Sports in her blood, Jyoti Singh eyes legacy of her own

Bengaluru, Feb 28 (PTI) “Sports runs in my family,” says 21-year-old Jyoti Singh, the daughter of an international long-distance runner, as she charts her own path in Indian hockey with quiet clarity and ambition.

Born in Jhansi, Jyoti captained India at the women's Junior World Cup and also made her senior debut last year, featuring in four matches of the Pro League, including a remarkable win against World No. 1, the Netherlands.

“My father was an international athlete, so I’d go to the ground with him to do some running, and also play some badminton," she stated in a release.

"However, it was my cousin sister who inspired me to play hockey. She was part of the senior academy. Whenever she would come home for summer vacations, I would spend time with her and want to be like her." Jyoti moved to Madhya Pradesh to train at the Madhya Pradesh Women’s Hockey Academy in Gwalior, a decision that laid the foundation for her rise through the ranks.

She went on to lead India to gold at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup in 2024 and featured in a landmark Pro League win over world No. 1 Netherlands.

"My family and coaches always supported me, there was never any pressure. It’s a privilege for me to come from a family of sports people because they have gone through similar experiences," Jyoti said.

"My father has been an athlete, so he guides me from his learnings. Even my mom, although she’s not from a sports background, supports me a lot and pushes me, especially mentally." She also played a key role in helping SG Pipers clinch the Women's Hero Hockey India League title in the second edition of the tournament earlier this year.

Despite early success, Jyoti is candid about the challenges of transitioning to senior hockey.

"Sometimes, when you expect more from yourself but aren’t able to perform at that level, that can be difficult.

"It’s challenging when you’re in the learning stage of your career and are playing alongside or competing with the senior players, but you can’t match up to that competition because you’re not at that level yet.

"That is the time when you need to understand that the difference is down to the experience. In these situations, it’s important for me to go back to the basics and then gradually rebuild to a level where I can perform to the best of my abilities." With the World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad and the Asian Games on the horizon, Jyoti remains focused on steady improvement rather than instant validation.

"This year is very crucial for India. We have the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Games coming up. So, my focus is on being the best player that I can be and giving it my all on the field whenever I get a chance to play for the country,” she signed off. PTI ATK TAP