and wore the iconic No. 16 jersey, which once belonged to the great P R Sreejesh who is now his coach. He did Sreejesh and his team proud with a superb performance in the shootout against Belgium in the quarterfinals.

A Cristiano Ronaldo fan, who unwinds with Sidhu Moosewala songs, Princedeep said he never lost belief even when the team was trailing Argentina by two goals for three quarters in the bronze medal play-off.

"We just told each other that we had to play for one another, it was our last junior tournament. The crowd support pushed us further. We're not afraid of any team and can beat anyone on our day," he said.

For Manmeet Singh, hockey runs in the family.

The 20-year-old mid-fielder from Verowal in Tarn Taran, Punjab is the nephew of Olympian Akashdeep Singh and grew up in a home where mistakes on the field meant a dressing down not just from coaches but family too.

"My father was in the army and played hockey at the national level. Uncle Akashdeep is an Olympian and another uncle represented Punjab Police. If I make an error, everyone points it out," he said.

After five months of preparation in Bengaluru, Manmeet now longs to go home.

"I want to eat Sarson da saag and makki di roti made by my mother. It's been so long."

From Ghuman Kalan village in Punjab, 20-year-old forward Dilraj admits he didn't take hockey seriously at first. But his mother's sacrifices gave him purpose.

"My father wasn't well, and my mother sold her earrings to buy my first goalkeeping kit. Sometimes I didn't even have money to travel for tournaments. Today every time I take the field, there is a flashback in my mind about her sacrifices," he said.

"I want to give my mother a better life and bring glory to the country."

Uttar Pradesh's a 21-year-old drag-flicker Shardanand Tiwari closed out the first phase of his young career by scoring a crucial goal against Belgium like he had in the 2021 Junior World Cup.

"We beat Belgium by one goal in Bhubaneswar in 2021 and I scored then. In 2023, I fell sick before leaving for the tournament in Kuala Lumpur. This time I was lucky, and I am happy I could score an important goal in the quarterfinal."

"I keep chanting God's name in my mind. I am confident I will score when the opportunity comes," he said.