Indian hockey's future bright as Rohit prepares to follow Harmanpreet Singh

Rohit is motivated by recent successes of the Indian hockey teams and wants to lift the Junior WC title at home this year.

In a Hockey India video introducing Rohit as the Indian captain for the ongoing Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu, Harmanpreet Singh praised the 21-year-old’s dedication and skill. “He is an excellent defender too, as he plays the role of first rusher in Penalty Corner defence.  When we play matches against the junior team, I also find it challenging to beat him,” the senior captain said. Ironically, it was in one of these matches against the senior team that Rohit suffered a jaw injury last year, raising doubts about his career.

 

Overcoming a Career-Threatening Injury

 

Rohit recalled the incident in an interview saying: “The ball struck my face. I suffered a fracture, and I had to have a plate in my jaw. For a month-and-a-half, I fell back on my fitness. I couldn’t eat or drink properly. At that point, I felt like giving up. What is the point of taking such risks? Let it be. If someone scores a goal, so what? (laughs) But as I started playing at full tilt once more, dar kol gaya. Now I am fine with it.” 

 

 

From Village Cricket to Hockey Stardom

 

Rohit’s journey began in 2014 in Dabra village near Hisar, Haryana, where he initially spent evenings playing cricket. “As a kid, seriously, I had very little idea about hockey. But my uncle’s son used to play, and I just sat outside and watched for 15-20 days. Then, as I started playing, my interest grew."

 

"After practising in my village for a few months, I gave a trial at Chandigarh Sector 42 Hockey Academy. And that’s where Gurminder coach saab continuously worked on my game for seven years; he took me from zero to where I am now. From there, I was selected for the junior national team.” he said.

 

Though his father had limited knowledge of sports, Rohit’s family supported him: “I used to play on my own responsibility. My family supported me however they could, but there wasn’t a dream as such that I’d play for India one day, that was just mine. There were some financial difficulties at the start. I feel like most kids playing hockey in India face this. Equipment is not affordable, so we played with wooden hockey sticks that cost around Rs 250-300. The Chandigarh Academy helped us with the sticks and diet as things went on.”

 

Coaching Guidance and Inspiration

 

Coach Gurminder Singh recalled Rohit’s potential: “His speed, his strength, his skill, his style… whatever is necessary for him to become an international player, it was there in Rohit as a kid. He was a physically fit child. When he was 10-11 years old, he wasn’t playing very good hockey. But he had a lot of potential. As he started going to tournaments, his performances kept going up. He became very good at drag flicking. He played full back and his physique was very good, so naturally we started training him in that role from when he was 12 or 13.”

 

Rohit idolizes senior players: “Most of the defenders, drag flickers… obviously Harman paaji will be their idol. He is everyone’s favourite. I meet him regularly, and he advises me on my game.”

 

Role in the Junior Team

 

India head coach PR Sreejesh emphasized Rohit’s versatility: “He is a drag flicker, so his focus is mainly on PC attack. But he is a freeman, just like how Harman is in the senior team. He is a Libero, who is there to support the defence, but is more involved in the attacking plays.”

 

Rohit is motivated by recent successes of the Indian hockey teams: “Right now, my dream is to win the World Cup. But ultimately, I want to play at the Olympics and win a medal. I have heard in the past that players just wanted to play at the Games. But now that we have won back-to-back medals, the mindset has changed.”