Jyoti\u2019s journey with sports started at a very young age, when she visited training grounds with her father, who was an international long distance runner. However, it was her cousin sister who inspired her to pick up the hockey stick at the age of 11.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on her journey so far, Jyoti shared, \u201cSports runs in my family. My father was an international athlete, so I\u2019d go to the ground with him to do some running, and also play some badminton. However, it was my cousin sister 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Highlighting the role her family played throughout her career, Jyoti shared, \u201cMy family and my coaches always supported me, there was never any pressure. It\u2019s a privilege for me to come from a family of sports people because they have gone through similar experiences. My father has been an athlete, so he guides me from his learnings. Even my mom, although she\u2019s not from a sports background, supports me a lot and pushes me, especially mentally.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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\u2019s Hockey Academy in Gwalior.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Since then, achievements have followed her throughout her short career thus far. She led the junior Indian team to a Gold medal in the Women\u2019s Junior Asia Cup 2024. More recently, she also played a key role in helping SG Pipers clinch the Women\u2019s Hero Hockey India League title in the second edition of the tournament earlier this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite her young age, it\u2019s not difficult to see why Jyoti has flourished and already made her mark on the big stage. It\u2019s her maturity and clarity of thought, especially in the face of weighing expectations, that stand out as key features of her game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSometimes, when you expect more from yourself but aren\u2019t able to perform at that level, that can be difficult. It\u2019s challenging when you\u2019re in the learning stage of your career and are playing alongside or competing with the senior players, but you can\u2019t match up to that competition because you\u2019re not at that level yet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat is the time when you need to understand that the difference is down to the experience. In these situations, it\u2019s important for me to go back to the basics and then gradually rebuild to a level where I can perform to the best of my abilities\u201d, Jyoti noted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSometimes, when you expect more from yourself but aren\u2019t able to perform at that level, that can be difficult. It\u2019s challenging when you\u2019re in the learning stage of your career and are playing alongside or competing with the senior players, but you can\u2019t match up to that competition because you\u2019re not at that level yet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis 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\u201d, she concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n