Coming from a family of wrestlers and kabaddi players, Deepika Kumari was always expected to take up wrestling. Indeed, her father enrolled her in the sport at the age of 11, even though the Indian women's hockey team's star forward and drag-flicker never liked it.
Originally from a village in Hisar, Haryana, Deepika was pushed into wrestling by her father, as her grandfather, uncle, and brother were all wrestlers. But fate had other plans for her.
On her way to and from the wrestling arena, Deepika would walk past a hockey ground — a daily journey that turned into a blessing in disguise.
By her own admission, while heading to wrestling training, she would often stop for long periods to watch children playing hockey. The sport gradually captured her attention, and the rest is history.
Most people from Haryana take up wrestling or kabaddi. My family, especially my father, wanted me to be a wrestler, as my grandfather, uncle, and brother were all into wrestling and also played kabaddi.
My father never wanted me to play hockey; he wanted me to pursue an individual sport. But fate had other plans. Though I knew nothing about hockey, I would stand there, watch the game, and get engrossed. That's how my love for hockey began.
Deepika had no prior knowledge of hockey when she started, but her coach, Ejas Singh Malik, quickly spotted her potential.
When I started playing, I knew nothing about hockey, but my coach said I would be better suited as a forward. He recognised my skills.
A drag-flicker-striker combination is rare in field hockey, but Deepika has broken that stereotype—thanks to her coach.
In 2017, I took up drag-flicking on my coach’s advice. He told me that, because of my wrestling background, I had the strength to excel at it. He told me that all the wrestling training had given me power in my shoulders, which would help in drag-flicking.
Deepika, who idolises Argentina’s star forward Maria José Granatto, has now set her sights on next year’s Asian Games and the World Cup. She believes the upcoming FIH Pro League season, starting in July, will be a key stepping stone.
The Hockey India League (HIL) was a great experience. It gave us a platform to connect and share a dressing room with foreign players..
My next focus is on the new season of the FIH Pro League, which starts in July. It will give us more games against top teams and help prepare us for next year’s Asian Games and World Cup," added Deepika, who has scored 27 goals in 56 international caps so far.
