Vaishnavi's father, Vitthal Phalke, is a farmer who was once a wrestler and participated in Kersari Kusthi, a regional wrestling competition in Maharashtra. His dream of winning the competition went unfulfilled, but his passion for sports lives on through his daughter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMy father was a wrestler when he was young but he couldn\u2019t make it to the big leagues so he invested in me and hoped I would play for the country. He sent me to Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Balewadi, Pune in 2011 to pursue sports and after trying my hand at several games I decided to take up hockey,\u201d she said recounting her first steps as a hockey player.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Vaishnavi spent her childhood away from home to fulfil her father\u2019s dream. In 2017, she played in her first Sub-Junior National Championship, the 7th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship, held in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. Her tenacity in the midfield caught the eye, and she was called up to the Indian junior women\u2019s squad after her stellar performance in the 9th Hockey India Junior Women's National Championship in 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMy father always encourages me to give my best, and I remember he was really happy when I went on my first international tour as a senior. Once he found out I made the squad for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, his happiness was tenfold.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"This will be my first major tournament in the senior squad, and I am over the moon to make my father\u2019s dream come true. It is a big platform, and I am looking forward to showing my skills on the pitch,\u201d Vaishnavi was quoted as saying by Hockey India in a release on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
So far, Vaishnavi has donned the Indian jersey on six occasions and netted one goal. She was also a member of the junior Indian women's hockey team that won the Junior Asia Cup earlier this year in Kakamigahara, Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe have been playing a lot of practice matches in the build-up, along with some hard practice sessions. The whole team has a positive disposition going into training, and my teammates keep encouraging me. They always remind me that if we make a mistake, we are the ones who can make amends,\u201d she commented on preparations for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe aim is to come back with a medal, and we do not want to leave the pitch thinking we could\u2019ve done more. I want to perform the same way I do during practice games. There will be a little pressure as it is a major tournament, but I will keep it all aside and play freely and, hopefully, come back with a medal,\u201d said Vaishnavi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/09\/asian-games-young-midfielder-vaishnavi-living-her-fathers-dream-on-hockey-field.jpg", "alt_img": "Asian Games: Young midfielder Vaishnavi living her father's dream on hockey field", "alt_title": "Asian Games: Young midfielder Vaishnavi living her father's dream on hockey field", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Asian Games: Young Midfielder Vaishnavi Living Her Father's Dream On Hockey Field On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Asian Games: Young Midfielder Vaishnavi Living Her Father's Dream On Hockey Field, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex: Hailing from a small village in the Satara district of Maharashtra, India women's hockey team.", "seo_keywords": "Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Asian Games, Vitthal Phalke, Kersari Kusthi, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Junior National Championship, Hockey India Sub, Junior Women, National Championship, Tamil Nadu, Hockey India Junior Women, Asian Games", "tag": "", "tagging": "Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Asian Games, Vitthal Phalke, Kersari Kusthi, Junior National Championship, Hockey India Sub, Junior Women, National Championship, Tamil Nadu, Hockey India Junior Women, Asian Games", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "asian-games-young-midfielder-vaishnavi-living-her-fathers-dream-on-hockey-field", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "652", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2023-09-15 19:34:03", "updated": "2023-09-15 19:34:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Asian Games, Vitthal Phalke, Kersari Kusthi, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Junior National Championship, Hockey India Sub, Junior Women, National Championship, Tamil Nadu, Hockey India Junior Women, Asian Games", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2023-09-15 19:34:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "hockey", "cnmid": "793402", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/asian-games-young-midfielder-vaishnavi-living-her-fathers-dream-on-hockey-field-8510" }