Indian women hockey team’s striker Lalremsiami Hmar stayed back in Hiroshima to play for India at FIH Series Finals despite receiving the news of her father’s demise. The 19-year-old who hails from Kolasib in Mizoram, was supposed to attend her father’s funeral but stayed to keep India’s Olympics dream alive. She reportedly told her coach that she wanted to play and make her father proud.
Her coach Sjoerd Marijne told The Hindu,
“In these situations, it’s not easy for the other players what to say to Siami [Lalremsiami] but I advised them just to talk to her and ask the questions they wanted to ask. People many times don’t know what to do in such a situation and speaking openly about it makes it easier to open to conversation.”
Union minister of state for youth affairs and sports Kiren Rijiju took to Twitter to commend Lalremsiami’s spirit
Indian women hockey player Lalremsiami’s father expired when India was to play a crucial semifinal at Hiroshima that would determine if India’s Olympics dream would be alive. She told coach, ‘I want to make my father proud. I want to stay, play and make sure India qualifies pic.twitter.com/V9tlE84z4K
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 23, 2019
India beat Chile 4-2 in the semifinals and Japan 3-1 in the finals to clinch the tournament. She consoled her mother upon meeting her, thanking people for standing by her.
Lalremsiami was accorded a hero’s welcome when she reached her village on June 25.
