Deepika's Ambition Shines After Winning HI Upcoming Player of the Year Award
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Synopsis
Deepika, a talented young hockey player from Hisar, has received the prestigious Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21). She expresses gratitude and motivation to excel further in her career.
Key Takeaways
- Deepika won the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year.
- She received a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000.
- Deepika's next goal is to achieve a podium finish at the World Cup.
- She aims to secure India's first-ever Olympic medal in women's hockey.
- Deepika was instrumental in India's gold campaign at the Asian Champions Trophy.
New Delhi, March 21 (NationPress) Considered to be one of the most promising and dynamic young talents in the sport, Deepika, who recently received the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21), is eager to make her mark at the elite level.
The 21-year-old from Hisar was also awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000 by Hockey India. A forward with an eye for goal, Deepika was thrilled to be acknowledged for her hard work.
“Securing the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) is a significant milestone in my journey. Recognition like this is incredibly encouraging for young athletes like myself, and it will inspire us to strive even harder every time we take the field. This award is not solely mine – everyone who has supported me on this journey has played a part in helping me reach this point, and I am genuinely grateful for this support network,” she stated in a Hockey India release.
Achieving this recognition was an emotional milestone for Deepika, particularly as it occurred in the same year her idol, Savita, was honored with the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Women).
Sharing her admiration for Savita, Deepika recalled, “From a young age, before I even realized sports could be a career, I would rush to the Hisar training center to celebrate whenever the Indian women’s team returned from international tournaments. Cheering for the players and garlanding stars like Savita, whom I looked up to, were the most cherished moments of my life.”
She also revealed that after meeting Savita, she would keep her hockey stick close, often sleeping with it, dreaming of wearing the Indian jersey one day. Now that she has fulfilled that dream, her next major ambition is to achieve a podium finish at the World Cup and secure India’s first-ever Olympic medal in women’s hockey.
A bronze medalist at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and the 2022 Asia Cup, Deepika played a vital role in the Indian team’s gold-winning campaign at the Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir last year.
Deepika not only scored the only goal in the final against China but also emerged as the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals. She concluded 2024 as the third-highest goalscorer in women’s hockey, tallying 17 goals in 26 games—trailing only Yibbi Jansen from the Netherlands (29 goals) and Ambre Ballenghien from Belgium (19 goals). A key player in Harendra Singh’s squad, Deepika is excited to tackle the upcoming challenges.
Looking forward to a crucial year for the Indian women’s team, Deepika is optimistic that the squad can deliver the performances that are urgently needed.
“The upcoming Women’s Asia Cup will be a significant tournament for us, especially with World Cup qualification at stake. As a team, we are all preparing for the tournament, and Harendra Sir has been ensuring we cover all our bases,” she remarked.
