Kin want to see me play for India, says hockey star Purti
From his aunts to uncles to his younger sister, everyone in the family is into hockey, 15-year-old Ashish Tani Purti from Jharkhand emerged as the only one from his clan to play for the nation. “It’s like being the torch-bearer of the family, not that they want me to earn money, but only wish to watch me play for the nation,” said the shy 15-year-old top scorer for the Indian colts, which recently won the gold medal in the U-18 Asia Cup.
At Panjab University grounds with the rest of the U-18 squad for attending the preparatory camp for the AHF Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship, the ‘future master’ of position-less tactics shared his vision about the sport, and how it helped him gain confidence for hitting big in the world of hockey.
“All I can do is play hockey. You give me a book to read, I will sleep. You ask me to read something about hockey, I would end up reading it in no time. Both my maternal and paternal families played hockey, even my younger sister has now started practising. However, I am the only one who got selected into the Indian squad, which is something everyone is proud of…I am their blue-eyed boy now,” smiled Purti.
Coming from a humble background and growing up in a plastic-roofed home in Khunti block of Jharkhand, Purti is tagged as the future of Indian hockey. Having scored 13 goals, including hat-tricks against Pakistan and hosts Japan in the U-18 Asia Cup, he played a pivotal role in India’s journey to the title.
“My only aim is to work hard under discipline. Even during the matches, I don’t think anything beyond the team’s win and my contribution. The early stage of the Asia Cup was a little jumpy ride, but the boys got their act together in time, which helped me gain confidence,” added Purti, whose parents earn their livelihood by sharpening farming tools.
On his position-less work in the squad, he added that modern hockey was not about holding the position, but about expanding the horizon. “With every team having video analysts and scientific inputs, it’s not possible to play on only one particular position. The opposition would end up trapping you, if one continues to play a specific role. I started as a defender, but improved my game to become a midfielder. I sometimes become a defensive striker, and also take penalty corners. I just want to make myself available for the team,” he added.
Being a drag flicker requires considerable strength in hockey, and the 15-year-old is well aware of the importance of keeping himself fit. When asked how the team partied after winning the U-18 Cup, the youngsters said, “After attending the post-match interaction with the coaches, we just danced…nothing else. This group is very serious when it comes to hockey.”
Last month, playing at Kakamigahara in Japan, Purti scored four goals (12th, 49th, 53rd, 56th) in the semifinal against Pakistan to lead India’s last-quarter 5-3 comeback after trailing 2-3. In the final against Japan, Purti drove the historic win with three brilliant goals in the team’s 4-1 win.
