From barefoot hockey to Asian Games, India’s Lalremsiami Hmarzote chases golden dream

First Olympian and Asian Games medallist from Mizoram hopes to win gold medal in Japan for her country, build hockey facilities for her state

When an 11-year-old Lalremsiami Hmarzote told her parents she wanted to leave home to take ⁠up a place at one of ⁠India’s top hockey academies, she first had to explain ⁠to them what the sport was.

Less than a decade later, Lalremsiami would become the first female Olympian and the first Asian Games medallist from the northeastern state of Mizoram.

Lalremsiami, who fell in love with the sport playing barefoot on dirt pitches in the Himalayan town of Kolasib, is now India’s offensive linchpin as they bid for a first Asian Games gold ‌since 1982.

She said she had to overcome her parents’ resistance to the idea of her joining the Sports Authority of India’s academy in Thenzawl, about 170 kilometres from her hometown.