Bengaluru, February 28 – Born in Jhansi, 21-year-old Jyoti Singh is already making waves in Indian hockey. The young player has already demonstrated her potential, captaining India at the FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup in Santiago 2025. She also made her senior debut last year, playing in four matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 (Women), including a remarkable victory against World No. 1, the Netherlands, which highlighted her readiness for the highest level.
Jyoti's journey with sports began at a very young age, when she would visit training grounds with her father, who was an international long-distance runner. However, it was her cousin who inspired her to pick up the hockey stick at the age of 11.
Reflecting on her journey so far, Jyoti shared, "Sports runs in my family. My father was an international athlete, so I would go to the ground with him to do some running and also play badminton. However, it was my cousin who inspired me to play hockey. She was part of the senior academy. Whenever she would come home for summer vacations, I would spend time with her and want to be like her."
Highlighting the role her family played throughout her career, Jyoti shared, "My family and my coaches always supported me; there was never any pressure. It's a privilege for me to come from a family of athletes, as they have gone through similar experiences. My father is an athlete, so he guides me based on his experiences. Even my mother, although she is not from a sports background, supports me a lot and pushes me, especially mentally."
Taking the first steps towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional hockey player, Jyoti moved to Madhya Pradesh, where she further honed her skills at the Madhya Pradesh Women's Hockey Academy in Gwalior.
Since then, she has achieved several milestones. She led the junior Indian team to a gold medal in the Women's Junior Asia Cup 2024. More recently, she also played a key role in helping SG Pipers win the Women's Hero Hockey India League title in the second edition of the tournament earlier this year.
Despite her young age, it is clear why Jyoti has flourished and made her mark on the big stage. Her maturity and clarity of thought, especially when facing expectations, are key features of her game.
"Sometimes, when you expect more from yourself but are not able to perform at that level, it can be difficult. It is challenging when you are in the learning stage of your career and are playing alongside or competing with senior players, but you cannot match up to that level because you are not at that level yet."
"That is the time when you need to understand that the difference is down to experience. In these situations, it's important for me to go back to the basics and gradually rebuild to a level where I can perform to the best of my abilities," Jyoti noted.
As she trains in the national camp with a crucial period ahead for Indian women's hockey – starting with the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana – Jyoti's focus remains on fine-tuning her game and making the most of her opportunities.
"This year is very crucial for India. We have the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Games coming up. So, my focus is on being the best player that I can be and giving it my all on the field whenever I get a chance to play for the country," she concluded.
