A successful year which saw the Indian women’s hockey team secure their place in consecutive Olympic Games for the first time in history, there was one drag-flicker who took part in all the tournaments and performed exceptionally, Lalremsiami.

The 19-year-old striker from Mizoram made her debut for the senior team last year, and has since been an integral part of the team, and helped her team in winning the FIH Women’s Series Finals and the Olympic Test Event in Tokyo.

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A potent threat in attack, Lalremsiami scored a total of 10 goals in 2019, scoring two during the team’s tour of Spain, four against Malaysia, one during the tour of Republic of Korea, two goals at the FIH Women’s Series Finals and one in the Olympic Test Event. Speaking on her nomination for two awards, Lalremsiami said she takes huge pride in representing her country.

“It has been a mixed year for me, with ups and downs throughout the year, but I take huge pride in representing my country at the highest level and I am honoured to have been nominated for two awards including the 2019 FIH Hockey Stars Awards,” said the forward.

Lalremsiami also explained why it was a mixed year for her. “It was a mixed year for me because obviously I lost my father while playing a tournament and it was such a tough moment for me personally, but I am glad to be part of this team because they always supported me and took care of me in a difficult moment. When you get nominated for such awards, you think about all the effort that you put into your game, both on and off the field, and I am really pleased to have been nominated because we had a wonderful year as a team,” she added.

The 19-year-old, who has already won several tournaments with the Indian team including the silver medal at the Asian Games 2018, said that her job is not just restricted to scoring goals.

“Hockey is a team sport, and the fact that I play as a forward, I realize that I have a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders apart from scoring the goals. In this modern day, a striker should always be on her toes and must contribute to the team in different ways. I have been lucky to have so many experienced players around me, like Rani, Vandana, Navjot and Sushila. It is the hard work of the entire squad that makes our team a successful one, and I am thankful to my teammates also for making me a better player. The upcoming year is huge for us, and we are going to make sure that we give our best at the Olympic Games,” said Lalremsiami.

Earlier this month, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) had revealed the list of nominees for the 2019 FIH Hockey Stars Awards which consisted of India’s Manpreet Singh in the FIH Player of the Year (Men), Vivek Sagar Prasad in the FIH Rising Star of the Year (Men) and Lalremsiami in the FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women).

The Indian eves are currently on a break, and will rejoin national camp at the Sports Authority of India Campus, Bengaluru on January 5, 2020.