The story of Udita Duhan: Handball's loss, hockey's gain

“Hockey changed my life entirely," Udita Duhan

Udita Duhan, a rising star in Indian hockey, owes a lot to the sport. But things could have been different as playing hockey professionally was not something she planned on doing.

Coming from Hisar in Punjab, Udita was the daughter of Jasbir Duhan, an Assistant Sub-Inspector. She picked up sports at an early age. Udita's first foray into the world of sport was via handball (and not hockey).

Udita's father also used to play handball and seeing her old man play the sport, she started playing handball at her school with other girls under the guidance of the games coach.

As the story goes - her handball coach failed to turn up in school for a few days. Unable to play handball, Udita approached her mother as she wanted to continue to be involved in some sport. Her mother introduced her to the school's hockey coach and to everyone's surprise, she was really good at it as well, courtesy of her pace.

Udita gave up the ball and picked up the stick and has not looked back since. She was soon picked up by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and her career was fast-tracked as a professional hockey player.

She continued performing well in the junior categories and it was only a matter of time before she was called up for the junior hockey team to represent India.

In 2016, she was named the skipper of the junior team. Her father had just died after a prolonged illness. But the personal tragedy did not deter her. After all, it was the father's dream to see his daughter shine as a hockey star.

In father's abscence, mother stepped in and she did not let Udita's dream shatter.

"My mother is very special in my life. Since I lost my father in 2015, my mother has been a big support for all of us. Our mother took our father's place and was always there for us," Udita told Hockey India.

Under her captaincy, the Indian junior's team won a bronze medal in the under-18 Asian cup. Her success as a leader paved her way into the senior squad and in 2017 she made her senior debut.

As part of the senior squad she has played in the Asian Games and the World Cup and made valuable contributions in both tournaments.

Udita's versatility makes her indispensable. She can play anywhere on a hockey field. She can soak up the pressure as a defender, she can create chances as a midfielder and she can net goals as well if played upfront.

Udita is inspired by footballer and Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. She is inspired by Ronaldo's fearless game, his work ethics, and the humility with which he treats his fans.

Udita Duhan dreaming of leading India one day

In Tokyo, Udita will have the company of Lalremsiami and Salima Tete, both of whom are also making their Olympic debut. Lalremsiami and Salima Tete were also part the under-18 Asian cup champion team. In fact, Salima Tete was Udita's deputy.

She has been a regular in the Indian team since 2017. As a senior she has netted three goals.

At the Asian Games, in which the team had a dream run and returned with a silver, Udita had the honor of netting the tournament's first goal, when she scored against Indonesia. India went on to thrash Indonesia 9-0.

She idolizes captain Rani Rampal and Vandana Katariya. Her ambitions are sky-high. Like her idol Rani, Udita too wants to lead the senior team one day and guide women's hockey in India to new heights.