Indian women’s hockey: Midfielder Neha Goyal knows all about shouldering responsibility
The 24-year-old has overcome several obstacles and injuries to come within touching distance of her Olympic dream
As the defensive midfielder in the Indian women’s hockey team, which has sealed qualification for Tokyo 2020, Neha Goyal is adept at tackling dual roles and the added responsibility. The 24-year-old is no stranger to shouldering the extra burden.
When she was in fifth standard, Goyal accompanied one of her friends to a hockey academy in her hometown Sonepat, Haryana because she heard they would give her clothes and shoes.
“I didn’t have shoes at the time and the (government) school I was studying in used to provide us with the uniforms.” Goyal told Olympics.com during an interview.
“My family was quite poor. My father, who passed away a few years ago, was an alcoholic, most of the times he even wouldn’t be at home. My mom used to take care of the house all on her own. I wanted to improve the situation at home. So when my friend told me they give all these things I went to the hockey academy.”
Goyal’s mother used to work in a foam factory and try and do some odd jobs to provide for the family. One of the jobs comprised of stringing wires on bicycles and Neha, along with her two sisters, would help doing as much as they could since a very young age.
“We used to make maybe INR 1500-1600 (around 22 USD) per month,” Goyal recalled.
To ease the burden on her family, Goyal started taking hockey lessons diligently. One of the coaches at the academy was former India player Pritam Rani Siwach, who not only helped Goyal learn the basics but made sure she had the appropriate gear.
“She would provide me with hockey kit and give me money to buy shoes (PE canvas shoes which would cost Rs 50) if mine were torn.” Even when Goyal fractured her hand while playing, three years into her hockey journey, and had doubts over whether she would play again, Siwach was the one who restored faith in her.
“My mother has been the pillar,” said Goyal. “She was the one who encouraged me to play. She said she will pick up extra jobs or do whatever needed to be done to make sure I could stick with the sport.”
Goyal’s first break came in 2011, when she joined the Indian junior national camp on the back of impressive performances in the nationals for Haryana. A year later, she was drafted into the senior squad, a little too early perhaps.
“In the seniors, the work rate is a lot more and I couldn’t handle it in the beginning and sustained a leg injury in 2012,” she said. “I was out for almost a year because of that injury.” It was stop and start for the girl from Haryana, as her efforts of sealing her place in the senior India squad was once again thwarted by that injury.
“The bone in my foot used to swell; it was very painful,” Goyal said. “I went to a physio in Delhi. It was a little better. But after that since I was overage I was removed from the junior camp.” Goyal was pushed back to the fringes even as the Indian women’s hockey team made an appearance at the Olympics after 36 years at Rio 2016.
Despite losing her place in the Indian team, Goyal had some sort of financial security as she was employed by the Railway Sports Promotion Board by then. It helped her tend to her mother, who is frequently ill, and help with the wedding expenses of her elder sisters.
Another impressive performance in the senior nationals, in 2017, helped her get back into the team. She has earned 75 India caps so far and even scored nine goals.
“I missed the 2016 Olympics,” the midfield linchpin said. “I am very excited for my first Olympics (in Tokyo). Whatever happens, I will pour in my heart and soul to get that medal. Our team is very good right now, very fit too.”
Fitness has been one area where the Indian women’s hockey team has massively improved on since the last Olympic cycle. Goyal believes that even though the team returned winless from the tours to Argentina and Germany earlier this year, the gap between India and the top hockey nations in the world is decreasing.
“In my experience, there were the two best teams we have ever played against,” she said. “Having played them, we got an idea of where we stand. I feel the gulf isn’t as big as our ranking suggests (India ranked No 9 in the world). We matched them. But we definitely need to improve on our scoring power. We are working on that in the camp.”
The Indian national camp was recently rocked by a spate of Covid-19 positive cases, including captain Rani Rampal. But they are getting back on their feet. All the seven players and two support staff have recovered from the virus and completed their two-week quarantine on May 7.
“We have restarted practice,” said Goyal. “We are a little unfit, those who were affected by the virus had some weakness but we are pushing ourselves in practice again.”
With just over two months to go for the Olympics, the hockey team is focusing on all the areas in their control – training, fitness, nutrition—to give themselves a chance for a podium finish. Nutrition has been especially important for Goyal, who had gained some pounds, to get in shape.
“We are told to eat a lot of protein and colourful vegetables,” she said. It is a far cry from the time she, and her family, would be forced to eat rotis with pickles because they couldn’t afford to buy any vegetables and it's a privilege she doesn't take for granted.