Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, July 15

The women hockey team’s forward player, Navneet Kaur of Shahbad (Kurukshetra), is sweating it out with her teammates at the national camp in Bengaluru and says she is excited for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. This will be her first Olympics appearance.

“It is a dream come true and we all are very excited. We are practising hard to face our opponents at the Tokyo Olympics. Senior players Rani Rampal and Navjot Kaur are from my town. Sharing our experiences with each other helps us a lot,” said 25-year-old Navneet. Navneet has played 79 international games for the country.

“Hockey is a popular sport in Shahbad. My father is very passionate about sports and has always encouraged me. Initially, I started playing only because of my interest in sports but after observing senior player Surinder Kaur, former captain, I got inspired and decided to become a hockey player. I changed my school to so that I could focus on the game and my studies as well,” Navneet said.

Navneet is at present pursuing BA and is a second year student at Kurukshetra University.

Navneet’s father, Buta Singh, said: “She started playing when she was seven years old. Her coach, Baldev Singh, has played a crucial role in grooming her as a player. We are confident that the team will return with a gold medal from the Olympics.”