It was 2019 when the daughter of Haryana represented team India against Uruguay in FIH in Women’s Series Finals, conducted in Hiroshima, Japan. Nervous at her debut match, defender Nisha was determined to prove herself at this mighty sport. Time has passed and she reserved her spot in the 16-membered Olympic bound women’s team.
Hailing from Sonipat, Haryana, Nisha was born to a tailor father who works in a retail store. He was instrumental in her career in representing team India on the international stage. “He battled every day to make sure the family is having three meals. Such conditions didn’t discourage him and he always motivated me to play Hockey,” stated Nisha.
“Now, through hockey, I am confident I will be able to support my family financially and bring them out of poverty,” affirmed Nisha.
After a delay of one year due to the Covid pandemic, the Olympics is scheduled to take place in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23. A high spirited Nisha is very grateful for the opportunity she had been provided with the Hiroshima event. “Since my debut in Hiroshima, I have been getting the right exposure and opportunity to prove myself and I feel very fortunate that I was picked in the squad for the Tokyo Olympics. Very few people get to live this dream so early in their international career,” said she, as quoted by The Bridge.
The Tokyo Olympics are about to kick off. Team India will face the Netherlands, World No. 1, in their first group match. Nisha, a firm believer, has deep faith in team India. She said the national team is focusing on speed work to ensure gaining peak at the right time.
“With only weeks left before we leave for Tokyo, we are putting in all the hard work required and all of us in the team are pushing each other to perform better in every session. I am glad to be part of such a system where the entire Coaching staff is also pumped up to see that we peak at the right time. There is a lot of excitement within the team and all of us are looking forward to our first match against the World Champions Netherlands,” she added.
