Baljeet Kaur: From Village Grounds to World Cup Dreams with India's Hockey Team

"Our goal is to win and qualify for the World Cup. We want to perform well and give our best so that we can bring a medal for the country," Baljeet said.

Baljeet also believes the current squad has the right balance to achieve something special. "There are many young and speedy players in the team, and it's a very good combination. The flow within the group is good, and the fitness level is high," she noted.

Further reflecting on the preparations leading up to the tournament, Baljeet expressed satisfaction with how the team approached training. "The camp went very well, and the training sessions were good. We worked on different aspects, including our shooting, and everything progressed well," she shared.

She also highlighted the areas she focused on ahead of the tournament. "Before coming to the camp, one of my main focus areas was improving my fitness, and I worked a lot on that during the training period," Baljeet added.

Baljeet's journey in hockey began more than a decade ago in her village, Kaka Kandiala in Punjab, when she was studying in the seventh standard. What began as curiosity soon turned into a deep passion for the sport.

"I started playing hockey in 2012. My uncle's daughter used to play hockey, and I would always ask her where she was going early in the morning. She would tell me she was going to the ground to practice, and that sparked my curiosity and made me want to start playing as well," Baljeet recalled.

Determined to pursue the sport seriously, Baljeet moved to a school in Tarn Taran, where she had better opportunities to train and compete. Her performances soon helped her earn a call-up to the Junior National Camp in 2017, marking an important milestone in her journey.

However, the road was not without challenges. Coming from a modest background, access to equipment and resources was often difficult during her early years in the sport.

"It was not easy for us to play hockey because our family couldn't afford the equipment. People around us and in the community helped us a lot by providing hockey sticks and shoes. My siblings and I are very thankful to them for supporting us during those early years," she said.

Baljeet eventually broke into the senior Indian team setup in 2022 but admits that the journey since then has come with its share of ups and downs.

"Since 2022, sometimes I have been in the team, and sometimes I have been out of it. My goal is to keep improving and continue playing for India - that is the only thing on my mind," she explained.

Known for her aggressive approach and speed in midfield, Baljeet believes those traits have been part of her personality since childhood. "You can describe me as an aggressive and speedy player. That aggression comes from within. When I see someone doing something well, I feel that if they can do it, then I should be able to do it too," she said.

Despite facing scepticism early in her journey, particularly from people in her village who believed she should focus only on studies, Baljeet remained determined to continue pursuing hockey.

"People used to say that I should stop playing and focus on my studies, but my family eventually supported me, and they still do. That support means a lot," she added.

India will open their FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana campaign against Uruguay on 8th March, followed by matches against Scotland and Wales on 9th and 11th March respectively.

- ANI