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What's the story?
Star Indian forward Lalremsiami feels that receiving the FIH Rising Stars award has motivated her to prepare well for Tokyo Olympics 2020.
The background
The youngster from Mizoram has been a vital member of the Indian Women's Hockey team. The 19-year-old is a phenomenal athlete, who has a knack for both scoring and creating goals for the team. One can easily misinterpret Lalremsiami to be just any other cherubic teenager. But put a hockey stick in her hand and the Mizoram-born player comes alive and is fiery on the field.
The skilled teenager recently bagged the coveted FIH Rising Stars Award for her brilliant performances throughout 2019.
Also Read - FIH Rising Stars Awards 2019: India's Vivek Prasad and Lalremsiami emerge winners
The heart of the matter
Speaking to ANI on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2020, and how winning the award has further motivated her to prepare well for the event, Lalremsiami said:
"I wasn't expecting to win the award because there were some great players nominated for it. But when I received it, it made me happy. I am grateful to God. I want to thank Hockey India and FIH for their love and support. This award has encouraged me to prepare for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics."
The young striker, who hails from Kolasib, lost her father - Lalthansanga Zote - due to a heart attack just a day ahead of India's semi-final against Chile during the 2019 Women's FIH Series Finals.
However, despite the devasting news, grit and determination-filled Lalremsiami still played against Chile. The teenage prodigy is of the belief that players should always follow the coach's instructions both on and off he field.
Also Read - 'Confident of qualifying for Olympic quarterfinals,' says Indian striker Navjot Kaur
She further added:
"As a player, be it on the field or off the field, it is very important to maintain discipline. When we are in the field, we need to tell our desired structures to the coach. We need to follow that."
The youngster also stated that although the government has done their part in bettering the sport in India, there is still room for improvement.
"Hockey has improved a lot in our country, but we need more support from the government. Very few people play hockey in my state of Mizoram because there is no hockey ground. If we would have more grounds, there will be more hockey players too. There should be at least two or three hockey grounds in our village."
What's next?
Lalremsiami's journey has just begun. The bashful forward will be excited to represent the nation at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
